The Honourable
Natasha Maclaren-Jones
MLC
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Assumed office
20 April 2023
In office
26 March 2011 – 6 March 2023
Succeeded byScott Farlow
Minister for Families and Communities
In office
21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) – 28 March 2023 (2023-03-28)
Preceded byAlister Henskens
Succeeded byKate Washington
Minister for Disability Services
In office
21 December 2021 (2021-12-21) – 28 March 2023 (2023-03-28)
Preceded byAlister Henskens
Succeeded byKate Washington
Personal details
Born (1976-03-11) 11 March 1976 (age 48)
Sydney, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party
SpouseDamien Jones
ResidenceRobertson[1]
EducationSCECGS Redlands
Alma materUniversity of Sydney
University of Technology, Sydney
ProfessionNurse

Natasha Marianne Maclaren-Jones (born 11 March 1976) is an Australian politician, and is a Liberal Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since March 2011.[2] Maclaren-Jones has served as the Minister for Families and Communities and the Minister for Disability Services from December 2021 until March 2023.[3]

Career

Before Parliament, Maclaren-Jones was a senior advisor to Helen Coonan and Bronwyn Bishop and was the state Liberal Party President that presided over the largest Coalition win in NSW political history in the 2011 state election.[4]

Maclaren-Jones was nominated as the Liberal candidate for the President of the New South Wales Legislative Council in March 2021 after the resignation of John Ajaka.[5] The Labor Opposition nominated Peter Primrose. Maclaren-Jones received 20 votes and Primrose 14, with eight informal votes. The clerk ruled that a majority of the 42 available votes was required for election, although the Liberal Party presented advice from the Crown Solicitor that a plurality of the votes was sufficient and congratulated Maclaren-Jones on her election.[6] As the dispute over the presidency continued, Maclaren-Jones assumed the chair without being declared elected by the clerk on the night of 4 May 2021, before losing a vote of no confidence less than 90 minutes later. On the subsequent ballot to elect a new president, fellow Liberal Matthew Mason-Cox nominated for the role and won the election with 23 votes to Maclaren-Jones's 18 with the support of the opposition and the crossbench.[7]

On 27 May 2021, Maclaren-Jones was appointed as Cabinet Secretary.[2] In December 2021, she was appointed to the cabinet as Minister for Families and Communities and as Minister for Disability Services in the Perrottet ministry.

In December 2022, it was announced that Maclaren-Jones would resign mid-term and recontest the Legislative Council for a new 8-year term at the 2023 state election.[8][9] On 6 March 2023, she resigned from the Legislative Council and resumed her seat on 20 April.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Candidates - Legislative Council - Group I: LIBERAL-THE NATIONALS". Elections NSW. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "The Hon. Natasha MACLAREN-JONES, BN, MHSM MLC". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  3. ^ "Parliament, Ministerial, Courts and Police (662)" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. 21 December 2021.
  4. ^ "NSW Liberals president resigns". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 28 June 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
  5. ^ "NEW PRESIDENT OF THE NSW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL". NSW Liberal Party. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 30 March 2021.
  6. ^ Smith, Alexandra (29 March 2021). "NSW government says Berejiklian's pick has scored coveted position". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  7. ^ Smith, Alexandra (4 May 2021). "90 minute presidency: Upper house chaos as NSW MPs bicker over plum role". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  8. ^ "New South Wales Liberals avoid messy preselection fight, strike deal on women-focused upper house ticket". ABC News. 28 December 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  9. ^ Smith, Alexandra; Chrysanthos, Natassia (27 December 2022). "Perrottet's plan to install two new Liberal women passes with party vote". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Publishing. Retrieved 27 December 2022.

 

Political offices Preceded byAlister Henskensas Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services Minister for Families and Communities 2021–present Succeeded byKate Washington Minister for Disability Services 2021–present
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