Biography of Anna Bligh
Premier and Minister for the Arts

Anna Maria Bligh made history on 21 March 2009, when she became the first popularly elected female Premier in Australia. Prior to the election, she served as Queensland Premier from 13 September 2007, following the resignation of Peter Beattie.

Ms Bligh was born in Warwick, Queensland, on 14 July 1960. She grew up on the Gold Coast, attending Catholic primary schools and Miami State High School, before completing the last six months of her schooling at Nowra State High School.

She became 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, running the $33 billion Queensland State Budget and leading construction of the $9 billion South-East Queensland Water Grid.

Ms Bligh 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 in decades.

The reforms saw the introduction of a preparatory year of schooling and requirements for all young people to be “learning or earning”. During that time she also had responsibilities for the Arts portfolio, overseeing construction of the Millennium Arts Precinct.

Following the election of the Beattie Labor Government in June 1998, her first ministerial responsibility was as Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care and Disability Services.

Prior to her election, Ms Bligh worked in community organisations, in the Queensland Public Service, and in employment, training and industrial relations policy.

Ms Bligh graduated with an Arts Degree from University of Queensland in 1980.

Ms Bligh and her family have lived in South Brisbane for more than 20 years. She is married to Greg Withers, a senior public servant, with whom she has two sons (Joe born in 1987 and Oliver born in 1993).

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Achievements

Treasurer and Minister for Infrastructure

• Steered the nation’s strongest State economy through its best ever performance:
  • Record low unemployment (3.5 per cent)
  • Highest-ever workforce participation
  • Created over 30 per cent of all new full-time jobs in Australia
  • Strongest-ever balance sheet
  • Economic growth rate more than double the rest of Australia combined
  • Strongest-ever business investment
  • Delivering over $500 million in tax cuts including the best payroll tax threshold in mainland Australia and abolishing mortgage duty.
• Managing Queensland’s growth through a $14 billion statewide infrastructure program - the largest in the country.
• Introduced competition to the state electricity and gas market.
• Privatised state-owned electricity and gas retailers to improve efficiency and reduce financial risk to taxpayers.
• Established Queensland Future Growth Fund using the proceeds of government asset sales to fund clean coal technology and economic infrastructure.
• Led construction of the massive $9 billion South-East Queensland Water Grid to secure the region’s future water needs by delivering new dams, a desalination plant, pipelines and, in record time, the largest purified recycled water system in the southern hemisphere.
• Overhauled South-East Queensland’s water authorities through the Queensland Water Commission.
• Accelerating land supply to reduce house prices by establishing a new Urban Land Development Authority and streamlining planning processes.

Minister for Education and the Arts

• Introduced a new Preparatory Year in every Queensland Catholic, Independent and Public school.
• Lifted the school leaving age and required all young people to be "learning or earning".
• Reduced Year 4-10 class size targets to the smallest in the country.
• Boosted technology in schools including “virtual internet classrooms” in all Queensland Schools of Distance Education.
• Delivered record school rebuilding programs.
• Introduced parent-friendly reports which are comparable across all schools.
• Tightened professional standards for teachers through a new Queensland College of Teachers.
• Streamlined school curriculum through a new Queensland Studies Authority.
• Oversaw construction of the Millennium Arts Precinct, including a new Queensland Gallery of Modern Art and regional arts facilities.

Minister for Families, Youth, Community Care and Disability Services

• In her first act as the new Minister, established the Forde Inquiry into abuse in institutions.
• Established first stand-alone Department of Disabilities Services Queensland (DSQ).
• Undertook the first complete overhaul of the Child Protection Act in decades.
• Commenced building a new modern juvenile justice system, including a new Brisbane Youth Detention centre, replacing the archaic Sir Leslie Wilson and John Oxley centres.
• Led major reform to juvenile justice and domestic violence legislation.

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Parliamentary career

• Premier of Queensland and Minister for the Arts 26 March 2009 - Present
• Premier of Queensland, 13 September 2007 – 26 March 2009
• Deputy Premier, Treasurer and Minister for State Development, Trade and Innovation 2 February 2006 - 13 September 2007
• Deputy Premier and Minister for Finance, Minister for State Development, Trade and Innovation 28 July 2005 - 2 February 2006
• Minister for Education and The Arts 12 February 2004 - 28 July 2005
• Minister for Education 22 February 2001 - 12 February 2004 (first woman in Queensland to become Education Minister)
• Leader of Government Parliamentary Business 22 March 2001 - 9 August 2005
• Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care and Minister for Disability Services 29 June 1998 - 22 February 2001
• Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Care 17 December 1996 - 26 June 1998
• Shadow Minister for Public Works, Administrative Services and Public Service Matters 27 February 1996 - 17 December 1996
• Member, Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee 15 September 1995 - 2 April 1996
• Elected Member for South Brisbane - 15 July 1995

Last updated Wednesday, July 28, 2010

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