Christine Robertson
Encyclopedia
Christine Mary Robertson (born 5 October 1948) is an Australia
n politician and former Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
, serving from 2003 until her retirement in 2011.
Robertson was born in 5 October 1948 in Wollongong to Walter Edward Carr and Diana Ida McGinness. She attended various primary schools in New South Wales, such as East Tamworth Primary School. She completed her secondary studies at J J Cahill Memorial High School
in 1965. She sought a career in nursing and obtained a General Nursing Training Certificate in 1969. She worked as a Registered Nurse at various hospitals including, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Royal South Sydney Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital and Tamworth Base Hospital. She pursued further studies in nursing and obtained a Bachelor of Health Science in 1990 from Charles Sturt University.
She became a Health Education officer in 1986 and in 1997 became the Manager, and then the Director of Population Health for the New England Area Heath Service. In 1998 she became the Director of the New England Area Health Service Research Institute and in 2003 became the Chair of the Australian Rural Health Research Collaboration Advisory Council.
She joined the Tamworth Branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1980. She became the President of the Tamworth Base Hospital Branch of the NSW Nurses Association in the same year. She became its Secretary in 1982 and then its President in 1991, and then the Senior Vice President in 1998. She became a member of the Administrative Committee in 1995. She succeeded Garry Ryan to become the Secretary of the Rural and Provincial Affairs Committee from 1986 to 1990, and then its Chair until 1999, and continued as Chair of the Country Labor Committee. She was a Delegate to the National ALP Conference in 1991 and has been a delegate for every conference thereafter. In 1996 she became the Secretary of the Tamworth Subbranch of the Health Services Union. She is now a partner in a farming and small business.
She first stood as a candidate for the Australian Labor Party in the 2003 New South Wales Election. She was placed eighth on the Labor Party Group ticket. She received the 16th highest quota at that election., and was elected to serve an eight year term in the Council.
In Parliament she has been a member of the Joint Select Committee on the Threatened Species Conservation Amendment (Biodiversity Banking) Bill 2006, a member of the General Purpose Standing Committee, a member of the Standing Committee on State Development, and a member of the Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission.
She was appointed a Temporary Chair of Committees in 2003 and held that role until 2007. She was also the Legislative Council Representative on the Council of the University of New England in 2003 and 2004.
On 1 August 2004 Robertson was traveling in a car on the road outside of Tingha when a vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the road collided with her vehicle. Passers-by removed her from the car prior to the other car bursting into flames. Ambulance officers transported her to Inverell District Hospital for treatment. Robertson said that she had no memory of the accident, nor of the two weeks after the incident, but praised medical staff for her treatment.
She is currently the chair of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. The committee delivered a report on court proceedings involving children criminal defendants. The committee recommended that the names of children who commit crimes should continue to be suppressed so the "stigma of being associated with a crime” would not get in the way of the child’s future rehabilitation
In 2008, Robertson came out in support of besieged Federal politician Belinda Neal
signing an open letter with eight other female politicians condemning the media over their treatment of Neal.
On the first day of the new Rees Government, she asked a Dorothy Dixer
question but addressed it to the wrong Government Minister.
She is married to Richard and has two sons. The media attempted to implicate her when her husband allegedly cut down trees without authority on their country property.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and former Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
, serving from 2003 until her retirement in 2011.
Robertson was born in 5 October 1948 in Wollongong to Walter Edward Carr and Diana Ida McGinness. She attended various primary schools in New South Wales, such as East Tamworth Primary School. She completed her secondary studies at J J Cahill Memorial High School
J J Cahill Memorial High School
J J Cahill Memorial High School, is a school in Mascot, New South Wales, Australia, on Sutherland Street. It is a co-educational high school operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training with students from years 7 to 12...
in 1965. She sought a career in nursing and obtained a General Nursing Training Certificate in 1969. She worked as a Registered Nurse at various hospitals including, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Royal South Sydney Hospital, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Vincent's Hospital and Tamworth Base Hospital. She pursued further studies in nursing and obtained a Bachelor of Health Science in 1990 from Charles Sturt University.
She became a Health Education officer in 1986 and in 1997 became the Manager, and then the Director of Population Health for the New England Area Heath Service. In 1998 she became the Director of the New England Area Health Service Research Institute and in 2003 became the Chair of the Australian Rural Health Research Collaboration Advisory Council.
She joined the Tamworth Branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1980. She became the President of the Tamworth Base Hospital Branch of the NSW Nurses Association in the same year. She became its Secretary in 1982 and then its President in 1991, and then the Senior Vice President in 1998. She became a member of the Administrative Committee in 1995. She succeeded Garry Ryan to become the Secretary of the Rural and Provincial Affairs Committee from 1986 to 1990, and then its Chair until 1999, and continued as Chair of the Country Labor Committee. She was a Delegate to the National ALP Conference in 1991 and has been a delegate for every conference thereafter. In 1996 she became the Secretary of the Tamworth Subbranch of the Health Services Union. She is now a partner in a farming and small business.
She first stood as a candidate for the Australian Labor Party in the 2003 New South Wales Election. She was placed eighth on the Labor Party Group ticket. She received the 16th highest quota at that election., and was elected to serve an eight year term in the Council.
In Parliament she has been a member of the Joint Select Committee on the Threatened Species Conservation Amendment (Biodiversity Banking) Bill 2006, a member of the General Purpose Standing Committee, a member of the Standing Committee on State Development, and a member of the Committee on the Health Care Complaints Commission.
She was appointed a Temporary Chair of Committees in 2003 and held that role until 2007. She was also the Legislative Council Representative on the Council of the University of New England in 2003 and 2004.
On 1 August 2004 Robertson was traveling in a car on the road outside of Tingha when a vehicle traveling on the wrong side of the road collided with her vehicle. Passers-by removed her from the car prior to the other car bursting into flames. Ambulance officers transported her to Inverell District Hospital for treatment. Robertson said that she had no memory of the accident, nor of the two weeks after the incident, but praised medical staff for her treatment.
She is currently the chair of the Standing Committee on Law and Justice. The committee delivered a report on court proceedings involving children criminal defendants. The committee recommended that the names of children who commit crimes should continue to be suppressed so the "stigma of being associated with a crime” would not get in the way of the child’s future rehabilitation
In 2008, Robertson came out in support of besieged Federal politician Belinda Neal
Belinda Neal
Belinda Jane Neal , a former Australian federal politician, was a Member of the House of Representatives representing the electorate of Robertson between 2007 and 2010; and representing the state of New South Wales in the Senate from 1994 to 1998, both of behalf of the Australian Labor...
signing an open letter with eight other female politicians condemning the media over their treatment of Neal.
On the first day of the new Rees Government, she asked a Dorothy Dixer
Dorothy Dixer
In Australian politics, a Dorothy Dixer is a rehearsed or planted question asked of a government Minister by a backbencher of his/her own political party during Parliamentary Question Time.The term is used in a mildly derogatory sense...
question but addressed it to the wrong Government Minister.
She is married to Richard and has two sons. The media attempted to implicate her when her husband allegedly cut down trees without authority on their country property.