Verity Firth

Verity Firth, an Australian politician, is the Minister for Education and Training, and Women in the Labor Government of New South Wales. Formerly, she served as the Environment and Climate Change, Minister for Women, Minister for Science and Medical Research and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) under Morris Iemma. Firth was elected to the new seat of Balmain at the 2007 NSW state election.

[cite news
last =Mitchell
first =Alex
title =I'm not going anywhere
publisher =The Sydney Morning Herald
date =May 7 2006
url =http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/im-not-going-anywhere/2006/05/06/1146335966107.html?page=2
accessdate = 2007-09-07 ] Verity has been a member of the Labor Party since she was fifteen. She studied Law at the University of Sydney. Before she was elected as a councillor to the City of Sydney Council in March 2004, Firth practiced as a lawyer for the national firm Slater & Gordon, specialising in asbestos litigation and industrial law. She has been on the board of the Law and Justice Foundation and Aidwatch. [cite web
title =About Verity Firth
publisher =Verity Firth
date =
url =http://www.verityfirth.com/?page_id=19
accessdate = 2007-09-07 ]

Personal life

Firth grew up in West Pymble and in Glebe and attended the North Sydney Girls High School, in Sydney. She still lives in Glebe with her husband Matthew and baby April; her brother is comedian Charles Firth; her aunt is the former NSW upper house president Meredith Burgmann [http://blogs.smh.com.au/sit/archives/2007/02/crossroads_short_shift.html] .

Career

Firth was a councilor on the City of Sydney Council for four years, including a stint as Deputy Lord Mayor.

Entering State politics, Firth won the seat of Balmain in the election on 24 March 2007. Though there was a swing away from the ALP, Firth won the seat with a majority of just below 4%. She was sworn in on 2 April 2007, and became the Minister for Women, Minister for Science & Medical Research, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer), and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water (Environment).cite web
title =The Hon. Verity Helen Firth, MP
work =Members of Parliament
publisher =Parliament of New South Wales
url =http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Prod/Parlment/Members.nsf/d890a06557517cedca256e700008765e/3168aa6801557956ca2572ae001aa175!OpenDocument
accessdate = 2007-05-07 ] On 22nd February 2008 Environment, Climate Change and Water Minister Phil Koperberg resigned from cabinet due to health reasons. Firth was given the responsibility for the areas of Environment and Climate Change. [ [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23256939-5001021,00.html 'Sick' Phil Koperberg resigns from NSW Cabinet | The Daily Telegraph ] ] .

Following the NSW Government reshuffle of September 2008, Firth was promoted to the position of Minister for Education, while also retaining the Women portfolio. She won early praise in her new portfolio for her demand to the Federal Government that it fund state public schools to the same level as private schools. [cite news
last =Parker
first =Maralyn
title =Minister Firth asks Rudd for More Money for Public Schools
publisher =The Daily Telegraph
date =September 15 2008
url =http://blogs.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/maralynparker/index.php/dailytelegraph/comments/minister_firth_asks_for_more_money_for_nsw_public_schools/
accessdate = 2008-09-20 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LA20070508047 Inaugural Speech to Parliament]