# Judith Troeth > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Judith_Troeth > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Judith_Troeth.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Troeth > Source revision: 1347257501 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable) | name = Judith Troeth | honorific_suffix = [AM](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_Australia) | image = Judith Troeth.jpg | title = [Senator](/source/Australian_Senate) for [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)) | term_start = 1 July 1993 | term_end = 30 June 2011 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1940|8|3}} | birth_place = [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(Australia)) | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | party = [Liberal Party of Australia](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia) | relations = | children = | alma_mater = [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne) | occupation = Teacher, farmer | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Judith Mary Troeth''' [AM](/source/Member_of_the_Order_of_Australia) ({{nee|'''Ralston'''}}; born 3 August 1940) is a former Australian politician. She was a [Senator](/source/Australian_Senate) for [Victoria](/source/Victoria_(state)) from 1993 to 2011, representing the [Liberal Party](/source/Liberal_Party_of_Australia). She served as a [parliamentary secretary](/source/parliamentary_secretary) in the [Howard government](/source/Howard_government) from 1997 to 2004. Prior to entering politics she was a schoolteacher and farmer. ==Early life== Troeth was born on 3 August 1940 in [Brighton, Victoria](/source/Brighton%2C_Victoria).{{Cite Au Parliament |mpid=GX5 |name=Former Senator Judith Troeth |access-date=2023-01-22}} She is the daughter of Eileen Mary and Keith Malcolm Ralston.{{cite news|url=https://www.womenaustralia.info/entries/troeth-judith/|title=Troeth, Judith|publisher=The Australian Women's Register|access-date=14 October 2024}} Troeth was educated at [Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne](/source/Methodist_Ladies'_College%2C_Melbourne). She later completed the degree of [Bachelor of Arts](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) at the [University of Melbourne](/source/University_of_Melbourne), as well as a diploma in education. She worked as a schoolteacher from 1962 to 1965 and from 1980 to 1987, teaching at schools in [Portland](/source/Portland%2C_Victoria) and [Heywood](/source/Heywood%2C_Victoria). She farmed cattle and sheep with her husband near Heywood for three decades.{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.net.au/story/740431/votes-rural-influence-troeth-says-rain-tells-story/|title=Vote's rural influence: Troeth says rain tells story|first=Alex|last=Sinnott|date=4 December 2009|access-date=14 October 2024|newspaper=The Standard}} ==Politics== Troeth became an officeholder in the Liberal Party in the early 1980s, serving as president of her local branch and holding various positions on committees within the state branch of the party. ===Senate=== Troeth was elected to the Senate at the [1993 federal election](/source/1993_Australian_federal_election), to a term beginning on 1 July 1993. She established offices in [Warrnambool](/source/Warrnambool) and the Melbourne suburb of [Broadmeadows](/source/Broadmeadows%2C_Victoria).{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/130566912|title=Women in waiting|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=28 October 1995}} In 1994, Troeth was appointed as a shadow [parliamentary secretary](/source/parliamentary_secretary) under opposition leader [Alexander Downer](/source/Alexander_Downer), retaining the role following Downer's replacement by [John Howard](/source/John_Howard) in 1995. She also served as chair of the Senate's scrutiny of bills committee from 1994 to 1996. Following the [Coalition](/source/Coalition_(Australia))'s victory at the [1996 election](/source/1996_Australian_federal_election), Troeth was appointed chair of the foreign affairs, defence and trade legislation committee. She was appointed as a parliamentary secretary in the [Howard government](/source/Howard_government) in 1997, initially under [John Anderson](/source/John_Anderson_(Australian_politician)) in the [Department of Primary Industries and Energy](/source/Department_of_Primary_Industries_and_Energy). In 1998 she moved to the [Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry](/source/Department_of_Agriculture%2C_Fisheries_and_Forestry_(Australia%2C_1998%E2%80%932013)), working under ministers [Mark Vaile](/source/Mark_Vaile) and [Warren Truss](/source/Warren_Truss) until 2004. She was the first woman to hold a ministerial position within the agriculture portfolio,{{cite news|url=https://www.wheelercentre.com/people/judith-troeth|title=Judith Troeth|publisher=Wheeler Centre|access-date=14 October 2024}} and also served as chair of the parliamentary Liberal Party's regional and rural committee from 1996 to 2002. In her final term in the Senate, Troeth served as chair of the Senate's education, employment and workplace relations committee. She supported the Howard government's [WorkChoices](/source/WorkChoices) legislation, although the [Australian Labor Party](/source/Australian_Labor_Party) (ALP) minority on the committee issued a dissenting report.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-11-19/divided-senators-to-table-two-ir-reports/743694|title=Divided senators to table two IR reports|publisher=ABC News|date=18 November 2005|access-date=14 October 2024}} In January 2009, Troeth announced she would not be contesting the next election and would retire at the end of her term in June 2011.[http://www.liberal.org.au/news.php?Id=2409 Liberal Party: Retirement of Judith Troeth]{{cite news |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/libs-lose-a-smalll-as-troeth-goes-20090114-7h3n.html |title=Libs lose a small-l as Troeth goes |newspaper=[The Age](/source/The_Age) |date=2009-01-15 |first=Sarah |last=Smiles |first2=Marc |last2=Moncrief |access-date=2023-01-23}} ===Political positions=== Troeth was regarded as a moderate within the Liberal Party and in 2009 stated the party needed to embrace moderate and progressive views if it were to return to government.