Jenny Macklin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jenny Macklin
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Macklin in 2013
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| Minister for Disability Reform | |
| In office 14 December 2011 – 18 September 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Jane Prentice (2016) |
| Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs | |
| In office 3 December 2007 – 18 September 2013 |
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| Prime Minister | Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard |
| Preceded by | Mal Brough |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Andrews as Minister for Social Services Nigel Scullion as Minister for Indigenous Affairs |
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition | |
| In office 22 November 2001 – 4 December 2006 |
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| Leader | Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley |
| Preceded by | Simon Crean |
| Succeeded by | Julia Gillard |
| Deputy Leader of the Labor Party | |
| In office 22 November 2001 – 4 December 2006 |
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| Leader | Simon Crean Mark Latham Kim Beazley |
| Preceded by | Simon Crean |
| Succeeded by | Julia Gillard |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Jagajaga | |
| In office 2 March 1996 – 11 April 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Staples |
| Succeeded by | Kate Thwaites |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jennifer Louise Macklin
29 December 1953 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Domestic partner | Ross Turner |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne |
| Occupation | Researcher |
Jennifer Louise Macklin (born 29 December 1953) is an Australian former politician. A politician is someone who works in government. She was elected to the federal parliament in 1996. This means she became a representative for people in Australia.
From 2001 to 2006, she was the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). This is one of Australia's main political parties. She worked with leaders like Simon Crean and Julia Gillard.
After the ALP won the election in 2007, Jenny Macklin became a minister. A minister is like a manager for a part of the government. She was in charge of families, community services, and Indigenous affairs. She also helped with disability reform. She stopped being a politician in 2019.
Early Life and Education
Jenny Macklin was born in Brisbane, Australia, on 29 December 1953. Her father was an engineer. She grew up in country Victoria, first in a town called Cohuna. Later, her family moved to Wangaratta.
She went to Wangaratta High School. She also spent a year studying in Japan as an exchange student. After high school, Jenny went to the University of Melbourne. She studied business and graduated with honours.
Early Career
After university, Jenny worked as a researcher. From 1976 to 1978, she was at the Australian National University. Then, she worked at the Parliamentary Library of Australia. She was an expert on economics.
In 1981, she joined the Labor Resource Centre in Melbourne. She helped with research there. From 1985 to 1988, she advised the state health minister, David White.
In 1990, Jenny Macklin became the director of the National Health Strategy. This group looked at Australia's health system. She helped review how health care worked in the country.
Political Career
In 1994, Jenny Macklin was chosen by the Labor Party to run for parliament. She ran for the area called Division of Jagajaga.
Working in Opposition (1996–2007)
Jenny Macklin was elected to parliament in 1996. At that time, the Labor Party was not in government. This meant she was part of the "opposition." The opposition checks on the government's work.
She quickly became part of the "shadow ministry." This is like a practice government for the opposition. She worked on issues like aged care and social security. After the 1998 election, she became the Shadow Minister for Health.
In 2001, Jenny Macklin became the deputy leader of the Labor Party. This was a big step! She was the first woman to hold such a high leadership role in a major Australian political party. She also became the Shadow Minister for Education.
She stayed deputy leader under three different leaders: Simon Crean, Mark Latham, and Kim Beazley. In 2006, she stepped down from this role. She then became the Shadow Minister for Families and Community Services. She also worked on Indigenous Affairs.
Working in Government (2007–2013)
In 2007, the Labor Party won the election. Jenny Macklin became a minister. She was the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services, and Indigenous Affairs.
She helped create Australia's first national Paid Parental Leave Scheme. This helps parents get paid time off when they have a baby. She also worked on the Closing the Gap plan. This plan aims to improve the lives of Indigenous Australians. She also helped increase pensions for older Australians.
In 2011, she also became the Minister for Disability Reform. She helped create the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This scheme helps people with disabilities get the support they need.
Indigenous Affairs Work
Jenny Macklin was the Minister for Indigenous Affairs for six years. She played a key role in the Apology to Australia's Indigenous peoples. This was a special apology given by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in 2008. It was for the "stolen generations." These were Indigenous children who were taken from their families.
She also helped put the Close the Gap Framework into action. This plan invested a lot of money to improve health, education, and housing for Indigenous communities. She wanted to make sure that Indigenous affairs were not a political fight.
National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
On 10 August 2011, Jenny Macklin announced support for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This was a huge change to help people with disabilities. It was designed to make sure they get the care they need.
The NDIS started in 2013 in a few places. It was planned to cover about 460,000 Australians with disabilities by 2019. Jenny Macklin worked hard to get all the states and territories to agree on this plan.
Paid Parental Leave
Jenny Macklin was also in charge of creating Australia's first national paid parental leave scheme. Before 2011, Australia was one of the only developed countries without this.
The scheme gives primary caregivers 18 weeks of paid leave. This pay is at the national minimum wage. Since it started, over 700,000 Australian families have used it. This helps new parents take time off work to care for their babies.
Dad and Partner Pay
In 2013, another important change was made: Dad and Partner Pay (DAPP). This gives fathers and partners two weeks of paid leave. It helps them support new mothers and be involved in caring for their newborn baby. This was another big social policy change that Jenny Macklin helped lead.
Apology to Forgotten Australians
Jenny Macklin also helped with the national apology to the Forgotten Australians. This apology was given in 2009 by Prime Minister Rudd. It was for over half a million children who were placed in institutions. Many of these children suffered abuse. Jenny Macklin said the apology showed a promise to prevent such abuse from happening again.
Back in Opposition (2013–2019)
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After the Labor Party lost the election in 2013, Jenny Macklin stayed in the shadow ministry. She continued to work on families, payments, and disability reform.
On 6 July 2018, she announced she would retire from politics. She left parliament at the 2019 federal election.
After Politics
After leaving parliament, Jenny Macklin continued to be involved in important work. In 2020, she helped review how the Victorian branch of the Labor Party was run. This was to make sure everything was fair and proper.
In 2022, she was chosen to lead a group called the Economic Inclusion Advisory Committee. This group gives advice to the government on welfare payments. She also joined a panel looking at Australia's higher education system.
Honours and Awards
In 2023, Jenny Macklin received a special award. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia. This is one of Australia's highest honours. She received it for her great service to Australia. This included her work on paid parental leave, the NDIS, and helping Indigenous communities.
See also
- First Rudd Ministry
- First Gillard Ministry
- Second Gillard Ministry
- Second Rudd Ministry
