Gayle Tierney is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council (VLC) is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Co ...

since November 2006, representing

Western Victoria Region Western Victoria Region is one of the eight electoral regions of Victoria, Australia, which elects five members to the Victorian Legislative Council (also referred to as the upper house) by proportional representation. The region was created in ...

. Tierney has served as the Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Higher Education and Minister for Training and Skills since June 2022, November 2018 and November 2016 respectively. She was also the Minister for Corrections between 2016 and 2018.

Early life

Tierney studied politics and Asian studies at

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

, before entering the trade union movement. Notably, Tierney was the first woman to become State Secretary of the traditionally male-dominated Vehicle Division of the Automotive, Metals and Engineering Union (now part of the

Australian Manufacturing Workers Union The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), or more fully the Automotive, Food, Metals, Engineering, Printing and Kindred Industries Union, is an Australian trade union. The AMWU represents a broad range of workers in the manufacturing se ...

), serving in that role from 1993 to 2006, and serving as its Federal President from 2000 to 2006.

Political career

Tierney entered politics at the 2006 state election. She has held various positions including Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Employment from 2012 to 2014 and Cabinet Secretary in 2016. On 9 November 2016, Tierney was appointed as Minister for Corrections and Minister for Training and Skills following the resignation of Steve Herbert. Following the

2018 Victorian state election Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...

, Tierney was re-appointed as Minister for Training and Skills and appointed Minister of Higher Education. In 2020, Tierney was appointed Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council. In June 2022, she was additionally appointed as Minister for Agriculture. Tierney is a member of the

Labor Left The Labor Left, also known as the Progressive Left or Socialist Left, is political faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It competes with the more economically liberal Labor Right faction. The Labor Left operates autonomously in each s ...

faction of the Labor Party.

Personal life

Tierney is married and has an adult son.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tierney, Gayle Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Labor Left politicians Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Flinders University alumni 21st-century Australian politicians Women members of the Victorian Legislative Council 21st-century Australian women politicians Victorian Ministers for Agriculture