Anna Maria Bligh
Anna Maria Bligh (b.1960), a public servant, community-worker and Australian Labor Party organiser, entered Queensland parliament in 1995 to help foster her party’s program of progressive reform, particularly in urban planning, social security and the reduction of violence. She rose to deputy-premier (2005) and premier (2007). Her victory in the general election of 2009 was the first by a female premier. She lost the position of premier in March 2012 when the Liberal National Party lead by Campbell Newman won the biggest majority in the history of Queensland elections.
Events
First elected female premier
Anna Maria Bligh wins the Queensland state general election, becoming the first popularly elected female Premier of an Australia state. She is sworn in on 13 September 2007 following the resignation of Peter Beattie. Bligh had been appointed Deputy Premier of Queensland in July 2005 - the same month she celebrated 10 years as Member for South Brisbane. As Deputy Premier she was also Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure. She was formerly Minister for Finance, State Development, Trade and Innovation. Prior to that she was Queensland’s first female Education Minister spending almost 5 years overseeing the most significant reforms to the State’s education system.
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