The Honourable Helen Coonan BA, LLB (Syd)
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
In office 18 July 2004 – 3 December 2007
Preceded by	Daryl Williams
Succeeded by	Stephen Conroy
Senator for New South Wales
In office 1 July 1996 – 22 August 2011
Succeeded by	Arthur Sinodinos
Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs
In office 22 September 2008 – 16 February 2009
Preceded by	Andrew Robb
Succeeded by	Julie Bishop
Personal details
Born	Helen Lloyd Coonan (1947-10-29) 29 October 1947 (age 64) Mangoplah, New South Wales
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Andrew Rogers[1]
Occupation	Barrister/Solicitor
Religion	Roman Catholic

Helen Lloyd Coonan (born 29 October 1947) is a former Australian politician, who was a Liberal member of the Australian Senate representing New South Wales from July 1996 to August 2011.

Early life[link]

She was born in Mangoplah, New South Wales, attended the Mount Erin convent Catholic boarding school in Wagga Wagga,^[2] and was educated at the University of Sydney, where she gained a law degree. She was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics. She was Chair of the Board of Governors of the Law Foundation of New South Wales (1991–92).^{[citation needed]}

Member of Parliament[link]

In 1996, Helen Coonan was elected to the federal Senate as a Liberal senator for New South Wales. She was re-elected in 2001 and appointed Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer (2001–04), making her the first woman to hold an Australian Treasury portfolio since Federation.^[3]

Inspector-General of Taxation[link]

As Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer, Coonan appointed Mr David R Vos AM as the first Inspector-General of Taxation during August 2003; following from the passage of the Inspector-General of Taxation Bill 2002 and providing an adviser to government in the interests of taxpayers.^[4]

Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts[link]

Coonan was appointed Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, with a seat in the Cabinet, in July 2004. Her portfolio was responsible for overseeing the Australian broadcasting and telecommunications industries as well as the ICT sector and Australia Post. Coonan was also the Senior Minister responsible for the Arts. She became Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate in January 2006, and was the first female in the Coalition Leadership team^[5] remaining in that role until the coalition was defeated at the polls on 24 November 2007.

Digital television[link]

In July 2004, Australia was in a transitional phase: digital television was broadcast in parallel to the old analog television signals. The stated plan was full handover to digital by 2008 and shutdown of all analog television broadcast.

In September 2005, Coonan announced a review of the digital television situation. It was noted that the government had spent 1 billion dollars supporting the change from analog TV to digital TV. The current plan to switch off analog TV by 2008 in metropolitan areas and by 2011 in regional markets was unlikely to be workable because takeup of digital receivers had been poor.^[6][7]

The minister supervised the creation of "Digital Australia", a new federally funded government body for coordinating the transition to digital television.^[8] Andrew Townend (former COO of Digital UK) was appointed executive director in 2007.^[9]

Digital Radio[link]

In October 2005, Coonan released a plan for a staged rollout of Digital Audio Broadcasting using the "Eureka 147" technology, starting in metropolitan areas. There was no plan to phase out analog radio, but a 6 year moratorium on new BSB licenses was announced.^[10][11]

Media Ownership[link]

Coonan was instrumental in promoting legislative changes to the cross-media and foreign ownership laws in the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Media Ownership) Bill 2006. The changes relaxed restrictions against cross-media ownership or control by a single company.

[edit] Internet Filtering

As far back as December 2004, Senator Coonan was under pressure from the religious conservative lobby, in particular Senator Harradine.^[12]

In 1999 the government introduced measures to counter the growing problem of offensive material on the Net when it introduced a comprehensive regulatory scheme which banned X-rated and restricted classification, or RC, material. As part of the program, the government also established NetAlert—which Senator Harradine is well aware of—to help children and families use and enjoy the Internet in a safe and responsible way.

Her answer demonstrated that mandatory filtering was under consideration.

