Annette Hurley

Who is Annette Hurley?

Annette Kay Hurley is a former Australian politician. Elected at the 2004 federal election, she was a Labor member of the Australian Senate from July 2005, representing the state of South Australia. She announced in July 2010 that she would not re-contest her seat at the following federal election and her six-year term ended on 30 June 2011.

Hurley was educated at the University of Adelaide, where she graduated in science. Before entering federal politics, she was member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the safe Labor seat of Napier in Adelaide's northern suburbs from 1993 to 2002, and was Deputy Leader of the Opposition 1997-2002. At the 2002 South Australian state election, she decided to stand in the marginal Liberal-held seat of Light, but lost narrowly. At that election her party fell one seat short of a majority and had Hurley won Light she would have become the state's first female Deputy Premier as well as delivering her party majority government.

In June 2005, before even taking her seat in the Senate, Hurley was elected to the Opposition front bench and appointed Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs.