Pru Goward
The Honourable Pru Goward MP | |
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![]() Pru Goward visits La traviata in Sydney (2012) | |
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Goulburn | |
Assumed office 24 March 2007 | |
Preceded by | new district |
Majority | 6.70 points (2015) |
Minister for Mental Health | |
Assumed office 2 April 2015 | |
Premier | Mike Baird |
Preceded by | Jai Rowell |
Minister for Medical Research | |
Assumed office 2 April 2015 | |
Premier | Mike Baird |
Preceded by | Jillian Skinner |
Minister for Women | |
Assumed office 3 April 2011 | |
Premier |
Barry O'Farrell Mike Baird |
Preceded by | Linda Burney |
Assistant Minister for Health | |
Assumed office 2 April 2015 | |
Premier | Mike Baird |
Preceded by | Jai Rowell |
Minister for Planning | |
In office 23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015 | |
Premier | Mike Baird |
Preceded by | Brad Hazzard |
Succeeded by | Rob Stokes |
Minister for Family and Community Services | |
In office 3 April 2011 – 23 April 2014 | |
Premier | Barry O'Farrell |
Preceded by | Linda Burney |
Succeeded by | Gabrielle Upton |
Personal details | |
Born |
Prudence Jane Goward 2 November 1952 Adelaide, South Australia |
Political party | Liberal Party of Australia |
Spouse(s) |
David Barnett (m. 1986) Alastair Fischer (m. 1973; dis. 1983) |
Children | Three including Kate Fischer |
Alma mater | Adelaide University (1974) |
Website | Parliamentary biography |
Prudence Jane Goward MP (born 2 September 1952 in Adelaide[1]), an Australian politician, is the New South Wales Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, and Assistant Minister for Health since April 2015, and the Minister for Women since 2011, in the second Baird government.[2] Goward is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Goulburn for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2007. She has previously served as the Minister for Planning during 2014 and 2015, and the Minister for Community Services between 2011 and 2014, in the O'Farrell and first Baird governments.[3][4]
Prior to entering politics, Goward served as the Australian Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination with the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.
Early life and personal background
Goward was born to Gerald Goward and Zipporah Riggs, and was raised in Adelaide. She attended Morphett Vale Primary School, Willunga High School and gained entrance to Woodlands Church of England Girls Grammar School on a half scholarship.[1] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Econ) (Hons) in 1974 from Adelaide University.
She was married from 1973 to 1983 to university lecturer Alastair Fischer, whom she met while studying at Adelaide University.[1]
Goward married journalist David Barnett in 1986. Goward and Barnett have maintained a close personal friendship with former prime minister John Howard for many years, and jointly authored a biography of Howard in 1997.[5]
She is the mother of three daughters, former model and actor Kate Fischer, Penny Fischer, and Alice Barnett. She has two granddaughters. [6]
Career
Goward joined ABC TV and Radio in 1980, firstly as a reporter with Nationwide, then as a political correspondent on the 7.30 Report, and later as host of the Morning Show and Daybreak on Radio National. She has also worked as a high school teacher, a university lecturer in economics, a broadcast journalism lecturer at University of Canberra, a media consultant and freelance writer. [7]
She was Executive Director of the Office of the Status of Women in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 1997 to 1999. In this position, Goward criticised the business community for the "primitive attitudes" that kept women out of senior executive ranks and boardrooms.[8] At the time of her appointment, she was criticised by Anne Summers, a previous Executive Director, and Carmen Lawrence, a prominent female politician, for her perceived inexperience and political connection to the Howard government.[9]
Goward was the Sex Discrimination Commissioner at HREOC, a five-year tenure she began in July 2001. In this role, she called for the introduction of paid maternity leave, a position rejected by the Howard government. Howard extended her tenure for an additional three years in July 2006. However, she successfully ran for New South Wales state parliament in March 2007.