Senator Harradine asked about mandatory filtering systems. Under the industry code of practice introduced by the government, all Australian Internet service providers are required to provide content filters for their customers at cost price or below. These tools allow parents to actively control the access their children have to the Internet from the family computer and to have some degree of confidence about the safety of their children online.

Coonan also announced in August 2007 a $189 million package for the NetAlert programme. NetAlert is an ISP level Internet content filtering system designed to filter the Internet for 'safe' use in Australia. It represented a change from her 2006 policy to allow the ISP to remain a neutral carrier and encourage parents to install filters on their home PC, commenting at the time that "PC-based filtering remains the most effective way of protecting children from offensive Internet content, as well as other threats that are not addressed by Labor's ISP-filtering proposals."^[13] Tom Wood, a 16-year-old schoolboy from Melbourne, took only 30 minutes to find a way to bypass the expensive filtering system. An additional filter was made available shortly after which Tom cracked within 40 minutes.^[14][15]

Federal support for the arts[link]

Part of Helen Coonan's ministerial responsibility was to oversee support for the Arts in Australia (a responsibility shared with George Brandis, Minister for the Arts and Sport).

Film and television financing in Australia has included generous government support since the 1970s. Similarly, music, fine arts and sport have also benefited from government funds.^[16]

Opposition (post-2007 election)[link]

Following the Liberal/National Coalition's defeat at the 2007 federal election and Brendan Nelson's election as Leader of the Liberal Party, Coonan was replaced as Deputy Leader of Coalition in the Senate by Senator Eric Abetz. She became the Shadow Minister for Human Services, shadowing the Manager of Government Business in the Senate and Minister for Human Services, Senator Joe Ludwig. When Malcolm Turnbull defeated Brendan Nelson in a leadership ballot in September 2008, Coonan was appointed Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate and was elevated to the prestigious position of Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. She was the first woman to shadow the portfolio, and there has never been a female Foreign Minister either. Following Deputy Leader Julie Bishop's resignation from the Shadow Treasury portfolio in February 2009, Coonan was moved into Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation, which had been vacated by Joe Hockey, who picked up the Shadow Treasury role. With the increased responsibility of Finance, Coonan reliquished her position of Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate to Opposition Whip, Senator Stephen Parry.

On 18 August 2011, Coonan informed the Senate in a speech that she would resign on 22 August.^[17] She has been offered a position on the board of gaming company Crown Limited subject to regulatory approval.^[18]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Helen Coonan, Senate Biography
• Sydney University Alumni magazine article
• Helen Coonan on Facebook

The Honourable Craig Emerson MP
Minister for Trade
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 September 2010
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Stephen Smith
Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs
In office 9 June 2009 – 14 September 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Chris Bowen
Succeeded by	David Bradbury (Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer)
Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy
In office 3 December 2007 – 14 September 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Fran Bailey (Small Business and Tourism)
Succeeded by	Nick Sherry (Small Business)
Member of the Australian Parliament for Rankin
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 October 1998
Preceded by	David Beddall
Personal details
Born	(1954-11-15) 15 November 1954 (age 57) Baradine, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Labor Party
Alma mater	University of Sydney Australian National University
Website	Parliamentary website Personal website

Craig Anthony Emerson (born 15 November 1954), Australian politician, has represented the House of Representatives seat of Rankin in Queensland for the Australian Labor Party since the 1998 federal election. He is the Minister for Trade in the Second Gillard Ministry.

Early life[link]

Emerson was born in Baradine, New South Wales, and was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield, Sydney University and the Australian National University, Canberra, where he gained a doctorate in economics.

