Reba Meagher

The Honourable
Reba Meagher
Minister for Health
In office
2 April 2007 – 5 September 2008
PremierMorris Iemma
Preceded byJohn Hatzistergos
Succeeded byJohn Della Bosca
Minister for Community Services
Minister for Youth
In office
21 January 2005 – 2 April 2007
PremierBob Carr
Morris Iemma
Preceded byCarmel Tebbutt
Succeeded byKevin Greene (Community Services)
Linda Burney (Youth)
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship
In office
8 November 2006 – 2 April 2007
PremierMorris Iemma
Preceded byMilton Orkopoulos
Succeeded byPaul Lynch (Aboriginal Affairs)
Graham West (Assisting on Citizenship)
Minister for Fair Trading
Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce
In office
2 April 2003 – 21 January 2005
MinisterJohn Della Bosca
PremierBob Carr
Preceded byJohn Aquilina
Succeeded byJohn Hatzistergos
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for Cabramatta
In office
22 October 1994 – 17 September 2008
Preceded byJohn Newman
Succeeded byNick Lalich
Personal details
Born (1967-09-11) 11 September 1967 (age 57)
Caringbah, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLabor
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
OccupationTrade unionist

Reba Paige Meagher (born 11 September 1967) is a former Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Cabramatta. She was a minister in various portfolios from 2003 to 2008, including Minister for Health. On 6 September 2008 Meagher announced that she would not be seeking a ministerial appointment from new Premier Nathan Rees.[1] On 13 September 2008 she announced her retirement from politics. She formally resigned on 17 September 2008.[2]

Early life

Meagher was born in 1967 in Caringbah, New South Wales, the daughter of Les Meagher, a printer for the Sydney Morning Herald.[3] She received her Higher School Certificate from Endeavour High School in 1985. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney in 1989, and a Master of Labour Law and Relations in 1992.[4][5]

Political career

Meagher declared on 7 November 2008 at an inquiry that, just over an hour after the Cabramatta MP John Newman had been shot in front of his fiancée on 5 September 1994, the then Labor Party head John Della Bosca, offered the seat to Reba Meagher, confirming an offer he had first made hours before the killing.[6]

While in Parliament, Meagher served in a number of ministerial and sub-ministerial positions:

  • Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Transport and Minister for Roads on matters concerning Roads (April 1999 to March 2002)
  • Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Police (March 2003 to April 2003)
  • Minister for Fair Trading (April 2003 to January 2005)
  • Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce (April 2003 to January 2005)
  • Minister for Youth (January 2005 to April 2007)
  • Minister for Community Services (January 2005 to April 2007)
  • Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (November 2006 to April 2007)
  • Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship (November 2006 to April 2007)
  • Minister for Health (April 2007 to September 2008)

She also served on a number of Parliamentary Committees:

  • Member, Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission (May 1995 to April 1998)
  • Member, Legislative Assembly Standing Ethics Committee (May 1995 to March 1999)
  • Member, Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (May 1995 to March 1999)
  • Member, Joint Standing Committee upon Small Business (November 1996 to March 1999)
  • Member, Joint Select Committee into Injecting Rooms (June 1997 to February 1998)

References

  1. ^ "Doomed Reba Meagher quits". news.com.au. 6 September 2008. Retrieved 6 September 2008.
  2. ^ "Reba Meagher formally resigns". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 September 2008.
  3. ^ Murphy, Damien; Robins, Brian (16 September 2008). "Now even Rees rues the Grim Reba". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Ltd. Retrieved 16 September 2008.
  4. ^ "Meagher, Reba Paige". Australian Women. Retrieved 2 March 2007.
  5. ^ "The Hon. Reba Paige Meagher (1967- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  6. ^ "I was offered seat the night MP was shot: Reba Meagher". 8 November 2008. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister for Fair Trading
2003–2005 		Succeeded by
New title Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce
2003–2005
Preceded by Minister for Community Services
2005–2007 		Succeeded by
Minister for Youth
2005–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Minister Assisting the Premier for Citizenship
2006–2007 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Health
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Member for Cabramatta
1994–2008 		Succeeded by