Pru Goward, while Minister for the Department of Family and Community Services, initiated the Going Home Staying Home reforms which redistributed funding for youth refuges across the state.[10][11]:14
Parliamentary career
![](../I/m/Pru_Goward_-_2008.jpg)
In 2006, Goward nominated for Liberal Party preselection for the New South Wales state parliament in seat of Epping in Sydney's north-west, but was defeated[12] by the former President of the Right to Life Association,[13] Greg Smith. She was subsequently preselected unopposed for the seat of Goulburn, to replace retiring Liberal frontbencher Peta Seaton. Goward was expected to win the seat, however an unexpectedly strong swing to Labor in the Southern Highlands area of the seat put her victory in doubt on election night. Her main contender, Independent Mayor of Goulburn Paul Stephenson, conceded defeat on 29 March 2007. Goward was quoted as saying that she "didn't expect to win it. I knew I was behind the whole time, even four days before the election we were told I was five points behind, so I'm just so grateful."[14]>
As the Minister responsible for child protective services there have been reports of inadequate staffing and services to meet the need.[15][16]
As the state's Community Services Minister, Goward announced in mid-March 2014 that around 300 harbourfront public housing properties will be sold under the management of Government Property NSW, with the proceeds reinvested into the public housing system. Considered historic structures, the harbourfront properties are located at Millers Point, The Rocks and on Gloucester Street, and include the Sirius complex, a high-rise, 79-unit apartment complex near the Harbour Bridge. The government expects to generate hundreds of millions of dollars from the sales and Goward explained, as a justification of the sale: "In the last two years alone, nearly [A]$7 million has been spent maintaining this small number of properties. That money could have been better spent on building more social housing, or investing in the maintenance of public housing properties across the state."[17]
Due to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier,[18] and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader,[3] in April 2014 in addition to her existing responsibilities as a minister, Goward was appointed as the Minister for Planning; and lost the portfolio of Family and Community Services.[4][19] Following the 2015 state election, Goward was sworn in as the Minister for Mental Health, the Minister for Medical Research, the Minister for Women, the Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (a newly created portfolio), and the Assistant Minister for Health in the second Baird government.[2]
Controversy
After being in Parliament a single day, Goward told a symposium of women in leadership in Sydney "I have never worked in any profession as male-dominated or as ruthlessly sexist as this. I was quite shocked by it."[20] These comments have not been supported by other female MPs from both sides of politics, who generally said Parliament had improved.[21]
In May 2007, Goward was caught speeding in a school zone. This was her second driving offence for 2007. Goward said "It was extremely careless on my part and like thousands of other drivers I deeply regret it."[22][23]
In February 2014, Katrina Hodgkinson, the Nationals Member for Burrinjuck, a neighbouring electorate of Goulburn, announced that she would be contesting Goward's seat of Goulburn. Her decision followed a statewide electoral redistribution by the NSW Electoral Commission that resulted in a substantial revision of Hodgkinson's seat of Burrinjuck and the seat renamed as Cootamundra, with effect from the 2015 state election.[24][25] Her announcement resulted in a dispute between the Nationals and Liberals;[26][27] and on 28 February, Hodgkinson announced she would withdraw her nomination for Goulburn. Hodgkinson subsequently contested the newly constituted seat of Cootamundra,[28] and won the seat for the National Party.
Awards
Goward was awarded a Centenary Medal in 2001 for services to journalism and women's rights.[29]
References
- 1 2 3 Thompson, Peter (13 November 2006). "Pru Goward". Talking Heads. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
- 1 2 Hasham, Nicole (3 April 2015). "Premier Mike Baird's new NSW cabinet sworn in: Gladys Berejiklian and Gabrielle Upton first female Treasurer and Attorney-General". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
- 1 2 Nicholls, Sean (22 April 2014). "Mike Baird's cabinet reshuffle a preparation for next election". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- 1 2 "The Hon. Prudence Jane GOWARD, MP". Current members of parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
- ↑ Barnett, David; Goward, Pru; Barnett, David, 1931 (27 Sept.)-; Goward, Pru (1997), John Howard : Prime Minister, Viking, ISBN 978-0-670-87389-0
- ↑ m.dailytelegraph.com.au/the-once-svelte-kate-fischer-stacks-on-the-pounds/story-e6freuy9-1226060334230
- ↑ http://www.prugoward.com.au/About/AboutPru.aspx
- ↑ Bagwell, S. (4 September 1997). "Get Rid of Primitive Attitude: Goward". Australian Financial Review.
