User:Rebecca/Drafts/Dianne Hadden
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Dianne Hadden Party: Independent House: Legislative Council Electorate: Ballarat Current Committees: Law Reform Cttee since 1999. House Cttee since 2003. Personal: Born 4 October 1951, Ivanhoe, Melbourne, Victoria. Partner, 1 child. Birthplace: Australia Education and Qualifications: Rosanna Golf Links State School. Banyule HS 1964-68. BEc 1982, LLB 1984, Dip Family Law 1988 (Monash University). Parliamentary Service: Elected MLC for Ballarat Province September 1999. Parliamentary Party Positions: Resigned from ALP 7 April 2005, continuing as Independent. Party Positions: Treasurer, Creswick ALP Branch 1998-2005. Vice-President, Ballarat FEA 1999. Previous Occupation: Barrister and Solicitor (Vic). Solicitor (NSW). Memberships: Law Institute of Victoria; Law Society of NSW; Cttee of Management of Creswick Historical Museum (Hepburn Shire); Emily's List; The Australian Fabian Society; Creswick Historical Society; Creswick/Bald Hills Landcare Group; Women's Health Grampians; Central Highlands Family Violence Prevention Network; Parish Councillor, St John's Anglican Church Creswick; CPA; Daylesford and District Historical Society; National Trust (Vic); Monash University Alumni; Koori Heritage Trust; Fred Hollows Foundation; Amnesty International; Friends of Helmeted Honey Eater Inc. Interests: family, politics, reading, gardening, historical research.
Dianne was born at Ivanhoe and she spent her early years in Rosanna and Lilydale, moving to the Ballarat district in 1984. Dianne has lived in Creswick since 1993.
Dianne completed her Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws at Monash University in the early 1980's. She completed her Articles of Clerkship with a Melbourne Law firm in 1985, was admitted to practise as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1985, and admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in 1988. Dianne completed post-graduate qualification in Diploma in Family Law at Monash University in 1988, and gained qualifications in Mediation.
She worked for prominent Law firms in Melbourne and Ballarat, before establishing her own legal practice in Ballarat in February 1992.
Dianne was elected to the Parliament at the 1999 State election. Dianne is the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Council seat of Ballarat Province in its 62 year history. Dianne is a member of the Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee, having served as Deputy Chair from 1999-2002.
Dianne is actively involved in supporting her local rural and regional communities. She spent 10 years as a volunteer telephone crisis counsellor with Lifeline Ballarat. She is a member of various local organisations - Central Highlands Family Violence Prevention Network, Women's Health Grampians, Creswick Historical Society, Daylesford and District Historical Society, Bald Hills/Creswick LandCare Group, Creswick Historical Museum, Central Highlands Historical Association and the National Trust of Victoria. Dianne is also a Parish Councillor of St. Johns Anglican Church at Creswick.
- won in 1999 (as Dianne Hadden-Tregear) - divorced solicitor with one child - 2000 - bitter spat with Howard over parking - 2002 - criticises government for ignoring backbenchers after concerns about proposed bore for Clunes were ignored (independent panel had found potentially unsustainable); claimed "at least two" unnamed cabinet ministers had conflict of interest -- "The growers and the Opposition have demanded an inquiry into claims by Member for Ballarat Province Dianne Hadden that unnamed ministers intervened to obtain licences in the Ascot groundwater management area for the Ballarat Turf Club, a vineyard and the town of Clunes after a ban on new licences in October, 1997." - Feb 2003 - one of ten state Labor MPs signing unequivocal anti-Iraq war statement - Dec 2003 - recognised by only 12% of constituents in Courier poll, well behind Overington at 65% and Howard at 55% - supports duck hunting - January 2004, comes out (along with Catherine King) firing against the Pittong toxic waste dump site - Feb 2004 - said Bracks was becoming arrogant, like Kennett, and were "consulting, but not listening" - Feb 2004 - The Age cites "government insiders" claiming that Hadden was a loose cannon and was unlikely to be preselected for 2006 - 8 Feb labels it a "one-woman revolt" against Bracks government, and noting importance of attack in media; Liberals jumped on her comments to attack the Pittong site, and they were very popular in her electorate ("The difficulty for Labor is that the maverick MP is suddenly Hadden the