32 Facts About Jenny Macklin

Jennifer Louise Macklin was born on 29 December 1953 and is an Australian former politician.

Jenny Macklin was elected to federal parliament at the 1996 federal election and served as the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party from 2001 to 2006, under opposition leaders Simon Crean, Mark Latham and Kim Beazley.

Jenny Macklin grew up in country Victoria, initially in Cohuna where she attended the local primary school.

From 1976 to 1978, Jenny Macklin worked as a researcher at the Australian National University under accounting and finance professor Russell Matthews.

Jenny Macklin then joined the Parliamentary Library as an economics specialist within the Legislative Research Service.

Jenny Macklin was a member of a Canberra discussion group, the Red Fems, which presented a paper to the Women and Labour Conference in 1980.

From 1985 to 1988, Jenny Macklin served as an adviser to David White, the state health minister.

Jenny Macklin was appointed as the director of the government's National Health Strategy initiative, tasked with reviewing Australia's existing health system.

Jenny Macklin delivered a series of background papers and issues papers, one of which proposed the abolition of private health insurance.

Jenny Macklin then served as director of the Australian Urban and Regional Development Review from 1993 to 1995.

In 1994, Jenny Macklin won ALP preselection for the Division of Jagajaga, defeating former Casey MP Peter Steedman.

Jenny Macklin was elected to parliament at the 1996 federal election, which saw the defeat of the ALP government.

Jenny Macklin was immediately elected a member of the shadow ministry, where she served in a number of roles, including Shadow Minister for Aged Care, Social Security and the Status of Women.

Jenny Macklin is a member of the Socialist Left faction of the Labor Party.

Jenny Macklin was the first woman to hold a leadership position in either Australian major party.

Jenny Macklin took on the position of Shadow Minister for Education.

Jenny Macklin remained Deputy Leader after Crean's replacement as leader by Mark Latham in December 2003, and under Kim Beazley following Latham's resignation in January 2005.

Jenny Macklin became the first person to be deputy to three leaders of the ALP since Frank Forde.

Jenny Macklin was elected to the Shadow frontbench, and was appointed Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and Reconciliation.

Jenny Macklin maintained these portfolios in government after Labor's victory in the 2007 election.

In 2007, Jenny Macklin became the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs.

In 2011, Jenny Macklin was given the additional responsibility of Minister for Disability Reform, overseeing the design and implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Jenny Macklin was a member of the Government's Expenditure Review Committee and Chair of the Government's Social Policy Committee.

Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin was Minister for Indigenous Affairs throughout the Labor government's two terms in office.

Jenny Macklin was instrumental in the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, delivered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in February 2008 and the implementation of the Close the Gap Framework, the first comprehensive strategy for tackling Indigenous disadvantage in Australia's history.

Jenny Macklin has said that one of her most important achievements was to take the politics out of Indigenous affairs and destroy the toxic division between "symbols" and "practical" change.

Jenny Macklin was instrumental in the success of negotiations with states and territories, which resulted in a nationwide agreement on the NDIS.

Jenny Macklin led Labor's opposition to the Liberal government's cuts to paid parental leave, which have failed to pass the Parliament.

Apology to Forgotten Australians Jenny Macklin was the steward for the National Apology to the Forgotten Australians and former Child Migrants, in her capacity as Families Minister.

Jenny Macklin said the apology demonstrated 'the shared resolve to make sure the abuse and neglect never happens again'.

Jenny Macklin was included in Shorten's shadow ministry and retained her place until announcing her retirement, holding the portfolios of families and payments, disability reform and families and social services.

Jenny Macklin announced her retirement from politics on 6 July 2018, effective at the 2019 federal election.