# Kay Setches > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kay_Setches > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kay_Setches.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Setches > Source revision: 1347639752 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2015}} {{Use Australian English|date=June 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [The Honourable](/source/The_Honourable) | name = Kay Setches | honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|AM}} | image = | alt = | caption = | constituency_AM3 = [Ringwood](/source/Electoral_district_of_Ringwood_(Victoria)) | assembly3 = Victorian Legislative | term_start3 = 3 April 1982 | term_end3 = 2 October 1992 | predecessor3 = [Peter McArthur](/source/Peter_McArthur_(Australian_politician)) | successor3 = ''District abolished'' | prior_term = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1944|11|28}} | birth_place = [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), [Victoria, Australia](/source/Victoria%2C_Australia) | death_date = | death_place = | party = [Labor Party](/source/Victorian_Labor_Party) }} '''Kay Patricia Setches''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 28 November 1944) is an Australian politician. She was a [Labor Party](/source/Victorian_Labor_Party) member of the [Victorian Legislative Assembly](/source/Victorian_Legislative_Assembly) from 1982 to 1992, representing the electorate of [Ringwood](/source/Electoral_district_of_Ringwood_(Victoria)). She was Minister for Conservation, [Forests](/source/Minister_of_Forests) and Lands from 1988 to 1990, Minister for Community Services from 1990 to 1992 and Minister Responsible for Child Care from 1991 to 1992. Setches was born in [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne), and was educated at St Joseph's Collingwood, Cromwell Street State School, and the Collingwood School of Domestic Arts. She resided in [Croydon](/source/Croydon%2C_Victoria) from 1964, and was a shop assistant before entering politics. She joined the Labor Party in 1972 and was involved in a number of community organisations, including serving as co-ordinator of the Maroondah Halfway House Group, a women's refuge, from 1977 to 1978 and president of the Boronia Technical School Council from 1979 to 1983. She was also an advocate for the rights of people with intellectual disabilities.{{Cite web |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/kay-patricia-setches/ |title=Kay Patricia Setches |access-date=14 July 2025 |publisher=[Government of Victoria](/source/Government_of_Victoria)}} Setches was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the [1982 state election](/source/1982_Victorian_state_election), defeating two-term Liberal MP [Peter McArthur](/source/Peter_McArthur_(Australian_politician)), and was re-elected in 1985 and 1988. She was promoted to the ministry in 1988 as Minister for Conservation, [Forests](/source/Minister_of_Forests) and Lands, shifted to Minister for Community Services in 1990, and added the new portfolio of Minister Responsible for Child Care in 1991. Setches was minister during a period of significant change: she introduced mandatory reporting of child abuse, formally closed the notorious [Sunbury Asylum](/source/Sunbury_Asylum) however little was done to accommodate the insane who for the most part were left to roam the streets in places like St Kilda resulting in some being shot by police after turning violent, increased funding to [Kew Cottages](/source/Kew_Cottages), and advocated the outlawing of [surrogacy](/source/surrogacy). Her seat of Ringwood was abolished for the [1992 election](/source/1992_Victorian_state_election) and she contested and lost the new notionally Labor seat of [Bayswater](/source/electoral_district_of_Bayswater) as Labor were resoundingly defeated that year. In retirement, she was one of the co-founders of [EMILY's List Australia](/source/EMILY's_List_Australia), and was a board member of the Victorian Women's Trust and the Queen Victoria Women's Centre Trust.{{cite web | title = New appointments for Queen Victoria Women's Centre Trust | publisher = [Victorian Liberal Party](/source/Victorian_Liberal_Party) | url =http://vic.liberal.org.au/News/MediaReleases.aspx?id=1623&title=New%20appointments%20for%20Queen%20Victoria%20Women%E2%80%99s%20Centre%20Trust | date = 29 September 2011 | accessdate = 2013-07-09}} She was one of the inaugural additions to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001.