Career[link]

In the past Emerson has variously been an economic analyst with the United Nations, an economic adviser to the Minister for Resources and Energy and the Minister for Finance, an Assistant Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and economic and environmental adviser to the Prime Minister (Bob Hawke).^{[citation needed]} He became Director-General of the Queensland Department of Environment in 1990.^{[citation needed]} He was Chief Executive Officer of the South East Queensland Transit Authority from 1995–96.^{[citation needed]}

Emerson was appointed Shadow Minister for Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism from 2001 to 2003, and then Shadow Minister for Workplace Relations and the Public Service from 2001 to 2004.^{[citation needed]} In December 2006 he was appointed Shadow Minister for the Service Economy, Small Business and Independent Contractors.^{[citation needed]}

On 3 December 2007, Emerson was named Minister for Small Business, Independent Contractors and the Service Economy and Minister assisting the Finance Minister on Deregulation in the newly elected Rudd ministry.^[1] In June 2009, he was also appointed Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs.^[2]

On 14 September 2010 Emerson was appointed the Minister for Trade,^[3] and this role was expanded to Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in a Ministerial reshuffle announced on 2 March 2012.^[4]

Personal life[link]

Emerson was in a relationship with fellow MP Julia Gillard in 2002, prior to her rise to the prime ministership.^[5] He was previously married and has three children.

References[link]

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2009)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Craig Emerson

• Official website
• Search or browse Hansard for Craig Emerson at OpenAustralia.org

v t e Gillard Ministry Cabinet • Gillard 1 • 2 Inner Ministry Prime Minister Julia Gillard (since 2010) Deputy PM Treasurer Wayne Swan (since 2010) Immigration Citizenship Chris Bowen (since 2010) Defence Stephen Smith (since 2010) Finance and Deregulation Penny Wong (since 2010) Trade Craig Emerson (since 2010) Regional, Local Arts Simon Crean (since 2010) Foreign Affairs Bob Carr (since 2012) Families Community Services Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin (since 2010) Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese (since 2010) Innovation, Industry, Science and Research Chris Evans (since 2011) School Education, Early Childhood and Youth Peter Garrett (since 2010) Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Greg Combet (since 2010)• Attorney General Nicola Roxon (since 2011) Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Joe Ludwig (since 2010) Sustainability, Environment Water, Population and Communities Vice-President of the Executive Council (Since 2012) Tony Burke (since 2010) Resources and Energy Tourism Martin Ferguson (since 2010) Social Inclusion Mark Butler (since 2011) Health and Ageing Tanya Plibersek (since 2011) Outer ministry Sport Kate Lundy Others Warren Snowdon• Gary Gray • Jason Clare • Julie Collins List of Australian ministries

The Honourable Lindsay Tanner BA (Hons) LLB (Hons) MA (Melb)
Member of the Australian Parliament for Melbourne
In office 13 March 1993 – 19 July 2010
Preceded by	Gerry Hand
Succeeded by	Adam Bandt
Constituency	Melbourne
11th Minister for Finance and Deregulation
In office 3 December 2007 – 3 September 2010
Preceded by	Nick Minchin
Succeeded by	Wayne Swan(acting) Penny Wong
Personal details
Born	(1956-04-24) 24 April 1956 (age 56) Orbost, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Andrea
Children	Ainsley, Remy. Jemma and James from previous marriage
Residence	Alphington, Victoria
Profession	Solicitor
Religion	Agnostic Anglican[1]
Website	LindsayTanner.com

Lindsay James Tanner (born 24 April 1956) is a former Australian member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Melbourne, Victoria, for the Australian Labor Party, having first won the seat at the 1993 federal election. He was a member of the Australian Government from 3 December 2007, serving as the Minister for Finance and Deregulation. On 24 June 2010 he announced his intention not to contest the 2010 federal election, at which his seat was won by the Greens. He has written several books and been an outspoken commentator on Australian culture and the direction and role of the Labor Party.

Background[link]

Lindsay Tanner was born in the East Gippsland town of Orbost. He studied at the local state primary school before obtaining a scholarship to Gippsland Grammar School in Sale, where he graduated as dux in 1973. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Laws with Honours and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, and later a Master of Arts in History in 1981. While still at university, he co-wrote a book on environmental politics and worked as a casual layout and design artist.

Tanner began his career as an articled clerk and solicitor at Holding Redlich Lawyers in Melbourne. In 1985, he became an electorate assistant to Labor senator Barney Cooney. He was Assistant State Secretary of the Federated Clerks' Union from 1987, then State Secretary from 1988 until 1993.

