Michelle Roberts
| Michelle Roberts | |
|---|---|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 19 March 1994 |
|
| Preceded by | Carmen Lawrence |
| Constituency | Midland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 29, 1960 Perth Western Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Profession | Teacher |
Michelle Hopkins Roberts (born 1960) is an Australian politician. A member of the Australian Labor Party, she currently represents the Electoral district of Midland in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly.
Roberts grew up in Inglewood, in Western Australia. She was educated at Mercedes College and the University of Western Australia. She worked as a teacher at the John Curtin Senior High School from 1983 until 1987, teaching English, Italian and Mathematics. She moved to the State Public Service in 1987, in the Department of Occupational Health, Safety and Welfare, where she worked until her election to the Assembly in 1994.
Roberts began her political activism in 1978, when she joined the Australian Labor Party. In 1986 she was elected to the Perth City Council. She sat on the boards of the East Perth Redevelopment Authority and the Perth Theatre Trust, and was at one point the Deputy Lord Mayor of Perth. She was first elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly (The Thirty Fourth Parliament) as the Member for Glendalough on 19 March 1994. This was a by-election to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Hon. Carmen Lawrence. The seat of Glendalough was subsequently abolished by the redistribution of electoral boundaries prior to the 1996 State General Election.
Roberts was endorsed by the ALP to contest the newly created seat of Midland and was re-elected to the Thirty Fifth Parliament on 14 December 1996 as the member for Midland. She was re-elected again at the General elections of 2001, 2005, 2008.
Roberts held various ministerial responsibilities from the 16th February 2001 to the 6th September 2008 in the Gallop Labor Governments, including Minister for Police & Emergency Services, Local Government, Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure, Justice, Housing and Works; Consumer Protection, Heritage, Land Information, Indigenous Affairs and Employment Protection.
Roberts was the Shadow Minister for Education and Women's Interests after Labor's defeat in WA in 2008 until early 2011. She is currently the Shadow Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Tourism and Shadow Minister for Government Accountability.
