Linda Reynolds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Linda Reynolds
CSC
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Minister for Government Services Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme |
|
| In office 30 March 2021 – 23 May 2022 |
|
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Stuart Robert |
| Succeeded by | Bill Shorten |
| Minister for Defence | |
| In office 29 May 2019 – 30 March 2021 |
|
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Deputy | Melissa Price |
| Preceded by | Christopher Pyne |
| Succeeded by | Peter Dutton |
| Minister for Defence Industry | |
| In office 2 March 2019 – 29 May 2019 |
|
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Steven Ciobo |
| Succeeded by | Melissa Price |
| Minister for Emergency Management and North Queensland Recovery | |
| In office 2 March 2019 – 29 May 2019 |
|
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Position created |
| Succeeded by | David Littleproud |
| Assistant Minister for Home Affairs | |
| In office 28 August 2018 – 2 March 2019 |
|
| Prime Minister | Scott Morrison |
| Preceded by | Alex Hawke |
| Succeeded by | Jason Wood |
| Senator for Western Australia | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2014 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Linda Karen Reynolds
16 May 1965 Perth, Western Australia, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Alma mater | Curtin University |
| Occupation | Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch/service | Australian Army Reserve |
| Years of service | 1984–2012 |
| Rank | Brigadier |
| Commands | 5th Combat Service Support Battalion |
| Awards | Conspicuous Service Cross |
Linda Karen Reynolds CSC (born 16 May 1965) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Liberal Party. Since 2014, she has served as a Senator for Western Australia.
Before becoming a politician, Linda Reynolds was in the Australian Army Reserve. She served for almost 30 years. She was the first woman in the reserve to become a brigadier, which is a very high rank. She was first elected to the Senate in 2013. However, that election result was later cancelled. She was then re-elected in a special election in 2014.
In the Australian government led by Scott Morrison, she held several important jobs. These included Assistant Minister for Home Affairs (2018–2019) and Minister for Defence (2019–2021). She also served as Minister for Government Services and the National Disability Insurance Scheme (2021–2022).
Contents
Early Life and Schooling
Linda Reynolds was born in Perth, Australia, on 16 May 1965. Her parents are Laith and Jan Reynolds. She has two brothers. She grew up with strong Christian values. Her grandfather, Alfred Reynolds, was also a politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party.
Linda grew up in Gooseberry Hill. She went to St Brigid's College. As a child, she lived in Indonesia for a while. Her father worked there as a manager for Philips. Her family learned to speak Indonesian.
Linda studied at Curtin University, where she earned a degree in Commerce. She also has special certificates in training, defence management, and strategic studies. These came from Southern Cross University, University of Canberra, and the Australian Defence College.
Military Career and Achievements
Linda Reynolds joined the Australian Army Reserve in 1984. She was 19 years old at the time. She held many different roles during her service. These included officer cadet and logistics officer. She also worked as a military instructor.
She was the commanding officer of the 5th Combat Service Support Battalion. She also directed important projects for the Army. From 2012 to 2013, she was the adjutant general of the Army Reserve.
In 2011, she received the Conspicuous Service Cross. This award was for her "outstanding achievement" in coordinating the Army Strategic Reform Program. In 2012, she became a brigadier. This made her the first woman in the Australian Army Reserve to reach this high rank.
Getting Involved in Politics
Linda Reynolds joined the Liberal Party in 1987. Before she was elected to parliament, she worked behind the scenes for the party. She managed election campaigns for different areas. She also served as a deputy federal director from 2006 to 2008.
She worked for other politicians too. She was a staff member in their offices. She also advised ministers, like justice minister Chris Ellison. Before 2014, she helped train political leaders from other countries. These included Thailand, Papua New Guinea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Serving as a Senator
Linda Reynolds was first elected to the Senate in 2013. She represented Western Australia. However, there was a problem with some ballot papers. So, the election for Western Australia had to be done again in 2014. Linda was successful in this new election. Her term as Senator officially began on 1 July 2014.
She was re-elected in the 2016 and 2019 federal elections. In 2019, she was the main candidate for the Liberal Party in Western Australia. Before becoming a minister in 2018, she led several Senate committees.
During a change in leadership for the Liberal Party in 2018, Linda Reynolds supported Scott Morrison. She believed that some of the actions during the leadership discussions were not appropriate.
Working as a Government Minister
.jpg)
In August 2018, Linda Reynolds became the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs. She worked under Peter Dutton. In March 2019, she joined the main group of ministers, called the Cabinet. She became Minister for Defence Industry. This was part of a plan for her to become the Minister for Defence later.
She also took on a new role as Minister for Emergency Management and North Queensland Recovery. This job involved helping with disaster recovery.
In May 2019, after the election, Linda Reynolds became the Minister for Defence. She was the second woman to hold this important position. In March 2021, her role changed. She became the Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme.
In Opposition
After the 2022 federal election, the Liberal Party was no longer in government. Linda Reynolds was not given a role in the "shadow ministry" (the opposition's team of spokespeople).
In August 2022, she was chosen to lead the Senate Standing Committee on Senators' Interests. She also became the deputy chair of the Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit. In August 2024, she spoke about intercountry adoptions. She said the Australian government should pause all such adoptions. This would allow for a parliamentary review of the practice.
In February 2024, Linda Reynolds announced that she would not run for re-election. Her current term as Senator will end on 30 June 2025.
Images for kids
-
Official portrait of Senator Linda Reynolds
