Jana Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jana Stewart
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Stewart in 2019
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| Senator for Victoria | |
| Assumed office 6 April 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Kimberley Kitching |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 27 August 1987 Preston, Victoria, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Alma mater | La Trobe University |
| Occupation | Family therapist University lecturer Policy adviser |
Jana Naretha Anne Stewart was born on August 27, 1987. She is an Australian politician and a former public servant. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). Jana Stewart became a Senator for Victoria in April 2022. She took on this role after the passing of Senator Kimberley Kitching.
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Early Life and Education
Jana Stewart is an Aboriginal Australian. She belongs to the Muthi Muthi and Wamba-Wamba peoples. Her great-grandmother, Alice Kelly, was a guardian of Lake Mungo in New South Wales. Alice Kelly was involved in important talks about the ancient Lake Mungo remains.
Growing Up in Victoria
Jana was born in 1987. She grew up in Melbourne and Swan Hill, Victoria. She is the oldest of six children. She moved around a lot as a child. She went to "at least a dozen" different primary schools. She was the only Indigenous student at her high school to finish Year 12.
University Studies
Jana Stewart went on to study at La Trobe University. She earned a master's degree there. Her studies focused on clinical family therapy. This means she learned how to help families work through their problems.
Career Before Politics
Before becoming a politician, Jana Stewart had several important jobs. She worked as a family therapist. She also taught at a university. In addition, she was a policy adviser. Her work as an adviser focused on Aboriginal affairs and child protection.
Working for the Community
Jana worked for Natalie Hutchins. Natalie Hutchins was a Victorian state minister for Aboriginal affairs. Jana helped with important talks about treaties. Treaties are agreements between different groups of people. Later, Jana became a deputy secretary in the Victorian Department of Justice. In this role, she worked on helping people affected by the Stolen Generations. This was a time when many Aboriginal children were taken from their families.
Becoming a Senator
Jana Stewart is part of the Labor Unity group within the Labor Party. She is also connected with the Transport Workers' Union.
Early Political Steps
In 2019, Jana ran for a seat in the Australian House of Representatives. This was for the area called Kooyong. She came in third place in that election. In late 2021, she was chosen to run for a state seat in Victoria. This was for the area of Pascoe Vale. However, she withdrew from this race. This happened when she was nominated to become a Senator in March 2022.
Joining the Senate
In March 2022, Jana Stewart was chosen to fill a vacant spot in the Senate. This spot became open after Senator Kimberley Kitching passed away. Jana was also chosen by the Labor Party to run for the Senate in the 2022 Australian federal election.
She was officially appointed to the Senate on April 6, 2022. This happened at a special meeting of the Victorian Parliament. Jana took her seat in the Senate after the 2022 federal election. She is the youngest Aboriginal woman to serve in the federal parliament. On February 28, 2024, Senator Stewart was elected to lead a special committee. This committee is called the Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.
Personal Life
Jana Stewart is partnered with Marcus Stewart. Marcus Stewart used to be a co-chair of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria.
Jana and Marcus have two children together. Their children are named Jude and Ari.
