Anne Elizabeth Urquhart (née Polden; born 18 October 1957) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served as a Senator for Tasmania since 2011. She was a senior official with the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) prior to entering politics.
Anne Urquhart | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Tasmania | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2011 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anne Elizabeth Polden 18 October 1957 Latrobe, Tasmania, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Occupation | Union official |
| Website | anneurquhart |
Early life
editUrquhart was born in Latrobe, Tasmania, the second of three children born to Tom and Betty Polden. After starting a family with her husband Graham, in July 1980 she began working as a process worker at the Edgell-Birds Eye factory in Ulverstone, which was later taken over by Simplot Australia.[1]
Urquhart joined the Food Preservers' Union of Australia, initially serving as a delegate and then from August 1990 as a full-time organiser. Her union was later merged into the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU),[1] and she served as state president from 1998 to 2004 and state secretary from 2004 to 2010.[2][3]
Politics
editUrquhart served as a vice-president of the Australian Labor Party (Tasmanian Branch) from 2004 and as a delegate to the ALP National Conference.[2] She was first elected to the Senate at the 2010 federal election, to a term beginning on 1 July 2011.[4] She was re-elected to further six-year terms in 2016 (following a double dissolution) and 2022.[2] Her office is located in Devonport.[3]
In 2014 Urquhart was elected state president of the ALP, replacing Rebecca White.[5] She has served on a variety of committees during her time in the Senate. She has been the Labor Party's chief whip in the Senate since 2016, having previously served as a deputy whip from 2013 to 2016. After the ALP's victory at the 2022 election she became chief government whip and was also made chair of the selection of bills committee.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Maiden speech". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
- ^ a b c d "Senator Anne Urquhart". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
- ^ a b "Anne Urquhart: Senate Candidate for Tasmania". Australian Labor Party. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "Senate Results – Tasmania – 2010 Federal Election". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- ^ "Anne Urquhart elected as the new Tasmanian Labor President". ABC News. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
External links
edit- "Mrs Anne Urquhart". TasBuild Limited. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2010.
- Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Anne Urquhart on TheyVoteForYou.org.au