Ann Barker

Ann Patricia Barker (born 19 January 1952) is an Australian politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1999, representing the electorate of Bentleigh. She previously represented the electorate of Oakleigh from 1988 to 1992. She is the current Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. [" [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 "Parliamentary Handbook: Ann Barker"] . "Parliament of Victoria". Accessed 2 July 2007.]

Barker was born in Tasmania. She worked as an electorate officer to former federal MP Joan Child before being elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Bentleigh at the 1988 state election, succeeding retiring ALP member Gordon Hockley. [" [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 "Parliamentary Handbook: Ann Barker"] . "Parliament of Victoria". Accessed 2 July 2007.] She was seen as a potential ministerial candidate towards the end of her first term, but was twice overlooked by then-Premier Joan Kirner. [Button, James. "Rowe quits: five chase Cabinet job". "The Age", 16 April 1991.] [Dixon, Robyn. "Roper under pressure to quit". "The Age", 18 January 1992.] These ambitions were to be short-lived, as she was one of many Labor members to be defeated amidst the party's landslide defeat at the 1992 state election, losing to Liberal Inga Peulich. [" [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 "Parliamentary Handbook: Ann Barker"] . "Parliament of Victoria". Accessed 2 July 2007.]

After her 1992 election defeat, Barker was employed as an advisor to federal MP Simon Crean, then a minister in the Keating government. She left Crean's office in 1996 to work as an office manager with the Victorian Court Information and Welfare Network, but returned to Crean's office the following year. [" [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 "Parliamentary Handbook: Ann Barker"] . "Parliament of Victoria". Accessed 2 July 2007.] [Parkinson, Tony and Boreham, Gareth. "Delahunty dilemma as deal eludes ALP". "The Sunday Age", 15 March 1998.] She was the Labor candidate for the seat of Oakleigh at the 1996 election, but was very narrowly defeated by incumbent Liberal member Denise McGill. [Hill, Kendall. "Six votes could separate defeat from victory". "The Age", 1 April 1996.] She was again the Labor candidate for the seat at the 1999 election, having resisted pressure to stand aside for star candidate Mary Delahunty, and amidst the party's statewide victory, succeeded in defeating McGill. [Parkinson, Tony and Boreham, Gareth. "Delahunty dilemma as deal eludes ALP". "The Sunday Age", 15 March 1998.] [Wallace, Rick. "Youngest MP makes Labor history". "Herald-Sun", 20 September 1999.]

Barker was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Training and Higher Education after the party's victory at the 2002 election. [" [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 "Parliamentary Handbook: Ann Barker"] . "Parliament of Victoria". Accessed 2 July 2007.] A relatively low-profile MP, she spoke less than only one other member of either house of parliament in 2004. [Kelly, Jeremy. "Self-imposed gag for MP". "Herald-Sun", 23 December 2004.] In 2006, she was a vocal supporter of Martin Pakula's unsuccessful challenge to the preselection of her former employer, Simon Crean. [Bachelard, Michael. "Crean's state colleagues support his rival.". "Herald-Sun", 25 February 2006.] She was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly after the 2006 election. [" [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 "Parliamentary Handbook: Ann Barker"] . "Parliament of Victoria". Accessed 2 July 2007.]

References

External links

* [http://www.annbarker.net/ Personal site]
* [http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/searchresult.cfm?menuid=1&memberId=59 Parliamentary profile]