He has been married twice, and has one son and three daughters.^[2]

Parliamentary career[link]

In March 1993 Tanner was elected to the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Melbourne, and served one term as a government backbencher during Paul Keating's final term as Prime Minister.

The Liberal Party under John Howard won the March 1996 election, and Keating subsequently retired from politics. A major reshuffle by new leader Kim Beazley resulted in Tanner's promotion to the Shadow Ministry and appointment as Shadow Minister for Transport. He remained a member of the Shadow Ministry, despite numerous changes of leadership, continuously until the election of the Rudd Labor government in November 2007.

In 1998, Tanner was moved to the portfolios of Finance and Consumer Affairs. In 1999, he wrote a book entitled Open Australia, which explored how information technology could be used to enhance social justice and economic equality; and he also wrote a number of articles on targeted, "micro" ways of addressing globalisation and the decline of large-scale manufacturing, in which he suggested there was little substance to the notion put forward by neoclassical economists of a "simulated free market" in East Asian economies that explains their "emergence" (see 1997 Asian Financial Crisis).^[3] Following the 2001 election, he became Shadow Minister for Communications.

Tanner has been a prominent member of Labor's left faction and it was thought that he might contest the Labor leadership in 2002, when former leader Kim Beazley first challenged Simon Crean. In the second leadership spill in December 2003, Tanner supported Beazley,^[4] who lost the party-room ballot to Mark Latham. The following month, Latham appointed Tanner to the new portfolio of Community Relationships, in addition to his existing responsibilities.

After the October 2004 federal election, Tanner was thought to be a candidate for the position of Shadow Treasurer, which had been vacated by Simon Crean. However, once it became clear that Latham did not intend to offer him this position, Tanner announced that he would not stand for a position in the new shadow ministry. He subsequently released a brief statement, stating that he had "no complaint about how Mark Latham has dealt with [him] personally", but adding that he had "serious reservations about the emerging Labor response to our latest election defeat."^[5] In June 2005, Tanner was re-elected to the Opposition frontbench and was appointed Shadow Minister for Finance.

A polling booth in Lindsay Tanner's electorate of Melbourne.

The 2007 election saw Tanner's seat of Melbourne face the Greens on the two-party-preferred vote, the first seat to do so at a federal election. Labor retained the seat on 54.7 percent of the two-party-preferred vote. After the successful election of the federal Labor Party, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd retained Tanner as Minister for Finance and Deregulation.^[6] The role had previously only been known as Minister for Finance and Administration.

On 24 June 2010, during Julia Gillard's first question time as Prime Minister, Tanner announced his intention to not re-contest his seat at the next election, citing that he wanted to spend more time at home with his family and stressing he had already planned to do so before the change in leadership.^[7]

His tenure as Member for Melbourne ceased on 19 July 2010 when the Parliament was dissolved prior to the 2010 federal election. He remained as Minister for Finance throughout the election campaign.^[8]

Post-political career[link]

Tanner has been appointed as a Vice Chancellor's Fellow and Adjunct Professor at Victoria University,^[9] and a special adviser to financial firm Lazard Australia.^[10]

Publications[link]

Tanner has been published extensively in newspapers and journals. His major works are detailed below:

