Reba Paige Meagher (born 11 September 1967) is a former Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Cabramatta. She was a minister in various portfolios from 2003 to 2008, including Minister for Health. On 6 September 2008 Meagher announced that she would not be seeking a ministerial appointment from new Premier Nathan Rees.^[1] On 13 September 2008 she announced her retirement from politics. She formally resigned on 17 September 2008.^[2]

Early life

Meagher was born in 1967 in Caringbah, New South Wales, the daughter of Les Meagher, a printer for the Sydney Morning Herald.^[3] She received her Higher School Certificate from Endeavour High School in 1985. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney in 1989, and a Master of Labour Law and Relations in 1992.^[4][5]

Political career

Meagher declared on 7 November 2008 at an inquiry that, just over an hour after the Cabramatta MP John Newman had been shot in front of his fiancee on 5 September 1994, the then Labor Party head John Della Bosca, offered the seat to Reba Meagher, confirming an offer he had first made hours before the killing.^[6]

Since entering Parliament, Meagher served in a number of ministerial and sub-ministerial positions:

• Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Transport and Minister for Roads on matters concerning Roads (April 1999 to March 2002)
• Parliamentary Secretary Assisting the Minister for Police (March 2003 to April 2003)
• Minister for Fair Trading (April 2003 to January 2005)
• Minister Assisting the Minister for Commerce (April 2003 to January 2005)
• Minister for Youth (January 2005 to April 2007)
• Minister for Community Services (January 2005 to April 2007)
• Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (November 2006 to April 2007)
• Minister Assisting the Premier on Citizenship (November 2006 to April 2007)
• Minister for Health (April 2007 to September 2008)

She also served on a number of Parliamentary Committees:

• Member, Committee on the Office of the Ombudsman and the Police Integrity Commission (May 1995 to April 1998)
• Member, Legislative Assembly Standing Ethics Committee (May 1995 to March 1999)
• Member, Committee on the Independent Commission Against Corruption (May 1995 to March 1999)
• Member, Joint Standing Committee upon Small Business (November 1996 to March 1999)
• Member, Joint Select Committee into Injecting Rooms (June 1997 to February 1998)