The Honourable
Catherine King
MP
King in 2022
Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Assumed office
1 June 2022
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese
Preceded byBarnaby Joyce
Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories
In office
1 July 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime MinisterKevin Rudd
Preceded byAnthony Albanese
Succeeded byWarren Truss
Minister for Road Safety
In office
25 March 2013 – 1 July 2013
Prime MinisterJulia Gillard
Preceded byJim Lloyd
Succeeded bySharon Bird
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Ballarat
Assumed office
10 November 2001
Preceded byMichael Ronaldson
Personal details
Born (1966-06-02) 2 June 1966
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLabor
SpouseMark Karlovic
Children1
ResidenceBallarat, Victoria
Alma materAustralian National University, Phillip Institute of Technology
Websitewww.catherineking.com.au

Catherine Fiona King (born 2 June 1966) is an Australian politician serving as the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government since 2022 and as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ballarat since 2001. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and briefly served as a minister in the Gillard and Rudd governments in 2013. She served as Shadow Minister of Health from 2013 to 2019 and as Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development from 2019 to 2022.

Early life

King was born in Melbourne on 2 June 1966.[1] She completed her secondary education at Emmaus College.[2]

Higher education

She subsequently completed the degrees of Bachelor of Social Work at the Phillip Institute of Technology and Master of Public Policy at the Australian National University.[1] She completed a Bachelor of Laws at Deakin University in 2018,[3] and was admitted as a lawyer in Victoria in 2021.[4]

Working life

King worked as a social worker at Ballarat Children's Homes and Family Services from 1988 to 1992, and in 1991 was named Victorian Young Achiever of the Year in the field of community services.[1] In the same year she spent six months working in Birmingham, England, which influenced her later decision to enter politics.[5] King subsequently joined the Australian Public Service, working as an industry policy officer for the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (1993–1994) and as a senior officer in the Department of Health and Aged Care (1997–1999). She served as assistant director of the department's population health division and later as director of injury prevention.[1] While in the public service she lived in Canberra, spending periods in Narrabundah, Hughes and Swinger Hill.[6] King later moved back to Victoria and joined the private sector as a senior manager in KPMG's consulting division.[1]

Politics

King in 2004

King joined the Australian Labor Party in 1993 and worked briefly as a research officer for Andrew Theophanous, the parliamentary secretary for health in the Keating government. She served as president of the party's Port Melbourne branch from 1998 to 1999.[1]

King is a member of Labor Left.[7]

Opposition (2001–2007)

King was the only Labor candidate to win a seat at the 2001 election from the Liberal Party of Australia, and secured a 5.5-point swing,[8] the largest swing to a Labor candidate in the poll. She was likely helped when the Liberals' initial candidate, Olympic gold medallist Russell Mark, resigned three months before the election,[9] whereas King had 18 months to campaign.[10] She maintained her seat at the 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016 federal elections.

King was re-elected in the 2004 federal election with a slightly reduced majority[11] and was then appointed the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development. In mid-2005 she was then promoted to Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury.

Government (2007–2013)

King was re-elected for a third term at the 2007 federal election, increasing her majority from 2.2 to 8.15 points.[12] In the 2010 federal election she increased her margin to 11.7 points.[13][14]

King was appointed to serve in the Second Gillard Ministry and was sworn in by Governor-General Quentin Bryce on 14 September 2010 as the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing and the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport. On 25 March 2013, King was appointed to the Ministry as the Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories and the Minister for Road Safety and sworn in by Governor-General Quentin Bryce.[15] Following the June 2013 Labor leadership spill, she was appointed as the Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories in the Second Rudd Ministry and promoted into the Australian Cabinet.[16]

Opposition (2013–2022)

Despite the defeat of the second Rudd government in the 2013 federal election King retained her seat with a margin of 4.9 points.[17] Following the election of Bill Shorten as Labor Leader, King was appointed to shadow cabinet as Labor Health spokesperson.[18] King was re-elected for a sixth time in the July 2016 federal election, increasing her margin to 7.3 points, and retained her position as Shadow Minister for Health. Following the 2019 election, she was retained in Anthony Albanese's shadow ministry and given the portfolio of Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.[1]

Government (2022–)

Following the 2022 federal election, King was appointed Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in the Albanese ministry.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Hon Catherine King MP". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Barber, Dylan (20 December 2013). "Labor's frontbench, too, is a mostly private-school affair". Crikey. Retrieved 10 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "My son was not even born when I started this law degree. He turns 10 this year. Thanks @Deakin and my family for the support #lifelonglearning". Twitter. Catherine King. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  4. ↑ "It's been a long, slow hike through part-time study, but as of today I am very proud to have been admitted by the Supreme Court as a lawyer! Lifelong learning has always been a key aim of mine, and this course has taught me many valuable things that I use regularly in my day job. A big thank you to all my lecturers, fellow students and everyone who supported me along the way!". Facebook. Catherine King. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  5. ↑ "Women take up traditional battle for Ballarat". The Age. 7 September 2004. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  6. ↑ Peake, Ross (6 April 2013). "Memories bring added value". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  7. ↑ "Labor's new-look shadow ministry". SBS News. Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 31 October 2021.
  8. ↑ "2001 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 27 November 2001. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  9. ↑ Ballarat - the Australian political barometer Archived 25 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine, ABC, 10/10/2001
  10. ↑ Carney, Shaun (9 March 2002). "A landslide that never was". The Age. Melbourne. Retrieved 22 July 2008.
  11. ↑ "2004 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "2007 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 11 December 2007. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  13. ↑ "2010 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 10 September 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  14. ↑ McKenzie, David (25 August 2010). "King makes Ballarat safe for Labor". The Weekly Times. Melbourne. Retrieved 11 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Full list of changes to the Gillard ministry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 25 March 2013. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "2013 federal election – House of Representatives results for Ballarat". Canberra: Australian Electoral Commission. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  18. ↑ "Bill Shorten names his new shadow ministry". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
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