Natalie Hutchins

Natalie Maree Hutchins (née Sykes, born 9 March 1972[1]), also known as Natalie Sykes-Hutchins,[2] is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2010, representing the electorates of Keilor (2010–2014) and Sydenham (2014–present).[2] She was Minister for Local Government, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Industrial Relations in the First Andrews Ministry from December 2014 to December 2018. In June 2020, she rejoined the cabinet as Minister for Victim Support and Minister for Corrections, Youth Justice and Crime Prevention.

The Honourable Natalie Hutchins MP
Minister for Victim Support
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 June 2020
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Ben Carroll
Minister for Corrections, Youth Justice and Crime Prevention
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 June 2020
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Ben Carroll
Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence
In office 13 September 2017 – 29 November 2018
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Fiona Richardson
Succeeded by	Gabrielle Williams
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
In office 4 December 2014 – 29 November 2018
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Tim Bull
Succeeded by	Gavin Jennings
Minister for Industrial Relations
In office 4 December 2014 – 29 November 2018
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Robert Clark
Succeeded by	Tim Pallas
Minister for Local Government
In office 4 December 2014 – 13 September 2017
Premier	Daniel Andrews
Preceded by	Tim Bull
Succeeded by	Marlene Kairouz
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Sydenham
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 November 2014
Preceded by	New seat
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Keilor
In office 27 November 2010 – 29 November 2014
Preceded by	George Seitz
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Personal details
Born	9 March 1972 Melbourne
Political party	Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Steve Hutchins
Website	nataliehutchins.com.au

A former union organiser, Hutchins was first woman to be elected Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC). She was a Senior Advisor to the former Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, Chief of Staff to the former Victorian Minister of Education, Mary Delahunty, and was a founding partner in the research and strategy company Global Workplace Solutions. Hutchins, a member of Labor's Unity faction,[3] is a member of the Australian Labor Party National Executive.

The widow of Steve Hutchins, a former Senator for New South Wales, she has one child and five step-children.

Early life and background

Educated at public schools in the north-western suburbs of Melbourne including St Albans North Primary School and Buckley Park High School. She completed a Bachelor of Arts at La Trobe University, an institution that has been the starting point of many Victorian political figures from both sides of the political spectrum including current Victorian Minister, Jacinta Allan and Shadow Minister, Martin Dixon; Federal MPs Michael Danby (ALP) and Sharman Stone (Liberal); former ACTU Secretary and union icon Bill Kelty and current Federal Director of the Liberal Party, Brian Loughnane.[4] During her years at university she was the president of the Latrobe University Labor Club and the Victorian President of the National Union of Students. While in high school and studying for her degree she worked variously as a waitress, a dance teacher and a printer's assistant.

Unionism is part of her family with three generations working on the waterfront. Her great-great grandfather, Hughie Sykes, was one of the first members of the Waterside Workers' Federation of Australia.[5] The first committee of which boasted two future Australian Prime Ministers – Andrew Fisher and Billy Hughes.

Career

Following her graduation, Hutchins became an organiser and industrial officer at the National Union of Workers. In 1996 she was the first woman to be elected as the assistant secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council, in the organisation's 137-year history.[6] During her time at the VTHC, Hutchins was one of the police negotiators for the union movement during the 1998 waterfront dispute, coordinated the WorkCover campaign and was instrumental in obtaining legislative changes to stop trainee and apprentice bullying in the workplace. In 1999, shortly after the 1999 election of the Bracks Labor Government, Hutchins resigned her position at the VTHC citing "leadership tensions".[7]

In 2001, Hutchins was employed as a senior organiser with the Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) where she negotiated national wages agreements in the airlines, car carrying and road transport industries. A key event during her time with the TWU was the collapse and closure of airline Ansett Australia.

Hutchins started a business partnership in 2007, called Globe Workplace, which focused on workplace research and strategy across Australia. Globe Workplace staff have completed major research projects for both state and federal governments into workforce skills shortages in the transport, logistics manufacturing industries.

Political career

Hutchins was a senior advisor to the former Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks and Chief of Staff and to the former Minister of Education, Mary Delahunty. Long considered by Labor as a future Member of Parliament, Hutchins' name was proposed in June 2000 for preselection for the Victorian Federal Seat of Isaacs following the death of the sitting member Greg Wilton.[8] In 2006, her name was briefly mentioned as a preselection candidate for the NSW state seat of Blue Mountains following the move of Bob Debus to the Federal Parliament.[9]

In 2009, following the retirement of George Seitz, who had held the seat for Labor since 1982, Hutchins was endorsed by Labor's National Executive as the candidate for Keilor in the 2010 Victorian state election.[10] Hutchins was subsequently elected and was appointed as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport in a February 2012 reshuffle. On 19 February 2013, she was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Ports, Freight & Logistics.[11]

After Labor's win in the 2014 state election, she was variously appointed as minister for women, the prevention of family violence, industrial relations and Aboriginal affairs.[12] She asked not to be reappointed to the ministry after the 2018 state election, so that she could spend more time with her children following the recent death of her husband.[13][14]

References

1. "Ms Natalie Hutchins". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
2. Paula, Maud (23 June 2009). "Labor names candidate to replace Seitz in Keilor". Brimbank Leader. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
3. Ferguson, John (19 February 2013). "Labor leader left hanging". The Australian. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
4. http://www.liberal.org.au/The-Party/Party-People.aspx#FederalDirector
5. http://www.atua.org.au/biogs/ALE0899b.htm
6. McKay, Sandra "Woman in top union role" The Age, Melbourne, 6 December 1996
7. Dargan, Felicity "Union leader quits amid infighting" Sunday Herald Sun, Melbourne, 21 November 1999
8. Grattan, Michelle, "But will the best woman win" Sydney Morning Herald, 30 June 2000
9. Davies, Anne and Phillip Coorey, "Debus quits Macquarie Street for Canberra" Sydney Morning Herald, 30 October 2006
10. Austin,Paul, "Captain Brumby on top after an almost seamless trade season", The Age, Melbourne, 23 July 2009
11. http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/id/1707
12. "The Hon. Natalie Hutchins". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
13. "Statement From Natalie Hutchins". Premier of Victoria. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
14. Carey, Adam (27 November 2018). "Labor makes history with first cabinet that is 50 per cent women". The Age. Retrieved 18 June 2020.

External links

• Parliamentary voting record of Natalie Hutchins at Victorian Parliament Tracker