• Russ, Peter; Tanner, Lindsay. (1978) The politics of pollution. Camberwell, VIC: Widescope. ISBN 0-86932-072-6. (186 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (1984) "Working class politics and culture : a case study of Brunswick in the 1920s." Parkville, VIC: University of Melbourne (MA thesis). (PDF copy) (161 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (1996) The last battle. Carlton, VIC: Kokkino Press. ISBN 0-646-28912-8 (216 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (1999) "Engaging with the world" (12th Stan Kelly Memorial Lecture, 30 September 1999). Melbourne: Economic Society of Australia (Victorian Branch). (16 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (1999) Open Australia. Annandale, NSW: Pluto Press. ISBN 1-86403-052-6 (248 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (2003) Crowded lives. North Melbourne, VIC: Pluto Press. ISBN 1-86403-272-3 (124 pages) (Review)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (2003) "Courage and compassion" (Arthur Calwell Memorial Lecture, 19 September 2003). Melbourne. (24 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (2007) "Labor going global" (Chifley Memorial Lecture, 14 March 2007). Melbourne: University of Melbourne. (16 pages)
• Tanner, Lindsay. (2011) "Sideshow: Dumbing Down Democracy" Scribe Publications. ISBN 978-1-921844-06-5 (240 pages)
  • Tanner on the dumbing down of democracy - ABC News interview

See also[link]

• Rudd Ministry
• Gillard Ministry

References[link]

External links[link]

• Personal website
• Fairfax Blog
• Department of Finance and Deregulation profile

• Search or browse Hansard for Lindsay Tanner at OpenAustralia.org

v t e Rudd Cabinet (2007–10) Prime Minister: Kevin Rudd Anthony Albanese • Chris Bowen • Tony Burke • Kim Carr • Stephen Conroy • Simon Crean • Chris Evans • John Faulkner • Martin Ferguson • Joel Fitzgibbon • Peter Garrett • Julia Gillard • Joe Ludwig • Jenny Macklin • Robert McClelland • Nicola Roxon • Stephen Smith • Wayne Swan • Lindsay Tanner • Penny Wong

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since February 2012. It relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Tagged since February 2012. It may contain improper references to self-published sources. Tagged since February 2012.

The Honourable Tanya Plibersek MP
Tanya Plibersek (second from right) at the launch of a social housing project in February 2010
Minister for Health
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 December 2011
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Nicola Roxon
Minister for Human Services
In office 14 September 2010 – 14 December 2011
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Chris Bowen
Succeeded by	Brendan O'Connor (Human Services)
Minister for Housing Minister for the Status of Women
In office 3 December 2007 – 14 September 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Brian Howe (Housing 1991–96, position vacant 1996–2007) Julie Bishop (Women)
Succeeded by	Kate Ellis (Status of Women) Mark Arbib (Social Housing and Homelessness)
Member of the Australian Parliament for Sydney
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 October 1998
Preceded by	Peter Baldwin
Personal details
Born	(1969-12-02) 2 December 1969 (age 42) Sydney, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Michael Coutts-Trotter
Children	Anna, Joseph and Louis
Alma mater	University of Technology, Sydney Macquarie University
Occupation	Public servant

Tanya Joan Plibersek, MP (born 2 December 1969), is an Australian politician with the Australian Labor Party, and Federal Minister for Health. She has been a member of the Australian House of Representatives since October 1998, representing the seat of Sydney, New South Wales.^[1] Plibersek is the first Slovene Australian to reach the position of a minister in the Australian government.^[2]

Early years and personal background[link]

Plibersek was born in Sydney, the daughter of migrants from Slovenia, and was dux of Jannali Girls High School.^{[3][self-published source?]} She was educated at the University of Technology, Sydney and Macquarie University, where she gained a master's degree in politics and public policy.^[1] Before entering Parliament, she was Women's Officer at the University of Technology, Sydney and worked for the Domestic Violence Unit at the NSW Government's Office for the Status and Advancement of Women as well as the office of Senator Bruce Childs.^[3] She lives in Sydney with her husband Michael Coutts-Trotter.^[4] and children Anna, Joseph and Louis.^[5]

Political career[link]

Plibersek was elected to the House of Representatives for Sydney in 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010.^[6] She was elected to the Shadow Ministry after the 2004 election. She was Shadow Minister for Work, Family and Community, Shadow Minister for Youth and Early Childhood Education and Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader on the Status of Women since October 2004. This portfolio was retitled Shadow Minister for Child Care, Youth and Women in June 2005. Following the Shadow Ministerial reshuffle in December 2006 (when Kevin Rudd assumed the leadership of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party) Plibersek was promoted to be Shadow Minister for Human Services, Housing, Youth and Women.

