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. Jana is a member of the Australian Labor Party, also known as Labor. In April 2022, she became a Senator for Victoria. A Senator is a person who represents a state in the Australian Parliament. She took on this role after the death of Senator Kimberley Kitching.
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About Jana Stewart's Early Life and Education
Jana Stewart is an Aboriginal Australian. Her family comes from the Muthi Muthi and Wamba-Wamba peoples. Her great-grandmother, Alice Kelly, was a guardian of Lake Mungo in New South Wales. She helped with important talks about the ancient human remains found there.
Jana was born in 1987. She grew up in Melbourne and Swan Hill, Victoria. She is the oldest of six children. Jana went to many different primary schools, about twelve in total. She was the only Indigenous student at her high school to finish year 12. Later, she earned a master's degree in family therapy from La Trobe University.
Jana Stewart's Career Before Becoming a Senator
Before she became a politician, Jana Stewart worked in several important roles. She was a family therapist, helping families with their challenges. She also taught at a university. Jana was a policy adviser, which means she helped create plans and rules for the government. Her work focused on Aboriginal affairs and protecting children.
She worked for the Victorian state Aboriginal affairs minister, Natalie Hutchins. In this role, she helped with talks about treaties. Treaties are agreements between Indigenous peoples and governments. Later, she became a deputy secretary in the Victorian Department of Justice. Here, she worked on helping people affected by the Stolen Generations. The Stolen Generations refers to Indigenous children who were taken from their families.
Getting Ready for the Senate
Jana Stewart is part of a group within the Labor Party called Labor Unity. She is also connected to the Transport Workers Union of Australia.
In 2019, she was chosen to run for a seat in the Australian House of Representatives for the area of Kooyong. This is another part of the Australian Parliament. She came in third place in that election.
In late 2021, Jana was chosen to run for a seat in the Victorian state parliament for the area of Pascoe Vale. However, she withdrew from this race when she was nominated to become a Senator in March 2022.
Jana Stewart's Senate Career
In March 2022, Jana Stewart was chosen to fill a special opening in the Senate. This opening happened because Senator Kimberley Kitching passed away. This is called a casual vacancy. Jana was also chosen by the Labor Party to be on their list of candidates 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. She officially took her seat in the Senate after the 2022 federal election. Jana Stewart is the youngest Aboriginal woman to serve in the Australian federal parliament.
On February 28, 2024, Senator Stewart was chosen for another important role. She became the chair of the federal parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs. This committee works on issues important to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Jana Stewart's Family Life
Jana Stewart is partnered with Marcus Stewart. Marcus used to be a Co-Chair of the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria. This group works to give a voice to Aboriginal people in Victoria.
Jana and Marcus have two children together. Their names are Jude and Ari.
