Kate Jones facts for kids

Kate Jennifer Jones (born 10 April 1979) is an Australian former politician. She was a member of the Labor Party. Kate served in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland, which is like the state parliament, from 2006 to 2012. She then served again from 2015 to 2020.

Kate first represented the area called Ashgrove. She lost her seat in the 2012 state election to Campbell Newman, who later became the Premier of Queensland. However, Kate won the Ashgrove seat back for the Labor Party in the 2015 state election.

Before the 2017 state election, the Ashgrove area was changed. So, Kate ran for and won a new area called Cooper. In the government led by Annastacia Palaszczuk, Kate was a Minister. She held important jobs like Minister for Innovation and Tourism, Minister for State Development, and Minister for the Commonwealth Games.

Early Life and Education

Kate Jones went to Kelvin Grove State High School in Kelvin Grove. In 1995, she was the leader of the first ever YMCA Queensland Youth Parliament. This program helps young people learn about politics.

She studied Politics and Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology. While studying, she also worked part-time. Later, in 2014, she earned a Master's degree in Environmental Law from the Australian National University.

Community Involvement

Kate is involved in her local community. She is a member of the Ashgrove Historical Society. She also belongs to the Ashgrove Climate Change Action Group. Kate helps manage the Enoggera Respite Centre. She is also a member of charities like The Fred Hollows Foundation and World Vision.

Political Journey

Before she became a Member of Parliament, Kate Jones worked for other politicians. She was a Senior Media Adviser for Queensland Minister Robert Schwarten. She also worked as a Media Adviser for former Queensland Treasurer David Hamill.

First Time in Parliament

Kate was first elected to the state Parliament in 2006. She won the seat of Ashgrove. She took over from Jim Fouras, who had been the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

After winning her seat again in the 2009 election, she became a Minister. She was appointed Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability in the government led by Anna Bligh.

The 2012 Election Challenge

In 2011, Kate stepped down from her Minister role. She wanted to focus on keeping her seat in the 2012 state election. She was running against Campbell Newman, who was the new leader of the Liberal National Party (LNP).

In that election, Kate lost her seat. The LNP won by a lot, and Campbell Newman became the Premier.

Winning Back Ashgrove in 2015

Kate decided to run for her old seat of Ashgrove again in the January 2015 state election. She won! She defeated Campbell Newman, who was the Premier at the time. This was a big win because it's rare for a challenger to defeat a sitting Premier in Queensland.

The 2017 Election and New Seat

Before the 2017 state election, the Ashgrove seat was removed. So, Kate ran for a new seat called Cooper and won.

Serving as a Minister

On 16 February 2015, Kate Jones became a Minister in the government led by Annastacia Palaszczuk. She held several important roles:

• Minister for Education
• Minister for Tourism, Major Events and Small Business
• Minister for the Commonwealth Games

She held these positions until December 2017. Then, on 12 December 2017, she was sworn in as Minister for Innovation and Tourism Development. She also continued as Minister for the Commonwealth Games.

Kate Jones announced that she would retire from politics on 10 September 2020. This was just before the state election in October 2020.

Personal Life

Kate Jones is married to Paul Cronin. They got married in 2009. Paul Cronin used to be a chief media adviser for former Queensland Premiers Anna Bligh and Peter Beattie. He now works in media relations at Aurizon. Kate and Paul have a son, who was born in 2010.