Suzanne Margaret West was born on 21 September 1947 and is a former Australian politician and nurse who was the first woman to serve as a Senator for New South Wales.
23 Facts About Sue West
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Sue West lost her seat at the 1987 federal election but returned at the 1990 election and was re-elected in 1996.
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Sue West did not seek re-election in 2001 and retired at the expiration of her term in June 2002.
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Sue West was born and raised in Cowra, New South Wales, the daughter of Edna and Tim Sue West.
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Sue West's father was a grazier and ALP member who stood for state parliament on four occasions without success.
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Sue West grew up on the family property 15 miles outside of Cowra, and was educated at Blackfriars Correspondence School, Cowra Public School, and Cowra High School.
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Sue West then trained as a nurse at Cowra District Hospital before moving to Sydney and completing a certificate in midwifery at King George V Memorial Hospital.
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Sue West held membership of the New South Wales College of Nursing and Royal College of Nursing.
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Sue West additionally completed a diploma in community nursing at the Cumberland College of Health Sciences in 1977.
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Sue West subsequently served on the council of the Mitchell College of Advanced Education in Bathurst from 1978 to 1984.
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Sue West was the party's candidate in the Division of Hume, a safe National Country Party seat, at the 1980 federal election.
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Sue West was an unsuccessful candidate for the Senate at the 1983 and 1984 federal elections, on both occasions being placed on the bottom of the ticket.
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In February 1987, Sue West was appointed to the Senate to fill a casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Doug McClelland.
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Sue West was the first woman to represent New South Wales in the Senate.
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Sue West used her maiden speech to defend the controversial Australia Card, which she had worked on while in Simmons' office.
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Sue West was again placed last on the ALP ticket at the subsequent election and lost her seat.
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Sue West returned to the Senate at the 1990 election, having worked as a ministerial consultant in the meantime.
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Sue West won election over incumbent Liberal senator Chris Puplick by just 243 votes on the final count.
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Sue West was re-elected in 1996 in first place on the ALP ticket.
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Sue West's election meant both the presidency and deputy presidency were held by women for the first time, following Margaret Reid's election as president in 1996.
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Sue West held the position until her retirement in June 2002, following her decision not to contest the 2001 election.
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Sue West is a life member of the ALP and has served on various party committees since leaving the Senate.
23.
Sue West married Peter Martin, a retired police officer with four adult children, in March 1987.