Michelle O'Byrne - Member for Bass
Minister for Environment, Parks, Heritage and the Arts
Minister for Sport and Recreation
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Electorate Contact: Public Buidlings 53 St John St Launceston, Tas, 7250 Tel: 03 6336 2685 Email: michelle.obyrne@parliament.tas.gov.au |
Michelle O’Byrne has lived and worked in Northern Tasmania her whole life.
Michelle attended East Launceston Primary School, Queechy High School and Alanvale College and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Tasmania.
She began her working life as an organiser for low-paid workers in the liquor, hospitality and services industries and coordinated a statewide program for the long-term unemployed.
In 1998 Michelle was elected Federal Member for Bass and increased her majority at the 2001 Federal Election. Michelle also served as Federal Labor's Parliamentary Secretary for Communications where she fought to keep Australia Post in public hands and campaigned for improved Telstra services in Tasmania.
Michelle was elected as the State Labor Member for Bass on 18 March 2006 with 14,146 first preference votes. Since being elected Michelle has served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier. She was appointed as Minister for Community Development in October 2006.
Michelle and her partner Priam have two daughters, Eleanor aged 5 and Sophia aged 4.
Bass was named after Dr George Bass (1771-1803), an early settler and explorer.
Bass covers an area of approximately 7343 sq km from Launceston in the
south to Flinders Island in the north. The City of Launceston and its
suburbs, and the towns of Branxholm, Bridport, Derby, Gladstone,
Lilydale, Legana, Ringarooma and Scottsdale, as well as Cape Barren
Island, Clarke Island & Flinders Island are in this division.
Products and industries of the area cover farming, fishing, textile
industry, aluminium and ferrous metals, wool, meat, woodchips, timber,
boat-building, a brewery and tourism.