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 (Queensland's Parliament) from 2006 to 2012. She then served again from 2015 to 2020.

Kate Jones first represented the area of Ashgrove. She lost this seat in 2012 to Campbell Newman, who later became the Premier of Queensland. However, Kate won the Ashgrove seat back in the 2015 election. Before the 2017 election, the Ashgrove area was changed. So, Kate ran for and won the new seat of Cooper.

In the government led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Kate Jones held several important jobs. She was a Minister for things like Innovation, Tourism, State Development, and the Commonwealth Games.

About Kate Jones

Early Life and Education

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

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

Community Involvement

Kate Jones cares about her community. She is a member of the Ashgrove Historical Society. This group helps preserve the history of the Ashgrove area. She is also part of the Ashgrove Climate Change Action Group. This group works on environmental issues.

She also helps manage the Enoggera Respite Centre. This centre provides care for people who need it. Kate is also a member of The Fred Hollows Foundation and World Vision. These are charities that help people around the world.

Personal Life

Kate Jones is married to Paul Cronin. He used to be a media adviser for former Queensland Premiers. They have a son who was born in 2010.

Political Career

Before becoming a politician, Kate Jones worked for other government leaders. She was a media adviser for a Minister and a Treasurer in Queensland.

Becoming a Member of Parliament

In 2006, Kate Jones was elected to the state Parliament. She became the Member for Ashgrove. She took over from Jim Fouras, who had been the Speaker of the Parliament.

After winning her seat again in 2009, she was given a special job. She became the Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability. This meant she was in charge of environmental issues for Queensland.

The 2012 Election

In 2011, Kate Jones stepped down from her Minister role. She wanted to focus on keeping her seat in the upcoming 2012 state election. She was running against Campbell Newman, who was the leader of the main opposing party.

In this election, Kate Jones lost her seat to Campbell Newman. He then became the Premier of Queensland.

The 2015 Election

Kate Jones decided to try and win back her old seat in the January 2015 state election. She succeeded! She defeated Campbell Newman. This was a big win because it's rare for a challenger to unseat a sitting Premier in Queensland. It had only happened once before, in 1915.

The 2017 Election

Before the 2017 state election, the Ashgrove area was changed. So, Kate Jones ran for a new seat called Cooper. She won this election too.

Serving as a Minister

After the 2015 election, Kate Jones became a Minister in the government led by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. On 16 February 2015, she was sworn in for several important roles:

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

She held these jobs until December 2017. Then, on 12 December 2017, she took on new roles. She became the 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.