Trish Draper

Patricia "Trish" Draper (born 2 April 1959) was born in Woodville, South Australia, the daughter of German migrants who travelled to Australia after WWII. She was elected to the Makin seat, representing the Liberal Party, for four consecutive elections.

Early life

During her early teens she was a member of the Girl Guides and the RSPCA. Her early ambition was to become a High School Teacher, to teach Economics and History. However, influenced by her mother’s chosen career of Nursing, at the age of 19, Trish became a nurse.

She joined the Navy and completed her training as a Medic specialising in Surgical and Theatre Nursing. After leaving the Navy, she moved into the area of Aged Care Nursing, while completing her Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of South Australia. In 1993 and 1994 Trish was elected as a Student Representative for the Salisbury Campus and Coordinator of the Save Salisbury Campus Campaign.

Parliamentary career

Trish Draper joined the Liberal Party in 1992 and subsequently stood for pre-selection for the Makin in November 1994. Draper went on to win the seat of Makin at the 1996 Federal Election.

Draper went on to win the former Labor seat of Makin over four consecutive elections from 1996, to 1998, 2001 and the 2004 Federal Election holding her 1% margin in the 1998 GST election.

In 2000, Draper campaigned against continuing high petrol prices, calling on the Federal Government to freeze the proposed GST component of petrol excise indexation. The Prime Minister and Cabinet subsequently changed the policy to permanently abolish the GST component of petrol excise indexation.

In 2003, together with her colleague the Member for Canning Don Randall MP, Trish Draper introduced a Private Members Bill, Protection of Australian Flags (Desecration of the Flag) Bill 2003 A Bill for an Act to amend the Flags Act 1953. However the bill lapsed, and did not become law.

In September 2007, Draper was awarded the William Wilberforce Parliamentary Award.

Committee Service

House of Representatives Standing Committees

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs 8.12.98 to 31.8.04. Family and Community Services 20.3.02 to 31.8.04. Library 20.3.02 to 31.8.04. Privileges 1.12.04 to 07. Procedures 1.12.04 to 07. Chairman of Publications 1.12.04 to 07.

Joint Standing Committee

Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade 1.12.04 to 07.

Coalition Policy Committees

Education, Science and Training 1996 to 2007. Health and Ageing 1996 to 2007. Small Business and Tourism 1998 to 2007. Secretary Health and Ageing 1998 to 2001. Chairman Health and Ageing 2001 to 2004.

Retirement from Federal Parliament

In June 2006, after the death of long serving staff member, and the sudden illness of her husband, Draper retired from Federal politics. Although Prime Minister John Howard encouraged her to stay,^[1] Draper announced her intention to retire at the 2007 election. Bob Day obtained Liberal preselection to replace Draper in the normally marginal Division of Makin, but was defeated by Labor's Tony Zappia on a then-record two-party vote of 57.7 percent from a then-record two-party swing of 8.6 percent. The seat became the safest of the 23 Labor won from the coalition at the election.^[2]

In the lead up to South Australian state election, 2010, Trish Draper stood for pre-selection for the state seat of Newland.^[1] She failed to win the seat at the subsequent election.

Currently, Trish Draper continues to be a member of the Liberal Party, supporting the volunteers in the Newland and Makin branches, and working and mentoring in the community.

References