Dorinda Cox facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dorinda Cox
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Cox in 2022.
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| Senator for Western Australia | |
| Assumed office 14 September 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Rachel Siewert |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 25 May 1976 Kojonup, Western Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Greens |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Police officer Public servant Activist |
| Committees | Current: Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Joint Standing Committee on Trade and Investment Growth
Substitute member: Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee Legal and Constitutional Affairs, References, Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing Committee Economics, Legislation Past: Joint Select Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice Referendum, Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia |
| Portfolio | First Nations, Mining and Resources, Sport, Trade, Tourism |
Dorinda Rose Cox was born on May 25, 1976. She is an Australian politician. Since 2021, she has been a Senator for Western Australia. She represents the Greens political party.
Dorinda Cox is a Yamatji and Noongar woman. She is the first Indigenous woman to represent Western Australia in the Senate. She first became a Senator to fill a spot that became empty. This happened when Senator Rachel Siewert resigned in 2021. Later, Dorinda Cox was elected as the main Greens candidate for Western Australia in the 2022 federal election.
Early Life and Career
Dorinda Cox was born in Kojonup, Western Australia. Her parents were from the Yamatji and Noongar peoples. Her family has a history of "child removal". This means children were taken from their families by past government policies. For example, her grandfather was taken from his family as a baby. He was raised at a mission and his name was changed.
Dorinda grew up in Perth. She left school at 17 in 1994. She started working as a cadet with the Western Australia Police. From 1994 to 1996, she was a police cadet. Then, from 1996 to 2002, she worked as an Aboriginal Police Liaison Officer. In this role, she received special training in child abuse and family violence.
At 27, she left the police force. She then worked for Centrelink, a government service. In 2008, she joined the National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women. This council was set up by the government at the time. She also worked with groups like Our Watch. This group works to prevent violence. She also helped with the Every Woman Treaty campaign. Before becoming a Senator, she worked for the Noongar Family Safety and Wellbeing Council.
Political Journey
Dorinda Cox first ran for the Greens in 2017. This was for a state election in Western Australia. She also ran in a federal by-election in 2018 for the area of Fremantle.
In 2020, she was chosen as the main candidate for the Greens. This was for the Senate election in Western Australia in 2022. The Senator who was there before, Rachel Siewert, decided not to run again. Rachel Siewert resigned early, which created an empty spot. Dorinda Cox filled this spot in September 2021. She made history as the first Indigenous woman to represent Western Australia in the Senate. She was the fifth Indigenous woman in the federal Parliament.
Dorinda Cox officially started as a Senator on October 18, 2021. In her first speech, she talked about important issues for First Nations people. These included cultural heritage, homelessness, and family violence. She also called for an inquiry into missing and murdered First Nations women. In November 2021, she helped start a parliamentary inquiry. This inquiry looks into how police handle cases of missing and murdered First Nations people.
Dorinda Cox has been a spokesperson for the Greens on different topics. In February 2023, she became the party's spokesperson on First Nations issues.
Key Political Goals
In 2020, Dorinda Cox shared her main goals if she became a Senator. She wanted to work towards treaties with Indigenous Australians. Treaties are formal agreements between governments and Indigenous peoples. She also wanted a national plan to deal with family violence.
Cox has also supported using Indigenous Australian customary law. This is a way of improving how the legal system works for Indigenous people. She believes it can help with criminal justice outcomes.
She has also spoken out about environmental issues. She questioned the government's approval of the Scarborough gas project. This project is expected to cause a lot of environmental harm. She also spoke against giving money to gas projects in the Beetaloo Basin. In 2022, she joined other Greens members. They asked for a stop to all new coal and gas projects. She also tried to stop a government agency from investing in fossil fuel projects.
Personal Life
Dorinda Cox has two daughters.
She has some hearing difficulties. She uses a cochlear implant to help her hear. In 2022, she was named an ambassador for World Hearing Day. This was by the Ear Science Institute Australia.
