senator Helen Polley Contact information

Helen Beatrice Polley, born on 9 February 1957, is an Australian politician and member of the Australian Labor Party. She has been serving as a Senator for the state of Tasmania since 1 July 2005.

Polley was born in Ulverstone, Tasmania to Michael and Eileen Polley, and is the sister of Michael Polley, former Speaker of the Tasmanian House of Assembly. She attended Deloraine High School, Launceston Community College, and Launceston Business College, where she earned a Diploma of Business Administration.

Before entering politics, Polley worked in various administrative roles and industries, including finance, transport, and manufacturing. Her political career began in 1984 when she served as an adviser to Senator Terry Aulich. She went on to advise other notable politicians such as Premier Michael Field, Senator Shayne Murphy, and Premiers Jim Bacon and Paul Lennon.

In addition to her advisory roles, Polley was the first female President of the Tasmanian branch of the Australian Labor Party from 1992 to 1995. She was later elected as a Senator for Tasmania in the 2004 Federal Election, and has held the position ever since, retaining her seat at both the 2010 and 2016 Federal Elections.

Polley currently serves on the Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network and Law Enforcement - Parliamentary Joint Committee. She was also Deputy Government Whip in the Senate during the Second Gillard Ministry and Second Rudd Ministry from 2010 to 2013, and then served as Parliamentary Secretary for Aged Care from 2013 to 2016.

However, Polley has also been involved in controversy during her political career. In 2014, she admitted to spending about $23,000 of taxpayer money on chartered flights between Hobart and Launceston, a decision that sparked criticism from the public. Additionally, her office was investigated by Commonwealth workplace health and safety agency Comcare, following allegations of harassment and abuse by several staff members. The investigation found that Polley’s office had an unhealthy workplace culture that had negatively impacted the morale, health, and well-being of staff.

Polley is a member of Labor’s Unity faction and is linked with the Australian Workers’ Union and the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association. She has been vocal about her opposition to marriage equality and reproductive rights, having voted against the Marriage Amendment Act 2017 and the Therapeutic Goods Amendment Bill that would provide for medical abortions. Furthermore, she opposes assisted dying and the autonomy of the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory governments to legislate on the matter. Despite her controversial stances, Polley has maintained her position as a Senator for Tasmania.