- ↑ Humphries, D (23 September 2006). "Woman most likely". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑ "Specialist Homelessness Services Going Home Staying Home South Eastern Sydney District." Fact Sheet October 2014. New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services. October 2014.
- ↑ "The Year in Highlight." Annual Report 2014. Ted Noffs Foundations. Accessed 27 May 2015.
- ↑ Mitchell, Alex (16 September 2006). "Goward sinks in Epping but resurfaces closer to home". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑ Shanahan, D. (21 July 2006). "The trouble with talent in politics". The Australian.
- ↑ "Goward wins Goulburn seat". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 29 March 2006.
- ↑ Clennell, Andrew (23 August 2013). "Pru Goward under pressure after allegations of misleading parliament". The Daily Telegraph. Australia.
- ↑ Browne, Rachel; Patty, Anna (11 April 2014). "Calls for Pru Goward to be sacked over abandoned children". The Sydney Morning Herald.
- ↑ Hasham, Nicole (19 March 2014). "Sydney waterfront public housing properties to be sold off". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
- ↑ "Barry O'Farrell quits as NSW Premier over memory fail". The Australian. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ↑ "Mike Baird's NSW cabinet". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
- ↑ "Bearpit sexist says new MP". The Sydney Morning Herald. 10 May 2007.
- ↑ "Story". Illawarra Mercury.
- ↑ "It was extremely careless: Goward". The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 May 2007.
- ↑ "Woman wants Goward's apology over advice". NineMSN Pty Limited.
- ↑ Nicholls, Sean (19 February 2014). "Katrina Hodgkinson to take on Pru Goward for Goulburn seat". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ↑ "Katrina Hodgkinson to challenge Pru Goward in preselection fight to win NSW seat of Goulburn". ABC News. Australia. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ↑ Nicholls, Sean (28 February 2014). "Pru Goward, Katrina Hodgkinson dispute over Goulburn unresolved". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ "National Katrina Hodgkinson to contest Liberal Pru Goward's seat of Goulburn". The Australian. AAP. 19 February 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ Nicholls, Sean (28 February 2014). "Katrina Hodgkinson to withdraw from Goulburn poll fight against Pru Goward". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
- ↑ "Profile of Pru Goward". Former Commissioners. Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. 15 September 2006. Archived from the original on 7 November 2005.
External links
- Profile of Pru Goward at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
- Official Website of Pru Goward
Publications
- Barnett, David; Goward, Pru (1997). John Howard, Prime Minister. Viking. ISBN 0-670-87389-6.
- Goward, Pru (2001). A Business of Your Own: How Women Succeed in Business. Australia: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-593-6.
Parliament of New South Wales | ||
---|---|---|
New district | Member for Goulburn 2007 – present |
Incumbent |
Political offices | ||
Preceded by Linda Burney |
Minister for Women 2011 – present |
Incumbent |
Preceded by Jillian Skinner |
Minister for Medical Research 2015 – present | |
Preceded by Jai Rowell |
Minister for Mental Health 2015 – present |
Incumbent |
Assistant Minister for Health 2015 – present | ||
New title | Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault 2015 – present | |
Preceded by Brad Hazzard |
Minister for Planning 2014 – 2015 |
Succeeded by Rob Stokes |
Preceded by Linda Burney |
Minister for Family and Community Services 2011 – 2014 |
Succeeded by Gabrielle Upton |