# Ruth Webber > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruth_Webber > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ruth_Webber.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Webber > Source revision: 1350284937 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Ruth Webber | honorific_suffix = | image = | title = [Senator](/source/Australian_Senate) for [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia) | term_start = 1 July 2002 | term_end = 30 June 2008 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1965|3|24}} | birth_place = [Melbourne, Victoria](/source/Melbourne%2C_Victoria) | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | party = [Australian Labor Party](/source/Australian_Labor_Party) | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Ruth Stephanie Webber''' (born 24 March 1965) is an Australian politician. She was a [Labor](/source/Australian_Labor_Party) member of the [Australian Senate](/source/Australian_Senate) from 2002 to 2008, representing the state of [Western Australia](/source/Western_Australia). ==Early life== Webber was born in [Melbourne](/source/Melbourne) on 24 March 1965.{{cite news|url=https://handbook.aph.gov.au/Parliamentarian/00AOT|title=Webber, Ruth Stephanie|work=Parliamentary Handbook|access-date=14 October 2024|publisher=Parliament of Australia}} Her grandfather Paul Green was the Victorian state president of the [Australian Workers' Union](/source/Australian_Workers'_Union).{{cite news|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F2002-08-20%2F0104%22|title=First speech|work=Hansard|first=Ruth|last=Webber|date=20 August 2002|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=14 October 2024}} Webber joined the ALP in 1984. She was assistant coordinator of the [Women's Electoral Lobby](/source/Women's_Electoral_Lobby_(Australia)) from 1985 to 1986. She was first elected as a delegate to ALP state and national conferences in 1986. Prior to her own election to parliament, Webber worked as a staffer for state housing minister [Jim McGinty](/source/Jim_McGinty) from 1992 to 1993 and as an electorate officer for Senator [Chris Evans](/source/Chris_Evans_(Australian_politician)) from 1993 to 1997. She was subsequently assistant state secretary of the ALP in Western Australia from 1998 to 2001. ==Senate== At the [2001 federal election](/source/2001_Australian_federal_election), Webber was elected to the [Senate](/source/Australian_Senate) in second position on the ALP's ticket in Western Australia, winning a six-year term beginning on 1 July 2002. She was a member of a number of [Senate committees](/source/Australian_Senate_committees) and also served as a [deputy whip](/source/Whip_in_the_Australian_Senate) from 2004 to 2008. In November 2004, Webber was charged with wilfully misleading police and driving a vehicle on a suspended licence.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-11-08/wa-politician-charged-with-misleading-police/581824|title=WA politician charged with misleading police, driving offences|publisher=ABC News|date=8 November 2004|access-date=14 October 2024}} The charges related to an incident on the day of the [2004 election](/source/2004_Australian_federal_election), where she was "caught speeding in her Commonwealth car in Perth's northern suburbs [...] while travelling between polling booths".{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2004-10-15/senator-faces-charges-on-misleading-police/568900|title=Senator faces charges on misleading police|date=15 October 2004|access-date=14 October 2024|publisher=ABC News}} Webber was convicted of driving while suspended in March 2005 and fined $200, while the charge of misleading police was ultimately withdrawn.{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/senator-fined-over-driving-20050304-gdzpoi.html|title=Senator fined over driving|date=4 March 2005|access-date=14 October 2024|newspaper=The Age}} In October 2006, Webber was relegated to third position on the ALP's Senate ticket for the next federal election, with [Louise Pratt](/source/Louise_Pratt) taking the higher position on the ticket.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-10-04/labors-webber-loses-preselection-fight/1278092|title=Labor's Webber loses preselection fight|publisher=ABC News|date=4 October 2006|access-date=14 October 2024}} The following month, she reportedly voted for [Kevin Rudd](/source/Kevin_Rudd) over incumbent leader [Kim Beazley](/source/Kim_Beazley) in an [ALP leadership spill](/source/2006_Australian_Labor_Party_leadership_spill).