20 Facts About Sue Lines

Susan Lines was born on 15 December 1953 and is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Western Australia since 2013, representing the Australian Labor Party.

Sue Lines is the current President of the Australian Senate, having previously been Deputy President of the Senate from 2016.

Sue Lines was born in Perth on 15 December 1953, the daughter of Nancy McRae and Jim Sue Lines.

Sue Lines's father was born in England and came to Australia at the age of 12 as part of a child migration scheme, initially living at Fairbridge Farm.

Sue Lines served in World War II and later worked as a baker, carpenter and builder.

Sue Lines held British citizenship by descent until renouncing it prior to the 2013 election.

Sue Lines attended Gosnells Primary School and Armadale Senior High School.

Sue Lines completed a Bachelor of Education at Murdoch University and worked as a teacher from 1984 to 1985.

Sue Lines's mother, who died in 1976, was a schoolteacher.

In 1987, after a few years as a community organiser, Sue Lines began working as a union organiser for what subsequently became United Voice.

Sue Lines became the assistant state secretary of the union in 2001 and assistant national secretary in 2007.

Sue Lines was elected to the state executive of the ALP in Western Australia in 1990 and the national executive in 2002.

Sue Lines was a delegate to national conference and a delegate to state conference in both Western Australia and New South Wales at various points.

Sue Lines served on the ALP's national policy committee from 2007 to 2009.

In 2013, Sue Lines was nominated by the ALP to fill a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Senator Chris Evans, another former United Voice official.

Sue Lines was formally appointed to the Senate on 15 May 2013 and elected to a six-year term in her own right at the 2016 federal election.

Sue Lines was elected Deputy President of the Senate in September 2016 in succession to Gavin Marshall.

Sue Lines is the third woman to hold the position, after Margaret Reid and Sue West.

In July 2022, following the ALP's victory at the 2022 federal election, Sue Lines was elected President of the Senate in succession to Slade Brockman.

Sue Lines is the second woman elected to the position, after Margaret Reid, and the first woman from the ALP to be elected president.