Jillian Skinner

Jillian Gell Skinner (born 5 August 1944 in Melbourne), an Australian politician, was the New South Wales Minister for Health in the Baird government. Skinner was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing North Shore for the Liberal Party from 1994 to 2017 and was the Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party from 2007 to 2014. Between 2011 and 2015 Skinner also served as the Minister for Medical Research. On 27 January 2017, Skinner announced her intention to resign from the ministry and from Parliament.

Jillian Skinner
Minister for Health
In office 3 April 2011 – 23 January 2017
Premier	Barry O'Farrell Mike Baird
Preceded by	Carmel Tebbutt
Succeeded by	Brad Hazzard
Deputy Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party
In office 4 April 2007 – 16 April 2014
Preceded by	Barry O'Farrell
Succeeded by	Gladys Berejiklian
Minister for Medical Research
In office 3 April 2011 – 2 April 2015
Premier	Barry O'Farrell Mike Baird
Preceded by	Jodi McKay
Succeeded by	Pru Goward
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for North Shore
In office 5 February 1994 – 20 February 2017
Preceded by	Phillip Smiles
Succeeded by	Felicity Wilson
Personal details
Born	Jillian Gell Coutts 5 August 1944 Melbourne
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party
Spouse(s)	Chris Skinner

Early life and career

Skinner was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne.[1] She began as a journalist working for the Melbourne Herald and later continued her career in Hong Kong, working for Radio Hong Kong and The Associated Press, Hong Kong from 1962 to 1973.

Upon returning to Australia, Skinner continued working as a journalist in Melbourne, including a period on the Parliamentary Press Gallery during the Premiership of Sir Henry Bolte, Sydney and Adelaide. She has lived in Sydney since 1979. From 1984 to 1988 she was involved in editorial writing, research, policy development and strategic planning. From 1988 to 1994 she was Director of the New South Wales Office of Youth Affairs. She is married with three children, of whom at least one was living with her husband in Melbourne in 1987.[2]

Political career

Skinner joined the Liberal Party and became vice-president of the Cremorne Branch and gained preselection for the seat of North Shore at the 1984 election,[3] and the 1988 election. However, she was defeated by the sitting independent member, Ted Mack.[4]

When Mack resigned, Skinner again contested North Shore at the ensuing by-election but lost to Robyn Read, an independent candidate; Skinner gained 35 per cent of the primary vote.[5]

At the 1991 state election Skinner did not contest for the seat of North Shore. Instead, sitting Liberal MP Phillip Smiles ran for the seat, after his own seat of Mosman was abolished in a redistribution. Although North Shore's demographics suggested it should have been a comfortably safe Liberal seat, Smiles was the first Liberal to win it, ending a decade of representation by independent MPs.

However, by late December 1993, Smiles was forced to resign from Parliament after being convicted of tax evasion. Skinner subsequently gained Liberal Party preselection for the ensuing by-election.

Skinner with Barry O'Farrell celebrates the 2008 Ryde By-election win, 18 October 2008.

On 5 February 1994, Skinner was elected as Member for North Shore with 54 percent of the primary vote and 58 percent of the two-party vote, defeating former independent member Read in a rematch. She was duly sworn in as a member of the NSW Legislative Assembly.[6][7]

Skinner has never faced another contest nearly that close in this comfortably safe Liberal seat. For example, she secured a swing of 13.9 points at the 2011 state election and won 80.3 per cent of the two-party vote.[8]

After the Labor party won the 1995 election, Skinner was appointed to the opposition frontbench and held various shadow portfolios over the next decade. Under opposition leaders Peter Collins, John Brogden and Peter Debnam, Skinner was Shadow Minister for Health (1995–2003, 2005-2011), Youth Affairs (1995–99, 2002–03), Arts (2003–08), Education and Training (2003–05), School Education (2005), Cancer and Medical Research (2006–07) and Science and Medical Research (2007–08).[7]

Following the 2007 election, Debnam's deputy, Barry O'Farrell, announced he would challenge Debnam's leadership.[9] When it became apparent that Debnam did not have enough support to fend off O'Farrell's challenge, he resigned, leaving O'Farrell to take the leadership unopposed. Skinner was elected Deputy Leader, and hence Deputy Leader of the Opposition.[10] She retained the position of Shadow Minister for Health, which she has held from 7 September 2005 until the 2011 state election when the Coalition gained government.[7]

Following the Coalition's landslide victory in 2011, O'Farrell announced that Skinner would be appointed to the cabinet as Minister for Health and Minister for Medical Research.[7] When O'Farrell resigned as Premier in April 2014, Skinner opted not to continue as deputy leader under his successor, Mike Baird.[11] She was succeeded by Gladys Berejiklian.

On 27 January 2017, shortly after Baird resigned and was succeeded by Berejiklian, Skinner announced her intention to resign from politics.[12][13][14][15] She formally resigned on 20 February 2017.[7]

See also

• O'Farrell ministry
• Baird ministry
• Shadow Ministry of Barry O'Farrell

References

1. "About Jillian". Jillian Skinner. Retrieved 1 February 2008.
2. "Skinner, Jillian Gell (1944 – )". Australian Women's Register. Retrieved 24 February 2007.
3. Green, Antony. "1984 North Shore". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
4. Green, Antony. "1988 North Shore". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
5. Green, Antony. "1988 North Short by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
6. Green, Antony. "1994 North Shore by-election". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
7. "Mrs Jillian Gell Skinner (1944- )". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
8. Green, Antony (5 April 2011). "North Shore". NSW Votes 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 6 May 2011.
9. "O'Farrell to challenge Debnam". ABC News. Australia. 26 March 2007.
10. "O'Farrell new Libs leader". The Courier Mail. 4 April 2007.
11. "Mike Baird named new NSW Premier after Barry O'Farrell resignation". ABC News. Australia. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
12. "NSW Health Minister Jillian Skinner retires from politics". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
13. Robertson, James (28 January 2017). "Anthony Roberts, Brad Hazzard take key roles in Gladys Berejiklian reshuffle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
14. Vukovic, Dom; Gerathy, Sarah; McDonald, Philippa (29 January 2017). "NSW Cabinet reshuffle: Premier Gladys Berejiklian announces big changes to front bench". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 29 January 2017.
15. "NSW reshuffle: Gladys Berejiklian axes Adrian Piccoli and Duncan Gay from cabinet". The Guardian. Australia. 29 January 2017. Retrieved 29 January 2017.