{{cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/factions-left-behind-in-leadership-vote-20061205-ge3q03.html|title=Factions left behind in leadership vote|newspaper=The Age|date=5 December 2006|access-date=14 October 2024|first=Jewel|last=Topsfield}} Webber failed to win re-election at the [2007 federal election](/source/2007_Australian_federal_election) with her term concluding on 30 June 2008. She was the last candidate to be eliminated, with Greens candidate [Scott Ludlam](/source/Scott_Ludlam) winning the final seat.{{Cite web |title=Senate Results: Distribution of Preferences Western Australia |url=https://results.aec.gov.au/13745/website/External/SenateStateDop-13745-WA.pdf |access-date=2021-11-05 |website=Australian Electoral Commission |language=en}} ===Positions=== In August 2006, Webber stated she would support a [private member's bill](/source/private_member's_bill) to extend [stem cell research](/source/Stem_cell_laws) in Australia and would co-sponsor a bill being prepared by Democrats senator [Natasha Stott Despoja](/source/Natasha_Stott_Despoja).{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-08-16/patterson-to-introduce-stem-cell-bill/1240436|title=Patterson to introduce stem cell Bill|date=18 August 2006|access-date=14 October 2024|publisher=ABC News}} Webber publicly criticised the [457 visa](/source/457_visa) scheme in September 2006, stating businesses were abusing the scheme to bring in cheap foreign labour while local workers were unemployed.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2006-09-08/senator-accuses-abattoir-of-misusing-457-visas/1258294|title=Senator accuses abattoir of misusing 457 visas|date=8 September 2006|publisher=ABC News|access-date=14 October 2024}} ==Later activities== In 2009, as part of a review of the Gold Pass scheme for former federal MPs, it was reported that Webber had received nearly $50,000 of free air travel between July and December 2008.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/exmp-clocks-48516-of-travel-20090702-d6ld.html|title=Ex-MP clocks $48,516 of travel|first=Phillip|last=Hudson|newspaper=The Age|date=3 July 2009|access-date=14 October 2024}} The following year, ''[The West Australian](/source/The_West_Australian)'' reported that she was working as a lobbyist for Halden Burns and had taken "147 flights worth $116,662 between June 2008 and June 2010 but was forced to repay 20 flights worth $18,855 after a [Finance Department](/source/Department_of_Finance_(Australia)) audit of her taxpayer-funded travel".{{cite news|url=https://thewest.com.au/news/australia/push-to-halt-ex-mp-flight-freebies-ng-ya-188701|title=Push to halt ex-MP flight freebies|newspaper=The West Australian|date=8 December 2010|access-date=14 October 2024|first1=Nick|last1=Butterly|first2=Andrew|last2=Probyn}} In January 2015, Webber became chief executive officer of Down Syndrome Australia, at which time she was also deputy president of the Mental Illness Fellowship of Western Australia and a board member of Women's Health Works and Carers Western Australia.{{Cite web|last=Osborne-Crowley|first=Lucia|date=2015-02-16|title=Ruth Webber appointed CEO of Down Syndrome Australia |url=https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/ruth-webber-appointed-ceo-of-down-syndrome-australia/ |access-date=2021-11-05 |website=Women's Agenda |language=en-AU}} She resigned as CEO in June 2016.{{Cite web |date=7 July 2016 |title=DSA CEO Resigns |url=http://www.downsyndrome.org.au/news/CEO_resignation.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218072451/http://www.downsyndrome.org.au/news/CEO_resignation.html |archive-date=2017-02-18 |url-status=dead |website=Down Syndrome Australia}} ==References== {{Reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Webber, Ruth}} Category:1965 births Category:Living people Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Labor Left politicians Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Western Australia Category:Members of the Australian Senate Category:Women members of the Australian Senate Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:21st-century Australian women politicians --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ruth Webber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Webber) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Webber?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.