Plibersek writes a fortnightly column for The Sydney Morning Herald and has appeared regularly as a commentator on ABC TV talk show Q&A since 2008.

In the 2007 Federal election, Plibersek was re-elected to the seat of Sydney with a 2.12% swing toward the Labor Party,^[7] and was appointed Minister for Housing and Minister for the Status of Women in the Rudd Ministry. In the 2010 Federal election, Plibersek was re-elected to the seat of Sydney with a 2.25% swing against the Labor Party.^[8] On 11 September 2010, Plibersek was appointed Minister for Human Services and Minister for Social Inclusion, that took effect from the conclusion of her maternity leave.

Housing[link]

As Minister for Housing, Plibersek launched the Social Housing Initiative, which provided for the construction of more than 19,300 new public housing units, with approximately 70,000 units receiving repairs and maintenance.^[9] In December 2008, along with Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister at that time, Plibersek released the Government’s White Paper on Homelessness, The Road Home, which has a goal of halving homelessness by 2020.^[10]

Political positions[link]

Women[link]

As Minister for the Status of Women in the Rudd Labor Government, Plibersek initiated policies such as convening the National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children in May 2008, and releasing the National Council’s Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children in March 2009.^{[11][12][self-published source?]} Plibersek also addressed the 2009 United Nations International Women’s Day event, attended by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, and announced Australia’s formal accession to the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).^{[13][self-published source?]} Plibersek said that acceding to the Optional Protocol "will send a strong message that Australia is serious about promoting gender equality and that we are prepared to be judged by international human rights standards."^{[14][self-published source?]}

Same-sex discrimination[link]

Plibersek campaigned strongly for the removal of discrimination against same sex de facto couples in Federal legislation, raising the issue formally in Parliament on multiple occasions (including 1999,^{[15][self-published source?]} 2006,^{[16][self-published source?]} and 2008^{[17][self-published source?]}) over her parliamentary career. In her regular paid advertisement in the South Sydney Herald, in 2010 Pliberek wrote that 'The passing of these reforms to federal legislation was one of the proudest moments of my time in the Australian Parliament'^{[18][self-published source?]} and has marched in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in 2008.^[19] The Labor Party was criticised by some LGBT groups^[20][21] over the party's bipartisan policy against the legalisation of same-sex marriage. Plibersek's own views aside, in 2007 she told The Sydney Morning Herald^{[22][self-published source?]}

Labor does not support changing the Marriage Act to allow same-sex marriage.

On 25 July 2004, Plibersek was loudly heckled at an anti-homophobia rally due to the issue.^[21]

War in Iraq[link]

Plibersek opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^[23] It was reported that when US President, George W. Bush, visited the Australian Parliament in 2003, ‘Sydney Labor MP Tanya Plibersek walked around the chamber as President Bush shook hands with MPs to give Bush's national security adviser Condoleezza Rice a book of speeches by Labor MPs opposing Australia invading Iraq without UN approval.’^[24] She also stated in Parliament that ‘I do not support an attack on Iraq. I particularly do not support a pre-emptive first strike. Nor do I support any action that is initiated by the US alone rather than being sanctioned by the United Nations.’^{[23][self-published source?]}

Israel[link]

In 2002, Plibersek angered former Federal Labor MP Barry Cohen by commenting that "I can think of a rogue state which consistently ignores UN resolutions whose ruler is a war criminal – it is called Israel and the war criminal is Ariel Sharon."^[25] She later apologised for the remark.^[25]

Maternity during minority government[link]

Following the 2010 federal election where Labor retained government with the support of the Australian Greens and independents, parliamentary numbers were finely balanced. Plibersek was granted a 'pair' by the Coalition so that her absence from the House of Representatives while on maternity leave did not affect the result of votes.^[26] She gave birth to a son on 1 October 2010.^[27][28]

References[link]