Jo Siejka

Joanna Clare Siejka (born 11 September 1980) is an Australian politician and member of the Labor Party, who was elected to the Tasmanian Legislative Council in a by-election for the electoral division of Pembroke on 4 November 2017.

The Honourable Jo Siejka MLC
Member of the Tasmanian Legislative Council for Pembroke
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 November 2017
Preceded by	Vanessa Goodwin
Personal details
Born	11 September 1980 Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Labor Party
Alma mater	University of Tasmania Swinburne University of Technology

From 2010 until December 2017, Siejka was the chief executive officer of the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT). Whilst at the organisation Siejka advocated on behalf of young people on a range of issues including employment,[1] education, health and the retention of young people in the State.

Also in her role at YNOT, she had spoken out against poker machines in pubs and clubs, with the organisation one of a coalition of groups lobbying for the removal or reduction of the machines.[2] She also led the development of a Code of Ethics for the Tasmanian Youth Sector[3] and championed the engagement of young people in decision making through the Tasmanian Youth Forum,[4] a consultation process which was developed by Siejka. Siejka received recognition for her role advocating for young Tasmanians, being nominated for several awards, including as finalist for two Telstra Business Women's Awards.[5]

Siejka has served on Boards of Governance across a number of fields, including terms on the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, National Youth Coalition for Housing, Homelessness Australia,[6] and the Tasmanian Building and Construction Industry Training Board.

Whilst Chair of the national peak body, National Youth Coalition for Housing, Siejka became a national spokesperson on the issue of youth homelessness, particularly through the international awareness raising campaign, Youth Homelessness Matters Day.[7]

In 2016, Siejka was appointed to the board of TasTAFE, as she put it, to "change the culture" of the organisation after an audit by the Integrity Commission revealed incidents of nepotism and credit card misuse. Siejka resigned from TasTAFE and took leave from YNOT to contest the by-election for Pembroke caused by the resignation of Vanessa Goodwin due to illness.[8]

In her inaugural speech Siejka spoke about the importance of consultation with community members, key issues raised during the election.[9] Since being elected she has spent time consulting with community members of all ages, and has taken a proactive approach in educating and including members of the Electorate in the Parliamentary process.

Siejka has completed degrees in social impact and investment, journalism and counselling. She is an alumnus of the Tasmanian Leaders Program 2013.[10]

References

1. BRADY, JAMES (2014-02-24). "Tasmania's youth jobs crisis". The Examiner. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
2. "Tasmanian by-election candidate known for opposition to poker machines". ABC News. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
3. "Youth Ethics Framework for Tasmania | YNOT". www.ynot.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
4. "About TYF | YNOT". www.ynot.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
5. "Wellbeing of Tasmanians in safe hands with business Awards finalists - Telstra Business Women's Awards". Telstra Business Women’s Awards. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
6. "YNOT Annual Report 2017 | YNOT". www.ynot.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
7. "Youth Homelessness Matters Day 2018 | Youth Homelessness Matters". www.youthhomelessnessmatters.info. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
8. Lohberger, Loretta (7 October 2017). "Youth Network of Tasmania chief executive Joanna Siejka is Labor's candidate in Pembroke". The Mercury. Retrieved 5 November 2017.
9. Beniuk, David (21 November 2017). "TasWater takeover 'not a priority' for Pembroke voters, says new Labor MLC Jo Siejka (subscription required)". The Mercury. Retrieved 2018-03-11.
10. "The Tasmanian Leaders Inc | ALUMNUS IN PROFILE: Joanna Siejka". www.tasmanianleaders.org.au. Retrieved 2018-03-11.