Born 29.10.1947, Wagga Wagga, NSW.
Parliamentary Service
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Elected to the Senate for New South Wales, 1996 (term began 1.7.1996), 2001 and 2007.
Committee Service
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Senate Standing: Privileges from 1.7.96 to 31.8.99; Scrutiny of Bills from 24.11.98 to 31.8.99 and from 13.10.08 (Chair from 15.10.08); Regulations and Ordinances from 22.9.97 to 27.1.98 and from 31.3.99 to 11.2.02 (Chair from 12.8.99 to 26.11.01); Selection of Bills from 24.11.98 to 11.2.02 and from 23.9.08 to 13.5.09; Procedure from 22.6.06 to 11.8.06.
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Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Community Affairs: Legislation Committee from 1.7.96 to 15.5.97 and References Committee from 22.8.96 to 15.5.97 and from 2.2.10; Environment, Recreation, Communications and the Arts: References Committee from 13.2.97 to 1.9.97; Legal and Constitutional: Legislation and References Committees from 26.2.97 to 11.2.02.
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Senate Select: Socio-Economic Consequences of the National Competition Policy from 10.3.99 to 17.2.00.
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Joint Statutory: Public Accounts from 7.5.97 to 1.1.98; Public Accounts and Audit from 1.1.98 to 11.2.02; Corporations and Financial Services from 1.7.08 to 13.10.08; Intelligence and Security from 5.12.08.
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Joint Standing: Treaties from 26.2.97 to 11.2.02.
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Joint Select: Intelligence Services from 28.6.01 to 27.8.01.
Conferences, Delegations and Visits
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Member, Parliamentary Delegation to Taiwan, 2000; New Zealand, March 2000.
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Official visits to Fiji, July 2003; USA, January 2005; UK and Italy, April-May 2005; Peru, Chile, Brazil and Republic of Korea, May-June 2005; India, October 2005; USA, April-May 2006; Israel and UK, November 2006.
Parliamentary Party Positions
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Deputy Government Whip in the Senate from 10.11.98 to 23.11.01.
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Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from 27.1.06 to 3.12.07.
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Member, Opposition Shadow Ministry from 6.12.07 to 8.12.09. Shadow Minister for Human Services from 6.12.07 to 22.9.08; Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs from 22.9.08 to 16.2.09; Shadow Minister for Finance, Competition Policy and Deregulation from 16.2.09 to 8.12.09.
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Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate from 22.9.08 to 16.2.09.
Party Positions
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Member, Liberal Party from 1990.
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Executive Committee, Liberal Party Sydney City Branch 1991-92.
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President, Liberal Party Watsons Bay Branch 1994-95; Vice-President 1995-96.
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Delegate, Liberal Party Women's Council 1994-96.
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Member, Liberal Party Women's Forum 1994-96.
Other Positions
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Member, Convocation of the Senate, University of Sydney 1983-84.
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Part-time Member, Social Security Appeals Tribunal 1987.
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Chair, Board of Governors, Law Foundation of NSW 1991-92.
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Chair, Historic Houses Trust of NSW 1992-95; Trustee 1988-92.
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Director and Fellow, Royal Hospital for Women Foundation 1995-96.
Qualifications and Occupation before entering Federal Parliament
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BA, LLB (Syd).
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Barrister and solicitor.
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Attorney, New York.
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Mediator.
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Australian Parliamentary Library
A member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Helen Coonan was elected to the Senate of the Parliament of Australia representing the state of New South Wales in 1996. On 26 November 2001, she was appointed Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer in the Howard Government. She was re-elected in 2001 and 2007. From 2004-07, she served as Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. She is currently a member of the Opposition as the Howard government was defeated at the 2007 election.
Country born and bred, Coonan moved to Sydney to complete a combined Arts/Law degree at Sydney University. After graduating she started the first women-orientated legal firm in 1975. The firm later merged with a business law firm of which she became a partner.
During a secondment to the United States in 1985, Coonan was admitted to practice as an Attorney in the Supreme Court of New York. The following year she returned to Sydney and specialised as a commercial barrister at the Sydney Bar. The Chief Justice appointed her as a Supreme Court Mediator in 1992.
Before entering Federal Parliament Coonan was a Member of the Convocation of the Senate, University of Sydney from 1983 to 1984; a part-time Member of the Social Secretary Appeals Tribunal in 1987; Trustee of the Historic Houses Trust of NSW from 1988 to 1992 and Chair from 1992 to 1995; Chair of the Board of Governors of the Law Foundation of NSW from 1991 to 1992; and Director and Fellow of the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation from 1995 to 1996.
Since entering Parliament Coonan has been a member of several Senate Standing Committees; Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committees; Senate Select Committees; Joint Statutory Committees; Joint Standing Committees and Joint Select Committees; as well as Deputy Government Whip in the Senate from 10 November 1998. Senator Helen Coonan is married and enjoys Australian Rules Football, horse riding and adventure travel.
View the full record at
Australian Women's Register