Ann Barker

Who is Ann Barker?

Ann Patricia Barker is an Australian politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1999, representing the electorate of Oakleigh. She previously represented the electorate of Bentleigh from 1988 to 1992.

Barker was born in Tasmania. She worked as an electorate officer to former federal MP Joan Child before being elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Bentleigh at the 1988 state election, succeeding retiring ALP member Gordon Hockley. She was seen as a potential ministerial candidate towards the end of her first term, but was twice overlooked by then-Premier Joan Kirner. These ambitions were to be short-lived, as she was one of many Labor members to be defeated amidst the party's landslide defeat at the 1992 state election, losing to Liberal Inga Peulich.

After her 1992 election defeat, Barker was employed as an advisor to federal MP Simon Crean, then a minister in the Keating government. She left Crean's office in 1996 to work as an office manager with the Victorian Court Information and Welfare Network, but returned to Crean's office the following year.