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/coalition-needs-to-be-moderate-troeth-20090114-7grh.html|title=Coalition needs to be moderate: Troeth|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=14 January 2009|access-date=14 October 2024}} She came into conflict with [Peter Costello](/source/Peter_Costello)'s faction on a number of occasions and faced preselection challenges prior to the 1998 and 2004 elections. In 2007 she stated that a [cult of personality](/source/cult_of_personality) had developed around Costello within the Victorian branch of the Liberals.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/troeth-attacks-costello-faction-20071201-gdrq3u.html|title=Troeth attacks Costello faction|date=1 December 2007|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=14 October 2024}} Troeth supported "free and unfettered access" to abortion. In 2006 she was part of a bipartisan working group which succeeding in passing a [private member's bill](/source/private_member's_bill) removing the power of the health minister to veto importation of the abortifacient [RU-486](/source/RU-486), thereby increasing the accessibility of abortion.{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/free-and-unfettered-access-abortion-pioneers-say-more-work-to-be-done-20220729-p5b5n2.html|title='Free and unfettered access': Abortion pioneers say more work to be done|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=31 July 2022|first=Dana|last=Daniel}} Troeth was "a vocal advocate for the humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers",{{cite news |title=The Hon Judith Troeth AM |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/hon-judith-troeth-am |access-date=2025-04-21 |work=Victorian Honour Roll of Women |publisher=State Government of Victoria}} although she also spoke of "the necessity for strong border protection". In 2006, she played a key role in defeating the Howard government's plan to mandate [offshore processing](/source/Pacific_Solution) for all asylum seekers arriving by vote, with Howard ultimately withdrawing the legislation after Troeth stated she could not support its passage.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/why-resolute-senator-defeated-asylum-law-20060815-ge2x8t.html|title=Why resolute senator defeated asylum law|first=Michael|last=Gordon|date=15 August 2006|access-date=14 October 2024|newspaper=The Age}} In 2009, she was the only Liberal senator to [cross the floor](/source/Crossing_the_floor) to vote in favour of ending the practice of charging [immigration detainees](/source/Immigration_detention_in_Australia) for their time in detention, stating "these punitive sort of charges and the putting up of these barriers should never be happening and I will be proud to be in a legislature that legislates to take this law off the statute books".{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-09-08/liberal-crosses-floor-to-end-detainee-debt/1421372|title=Liberal crosses floor to end detainee debt|date=8 September 2009|publisher=ABC News|access-date=14 October 2024}} Troeth supported [Malcolm Turnbull](/source/Malcolm_Turnbull) against [Tony Abbott](/source/Tony_Abbott) in the [November 2009 leadership spill](/source/2009_Liberal_Party_of_Australia_leadership_spill) and Turnbull's stance in favour of the [Rudd government](/source/Rudd_government_(2007%E2%80%932010))'s [Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme](/source/Carbon_Pollution_Reduction_Scheme). Following Abbott's victory over Turnbull, the Liberal Party reversed its position and decided to oppose the scheme. Troeth and fellow Liberal senator [Sue Boyce](/source/Sue_Boyce) subsequently crossed the floor to vote in favour of the scheme in December 2009.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-12-02/abbott-scaremongering-on-emissions-scheme/1166772|title=Abbott 'scaremongering' on emissions scheme|publisher=ABC News|date=2 December 2009|access-date=14 October 2024}} ==Later activities== In 2012, Troeth was appointed chair of the board of Austin Health, which runs Melbourne's [Austin Hospital](/source/Austin_Hospital). In the same year, she unsuccessfully sought election to the board of Methodist Ladies' College, after publicly criticising the existing board for its dismissal of the incumbent school principal.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/education/battle-for-positions-at-mlc-renews-tensions-20121110-2958b.html|title=Battle for positions at MLC renews tensions|first=Jewel|last=Topsfield|newspaper=The Age|date=11 November 2012|access-date=14 October 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/mlc-sacking-critic-joins-the-board-20121114-29d1e.html|title=MLC sacking critic joins the board|first=Tom|last=Arup|date=15 November 2012|access-date=14 October 2024}} Also in 2012, she was inducted onto the [Victorian Honour Roll of Women](/source/Victorian_Honour_Roll_of_Women). Troeth remained involved in the Liberal Party after leaving parliament and has advocated for the introduction of quotas for female candidates.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-12-02/liberal-women-push-for-female-leadership-in-victoria/10575402|title=Victorian election 'catastrophe' spurs Liberal women to push for female MP quotas|first=Joseph|last=Dunstan|publisher=ABC News|date=2 December 2018|access-date=14 October 2024}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20041212154147/http://www.judithtroeth.com/ Judith Troeth's website] * {{Australian Women and Leadership|WLE0385b|Troeth, Judith Mary}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Troeth, Judith}} Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:People educated at Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria Category:Members of the Australian Senate Category:Women members of the Australian Senate Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:21st-century Australian women politicians Category:20th-century Australian politicians Category:20th-century Australian women politicians Category:Members of the Order of Australia --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Judith Troeth](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Troeth) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_Troeth?action=history)). 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