Joanna Clare Siejka (born 11 September 1980) is an Australian politician and
not-for-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
leader.
Siejka was elected as a first-time Labor party candidate to the
Tasmanian Legislative Council
The Tasmanian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. It is one of the two chambers of the Parliament, the other being the House of Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in the state capital, H ...
in
a by-election for the
electoral division of Pembroke
The electoral division of Pembroke is one of the 15 electorates or 'seats' in the Tasmanian Legislative Council or upper house. It is located on Hobart's Eastern Shore (east side of the Derwent River) and includes a number of suburbs; Risdon ...
on 4 November 2017. In a field of seven candidates, Siejka won 32.4% of the primary votes
.
Siejka won a second term convincingly in 2019 with a 12.5% swing on her primary votes.
In her inaugural speech Siejka spoke about the importance of consultation with community members, key issues raised during the election. Since being elected she has spent time consulting with community members of all ages, and has taken a proactive approach in educating and including members of the Electorate in the Parliamentary process.
She was the Shadow Minister for Disability, Ageing and Veterans, and was the Leader of Opposition in the Upper House.
In 2020, Siejka was the first woman in the Tasmanian Legislative Council to give birth whilst in office, and to have her daughter in the Chamber with her.
In July 2022, Siejka announced her resignation from the Legislative Council so that she could move interstate to be with her husband.
Not for profit and governance roles
From 2010 until December 2017, Siejka was the chief executive officer of the Youth Network of Tasmania (YNOT). Whilst at the organisation Siejka advocated on behalf of young people on a range of issues including employment, education, health and the retention of young people in the State.
Also in her role at YNOT, she had spoken out against
poker machine
A slot machine (American English), fruit machine (British English) or poker machine (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. Slot machines are also known pejoratively a ...
s in pubs and clubs, with the organisation one of a coalition of groups lobbying for the removal or reduction of the machines.
She also led the development of a Code of Ethics for the Tasmanian Youth Sector and championed the engagement of young people in decision making through the Tasmanian Youth Forum, a consultation process which was developed by Siejka. Siejka received recognition for her role advocating for young Tasmanians, being nominated for several awards, including as finalist for two Telstra Business Women's Awards.
Siejka has served on Boards of Governance across a number of fields, including terms on the Australian Youth Affairs Coalition, National Youth Coalition for Housing, Homelessness Australia, and the Tasmanian Building and Construction Industry Training Board.
Whilst Chair of the national peak body, National Youth Coalition for Housing, Siejka became a national spokesperson on the issue of youth homelessness, particularly through the international awareness raising campaign, Youth Homelessness Matters Day.
In 2016, Siejka was appointed to the board of
TasTAFE TasTAFE is a Tasmanian tertiary education body of the Australian state-based Technical and Further Education system run by the Tasmanian State Government. The main campuses are located at Hobart, Warrane, Claremont, Glenorchy, Launceston, Alan ...
, as she put it, to "change the culture" of the organisation after an audit by the Integrity Commission revealed incidents of nepotism and credit card misuse. Siejka resigned from TasTAFE and took leave from YNOT to contest the by-election for Pembroke caused by the resignation of
Vanessa Goodwin
Vanessa Goodwin (22 April 1969 – 3 March 2018) was an Australian politician. She was the Liberal Party member for the seat of Pembroke in the Tasmanian Legislative Council from the Pembroke by-election on 1 August 2009 until her resignation ...
due to illness.
Personal
Siejka has completed degrees at Swinburne University in social impact and investment, and at the University of Tasmania in media and communications, and counselling. She is an alumnus of the Tasmanian Leaders Program 2013.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Siejka, Jo
1980 births
Living people
Members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council
Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Tasmania
Women members of the Tasmanian Legislative Council
21st-century Australian politicians
21st-century Australian women politicians