{{cite web |title = Victorian Honour Roll of Women: List of Inductees 2001 to 2011 |url = http://www.whise.org.au/docs/Policy%20Documents/Victorian%20Honour%20Roll%20of%20Women%202001-%202011.pdf |accessdate = 2013-07-09 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305232529/http://www.whise.org.au/docs/Policy%20Documents/Victorian%20Honour%20Roll%20of%20Women%202001-%202011.pdf |archivedate = 5 March 2016 |df = dmy-all }} She subsequently retired to Victoria Harbour at [Docklands](/source/Docklands%2C_Victoria), and has spoken about planning issues in the area.{{Citation |author1=Dowling, Jason |author2=Lahey, Kate | title = In the dock | newspaper = [The Age](/source/The_Age) | date = 17 March 2009 | url = http://www.theage.com.au/national/in-the-dock-20090316-8zx6.html?page=-1 | accessdate = 2013-07-09}} Both of her children have been involved in Labor politics; her son, Earl Setches, is the secretary of the Plumbing Trades Employees Union, and her daughter, Vicki Setches, was the unsuccessful Labor candidate for [Kilsyth](/source/Electoral_district_of_Kilsyth) at the [2010 state election](/source/2010_Victorian_state_election).{{cite web | title = Plumbers' union defends departing president amid factional war | author = Crook, Andrew | publisher = [Crikey](/source/Crikey) | date = 14 February 2012 | url = http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/02/14/plumbers-union-defends-departing-president-amid-factional-war/ | accessdate = 2013-07-07}}{{Citation |author=Collins, Sarah-Jane |title=US-style voting trial 'a shot in the arm' |newspaper=[The Age](/source/The_Age) |date=27 April 2010 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/usstyle-voting-trial-a-shot-in-the-arm-20100426-tncn.html#ixzz2YMGYMJhc |accessdate=2013-07-07 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231221349/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/usstyle-voting-trial-a-shot-in-the-arm-20100426-tncn.html |archivedate=31 December 2010 }} Three of her parliamentary advisers, [Alan Griffin](/source/Alan_Griffin_(politician)), [Gavin Jennings](/source/Gavin_Jennings) and [Lynne Kosky](/source/Lynne_Kosky), subsequently went on to political careers of their own as federal and state ministers.{{cite web | title = The Hon. Alan Griffin MP | publisher = Parliament @ Work | url = http://www.parliament.curriculum.edu.au/parl.php3?ID=110 | accessdate = 2013-07-09}}{{cite web | title = Likely changes to Legislative Council members | author = [Stephen Mayne](/source/Stephen_Mayne) | publisher = The Mayne Report | date = 14 November 2010 | url = http://www.maynereport.com/articles/2010/07/02-1410-8476.html | accessdate = 2013-07-09}}{{Citation |author=Economou, Nick |title=Brumby loses loyal mate |newspaper=[WAtoday](/source/WAtoday) |date=18 January 2010 |url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/usstyle-voting-trial-a-shot-in-the-arm-20100426-tncn.html |accessdate=2013-07-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231221349/http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/usstyle-voting-trial-a-shot-in-the-arm-20100426-tncn.html |archivedate=31 December 2010 }} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef|before=[Joan Kirner](/source/Joan_Kirner)}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Conservation, [Forests](/source/Minister_of_Forests) and Lands|years=1988–1990}} {{s-aft|after=[Steve Crabb](/source/Steve_Crabb)|as=Minister for Conservation and Environment}} {{s-bef|before=[Peter Spyker](/source/Peter_Spyker)}} {{s-ttl|title=Minister for Community Services|years=1990–1992}} {{s-aft|after=[Marie Tehan](/source/Marie_Tehan)}} {{s-par|au-vic}} {{succession box | title=Member for [Ringwood](/source/Electoral_district_of_Ringwood_(Victoria)) | before=[Peter McArthur](/source/Peter_McArthur_(Australian_politician)) | after=Seat abolished | years=1982–1992}} {{s-end}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Setches, Kay}} Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Category:Women members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Category:Members of the Order of Australia Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:Ministers for forests (Victoria) Category:Ministers for conservation (Victoria) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kay Setches](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Setches) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Setches?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.