The Honourable
Natalie Hutchins
MP
Minister for Education
In office
27 June 2022 – 2 October 2023
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byJames Merlino
Succeeded byBen Carroll[1]
Minister for Women
Assumed office
2 October 2023
PremierJacinta Allan
Preceded byself (Under Daniel Andrews)
In office
27 June 2022 – 2 October 2023
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byGabrielle Williams
Succeeded byself (Under Jacinta Allan)
In office
13 September 2017 – 29 November 2018
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byFiona Richardson
Succeeded byGabrielle Williams
Minister for Corrections
Minister for Youth Justice
Minister for Victim Support
In office
22 June 2020 – 27 June 2022
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byBen Carroll
Succeeded bySonya Kilkenny
Minister for Crime Prevention
In office
22 June 2020 – 27 June 2022
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byBen Carroll
Succeeded byAnthony Carbines
Minister for Prevention of Family Violence
In office
13 September 2017 – 29 November 2018
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byFiona Richardson
Succeeded byGabrielle Williams
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
In office
4 December 2014 – 29 November 2018
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byTim Bull
Succeeded byGavin Jennings
Minister for Industrial Relations
In office
4 December 2014 – 29 November 2018
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byRobert Clark
Succeeded byTim Pallas
Minister for Local Government
In office
4 December 2014 – 13 September 2017
PremierDaniel Andrews
Preceded byTim Bull
Succeeded byMarlene Kairouz
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Sydenham
Assumed office
29 November 2014
Preceded byNew seat
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Keilor
In office
27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014
Preceded byGeorge Seitz
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born (1972-03-09) 9 March 1972
Melbourne
Political partyLabor Party
SpouseSteve Hutchins
Websitewww.nataliehutchins.com.au

Natalie Maree Hutchins (née Sykes, born 9 March 1972[2]), also known as Natalie Sykes-Hutchins,[3] is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2010, representing the electorates of Keilor (2010–2014) and Sydenham (2014–present).[3]

Hutchins was the Minister for Local Government, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Industrial Relations in the First Andrews Ministry from December 2014 to December 2018. In June 2020, she rejoined the cabinet as Minister for Victim Support and Minister for Corrections, Youth Justice and Crime Prevention. In June 2022, she was appointed as Minister for Education and Minister for Women.

A former union organiser, Hutchins was first woman to be elected Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC). She was a senior advisor to the former Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, Chief of Staff to the former Victorian Minister of Education, Mary Delahunty, and was a founding partner in the research and strategy company Global Workplace Solutions. Hutchins, a member of Labor's Unity faction,[4] is a member of the Australian Labor Party National Executive.

The widow of Steve Hutchins, a former Senator for New South Wales, she has one child and five step-children.

Early life and background

Educated at public schools in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne including St Albans North Primary School and Buckley Park High School. She completed a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University, where she was the president of the La Trobe University Labor Club and the Victorian President of the National Union of Students. While in high school and studying for her degree she worked variously as a waitress, a dance teacher and a printer's assistant.

Her great-great grandfather, Hughie Sykes, was one of the first members of the Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia.[5]

Career

Following her graduation, Hutchins became an organiser and industrial officer at the National Union of Workers. In 1996 she was the first woman to be elected as the assistant secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, in the organisation's 137-year history.[6] During her time at the VTHC, Hutchins was one of the police negotiators for the union movement during the 1998 waterfront dispute, coordinated the WorkCover campaign and was instrumental in obtaining legislative changes to stop trainee and apprentice bullying in the workplace. In 1999, shortly after the 1999 election of the Bracks Labor Government, Hutchins resigned her position at the VTHC citing "leadership tensions".[7]

In 2001, Hutchins was employed as a senior organiser with the Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) where she negotiated national wages agreements in the airlines, car carrying and road transport industries. A key event during her time with the TWU was the collapse and closure of airline Ansett Australia.

Hutchins started a business partnership in 2007, called Globe Workplace, which focused on workplace research and strategy across Australia. Globe Workplace staff have completed major research projects for both state and federal governments into workforce skills shortages in the transport, logistics manufacturing industries.

Hutchins is a member of the Australian Workers Union component of the Victorian Labor Right.[8]

Political career

Hutchins was a senior advisor to the former Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks and Chief of Staff and to the former Minister of Education, Mary Delahunty. Long considered by Labor as a future Member of Parliament, Hutchins' name was proposed in June 2000 for preselection for the Victorian Federal Seat of Isaacs following the death of the sitting member Greg Wilton.[9] In 2006, her name was briefly mentioned as a preselection candidate for the NSW state seat of Blue Mountains following the move of Bob Debus to the Federal Parliament.[10]

In 2009, following the retirement of George Seitz, who had held the seat for Labor since 1982, Hutchins was endorsed by Labor's National Executive as the candidate for Keilor in the 2010 Victorian state election.[11] Hutchins was subsequently elected and was appointed as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport in a February 2012 reshuffle. On 19 February 2013, she was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Ports, Freight & Logistics.[12]

After Labor's win in the 2014 state election, Hutchins was appointed as minister for local government, industrial relations and Aboriginal affairs.[13] After Fiona Richardson died in August 2017, Hutchins took over Richardson's roles as minister for women and the prevention of family violence in September 2017, but relinquished the local government portfolio.

After the 2018 state election, Hutchins asked not to be reappointed to the ministry, so that she could spend more time with her children following the recent death of her husband and former Senator Steve Hutchins.[14][15] Hutchins returned to the ministry in June 2020 when she was appointed as minister for Corrections, Youth Justice, Crime Prevention and Victim Support.[16]

In June 2022, Hutchins was appointed as Minister for Education and for the second time, as Minister for Women.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "First Allan Ministry". Victorian government. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  2. ↑ "Ms Natalie Hutchins". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  3. 1 2 Paula, Maud (23 June 2009). "Labor names candidate to replace Seitz in Keilor". Brimbank Leader. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  4. ↑ Ferguson, John (19 February 2013). "Labor leader left hanging". The Australian. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Waterside Workers Federation of Australia (I)". Australian Trade Union Archives.
  6. ↑ McKay, Sandra "Woman in top union role" The Age, Melbourne, 6 December 1996
  7. ↑ Dargan, Felicity "Union leader quits amid infighting" Sunday Herald Sun, Melbourne, 21 November 1999
  8. ↑ Ilanbey, Sumeyya; Sakkal, Paul. "Andrews boosts internal grip on power, two ministers in firing line for demotion". The Age. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Grattan, Michelle, "But will the best woman win" The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 June 2000
  10. ↑ Davies, Anne and Phillip Coorey, "Debus quits Macquarie Street for Canberra" The Sydney Morning Herald, 30 October 2006
  11. ↑ Austin,Paul, "Captain Brumby on top after an almost seamless trade season", The Age, Melbourne, 23 July 2009
  12. ↑ "Parliament of Victoria - Members Information - Natalie Hutchins (Keilor)". parliament.vic.gov.au. Archived from the original on 25 January 2011.
  13. ↑ "The Hon. Natalie Hutchins". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "Statement From Natalie Hutchins". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Carey, Adam (27 November 2018). "Labor makes history with first cabinet that is 50 per cent women". The Age. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  16. ↑ "Victorian Premier announces new Cabinet members after branch-stacking scandal". ABC News. 18 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  17. ↑ "Statement On New Ministry". Premier of Victoria. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 27 June 2022.
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