Electorate

ALGESTER (ARCHERFIELD June 1998 - February 2001)

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Party

Australian Labor Party (ALP)

Date of Election to present seat : 17 February 2001 (First elected 13 June 1998)

View : Speeches by Karen Struthers >>

View : Inaugural Speech >>

Parliamentary Service

Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women from 26 March 2009. Member, Members’ Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee 16 April 2008 - 20 March 2009. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health 13 September 2007 - 20 March 2009. Chair, Review of Organ and Tissue Donation Procedures Select Committee 12 May 2008 – 28 October 2008. Member, Estimates Committee A, 2007. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health 13 September 2006 - 13 September 2007.Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Sport 2 February 2006 - 13 September 2006. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations 28 July 2005 - 13 September 2006. Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier (Multicultural Affairs) and Minister for Trade 12 February 2004 - 28 July 2005. Chair, Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee 3 May 2001 - 13 January 2004. Chair, Estimates Committee F, 2001. Member, Parliamentary Criminal Justice Committee 30 July 1998 - 23 January 2001. Chair, Estimates Committee D, 2000. Member, Estimates Committee F, 1998 and 1999.

Current Parliamentary service is highlighted in green.

Government Appointments

Member, Gaming Review Committee from 1999.

Current Ministerial Legislative Committee Membership

Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Infrastructure; Transport and Main Roads; Health from 28 September 2006.

Party Activity

Member, Algester Branch; Member, Algester EEC; Former Member, Law and Law Enforcement Policy Committee; Former Campaign Director, Moorooka Ward; Brisbane City Council Election Campaign 1997; Former Campaign Director, Federal seat of Moreton for the 2001 and 2004 Federal elections; Member, Labor for Refugees.

Personal

Born Adelaide, 19 February 1963 - one son, Alexander. Bachelor of Social Work (Hons) University of Queensland 1984. (G.M.Q.) Graduate Management Qualification, Graduate School of Management, Griffith University 1996; Masters of Public Sector Management, Griffith University completed with Honours 2003. Current member, Griffith University Council. Prior to election was Assistant Director, Queensland Council of Social Service. Interests - Founding member and former chair of the Coalition for Crime Prevention (1996). Member of the following organisations: Australian Violence Prevention Awards Committee (1995 - 1998); Queensland Community Transport Network (1996); Emily's List (promoting women in politics). Deputy Convenor, Queensland Womens' Consultative Council (1994 - 1995).