The Honourable
Jacquie Petrusma
Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
for Franklin
In office
20 March 2010 – 25 July 2022
Succeeded byDean Young
Personal details
Born
Jacqueline Anne Harper

(1966-03-23) 23 March 1966 (age 57)
Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party (since 2009)
Other political
affiliations		Family First Party (until 2009)
Spouses
Bretton Smith
​
​
(m. 1987; div. 1993)​
Tim Petrusma
​
(m. 1999)​
Alma materUniversity of Tasmania
WebsitePersonal website

Jacqueline Anne Petrusma (née Harper; born 23 March 1966) is an Australian politician. She was a Liberal Party of Australia member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 2010 to 2022, representing the electorate of Franklin, and served as a minister in the governments of Will Hodgman, Peter Gutwein and Jeremy Rockliff.

The daughter of Barry Harper, a former state cricketer,[1] she was born in Launceston, Tasmania, and worked as a registered nurse before becoming involved in politics.[2] She is married to a nephew of former MLC Hank Petrusma.[3]

Petrusma was educated at Glen Dhu Primary School, Kings Meadows High School, Launceston College and the University of Tasmania, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) in 1995. She has one child from her first marriage, has three children from her second.[4] She stood for the Senate in the 2004 federal election as a Family First Party candidate, coming close to defeating the Greens' Christine Milne on preferences. She contested the Senate again for the party at the 2007 election, but was unsuccessful. In 2009, she became a member of the Liberal Party and was endorsed as a candidate for Franklin at the 2010 state election, defeating Clarence City Councillor Tony Mulder for the second Liberal seat.[2]

She became Minister for Human Services and Minister for Women in the Hodgman Ministry when the Liberal Party won government in March 2014, and Minister for Sport and Recreation, Minister for Disability Services and Community Development, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and again Minister for Women after the March 2018 election and served in this capacity until resigning from these portfolios in July 2019 due to ongoing health issues with a cochlear implant.[5][6] Petrusma later became Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Tasmania and Chairman of Committees.

In August 2019, Petrusma was granted the right to use the title "Honourable" for life.[7]

Petrusma was reappointed to the cabinet following the 2021 state election. She was appointed Minister for Parks, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management and Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence.[8]

She resigned from the ministry and from parliament on 25 July 2022, citing family reasons.[9][10]

References

  1. ^ Jacquie PETRUSMA MP … Inaugural speech: 10 June 2010 Archived 11 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Antony Green". 11 October 2011.
  3. ^ "Petrusma, Jacquie". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  4. ^ Who's Who in Australia 2013, Crown Content, 2012.
  5. ^ "Jacquie Petrusma". Tasmanian Liberals. 18 December 2013.
  6. ^ "Tasmanian Cabinet reshuffle sees Michael Ferguson dumped as health minister". ABC News. 30 June 2019.
  7. ^ "Jacqueline Anne Petrusma". Members of the Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Statement on new Cabinet". Premier of Tasmania. 18 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Jacqueline Anne Petrusma". Parliament of Tasmania. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Tasmanian MP Jacquie Petrusma resigns from state parliament, fourth exit from ministry this year". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
Political offices Preceded byRebecca White Minister for Human Services 2014–2018 Succeeded byRoger Jaensch New ministerial post Minister for Women 2014–2019 Succeeded bySarah Courtney Minister for Disability Services and Community Development 2018–2019 Succeeded byRoger Jaensch Preceded byWill Hodgman Minister for Aboriginal Affairs 2018–2019 Minister for Sport and Recreation 2018–2019 Succeeded byJeremy Rockliff Preceded byMark Shelton Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly 2019–2021 Succeeded byNic Street Chairman of Committees 2019–2021
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