Lisa Baker (Australian politician)

Lisa Loraine Baker (born 26 August 1958) is an Australian politician who has been a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia since 2008, representing the seat of Maylands.

Lisa Baker MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 September 2008
Preceded by	Judy Edwards
Constituency	Maylands
Personal details
Born	26 August 1958 Perth, Western Australia
Political party	Labor
Alma mater	WAIT

Baker was born in Perth. She attended Perth College, Mercedes College, and Governor Stirling Senior High School at various points, and then went on to the Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University), graduating with an initial degree in psychology and then a graduate diploma in development studies. During the 1990s, Baker was employed by the National Native Title Tribunal as director of its business services division. In 2002, she became the CEO of the Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS), a peak organisation for the social services sector in Western Australia.[1]

From 1998 to 2001, Baker also served on the Mundaring Shire Council.[1] In 2008, she was preselected as the Labor candidate for Maylands, a safe seat. She subsequently entered parliament at the 2008 state election, replacing the retiring Judy Edwards.[2] Her majority was reduced at the 2013 election (as part of a statewide swing against Labor), turning Maylands into a marginal seat.[3] Baker is openly gay,[4] and owns a 20-acre property on the outskirts of Perth.[5]

Baker was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on 11 May 2017.[6]

References

1. Lisa Loraine Baker – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
2. Maylands – 2008 Western Australian Election, Antony Green's Election Guide. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
3. Maylands, WA Votes 2013, ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
4. Andrew O'Connor, "WA Labor MP Lisa Baker makes same-sex marriage plea as Liberal opponent Peter Abetz cites Stolen Generation to reject change", ABC News, 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
5. Steve Holland, "Hunters disturbed by WA MP Lisa Baker's gun-targeted joey Facebook post", WAtoday, 8 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
6. "Hansard WA Parliament" (PDF). Parliament of Western Australia. 11 May 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 May 2017.