Hero among many of her constituents" - 8 Feb) - government rebuked her and suggested she should go through bureaucratic processes and not the media - Feb - highlights policing issues - March - strongly advocates lengthened moratorium on GM canola plantings - subsequently fiven four-year extension to allow for research and scientific trials - May 2004 - Bracks does abrupt about-face, drops plans to build on private land, thus dumping all sites under consideration except Nowingi, north of Ouyen; subsequently celebrated victory - June - opposes Mount Franklin mobile tower on indigenous grounds - July - kicks up about tending process for Hepburn bathhouse complex, calling for inquiry; government subsequently initiated investigation; August complains taking so long; criticises Hepburn not advertising CEO position statewide before reappointing incumbent; ultimately cleared council of illegality but vindicated some of Hadden's concerns - August demands to know locations of GM trial spots, which company Bayer CropScience claims protected under commercial confidentiality - 2005 - Age mentions that she'd clashed with gov on wind farms - where? - notes that was likely to face preselection challenge - Feb 2005 - notable absence from bi-annual caucus retreat at Mount Buller's Mercure Grand Chalet (claims prior engagement) - Feb 2005 - publicly suggests expected to be dumped and would run as independent if dumped, claims suffered "verbal harassment and social exclusion"; unnamed Labor MPs said she would have been given unwinnable spot; Bracks diplomatic, speaking "broad church" rhetoric, but "expected Ms Hadden to put up a strong case for preselection." - 20 Feb - first suggestion that she may run in lower house against Howard, herself claims "There's a big push from the community for me to do that." - 21 Feb - Howard calls on her to clarify if she would stand against him as independent - 26 Feb - claimed government was "complacent" and needed to "stop blaming Kennett" - 7 Apr - announced she would quit; "had been a member of ALP for more than 25 years" - told Ballarat Courier she could no longer "stand up and be proud" of ALP - listed series of grievances - fast-rail, water, planning, delayed connection of natural gas to Creswick and land tax - claimed ALP was run by factional warlords at the expense of voters; "She also aimed some bitter words at the party machinery which she described as undemocratic and ruled by factional leaders who called in favours at preselection time." "I was not prepared to compromise my oath of office or my obligations to my electorate for the sake of the ALP party machine and warlords. - Brumby immediately went on attack, saying it was "no surprise" considering her "performance and behaviour over the last year"; Bracks accused her of self-interest, saying it was about "preselection, not policy", and that she had given an ultimatum to put her first on a ballot for preselection for the 2006 election; Hadden countered this by noting that preselection wasn't even due to start until the end of the year - 8 Apr - still speculation as to whether she would stand for upper or lower house seat; hinted on Stateline that would stand for Ballarat East - over the night of 7-8 Apr, office was vandalised, with "rat" graffitied across front window - 8 Apr - Howard jumps on bandwagon, saying she was "never prepared to work as part of a team" and stating "now the gloves will be off"; Overington much more restrained; Mr Howard also noted Ms Hadden gained her place through a factional deal and since then had aligned herself with whichever faction could help her most. - Ms Hadden today rejected a counter-attack from Premier Steve Bracks who yesterday said she was acting in self-interest because her pre-selection for next year's poll was not assured.; Ms Hadden dismissed the accusation, saying pre-selections had not yet been held and she vowed to vote as true independent for the remainder of the parliamentary session.; Ms Hadden said she had worked her "heart out" for the Labor Party in federal and state campaigns and acted as Mr Brack's "loyal lieutenant" in his unsuccessful Ballarat campaigns. - said she expected more retribution from Labor and suggested Howard was responsible for graffiti; Howard asked for apology and obtained legal advice - Paul Austin suggested that while the government wouldn't miss her, her resignation was "immensely damaging" for the party; hitting at party's standing in the bush - 9 Apr - attacks the performance of Labor members in Geelong (""They are in trouble because of issues like the Geelong bypass, fluoridation of water supply, public housing and the crime rate."") and claimed that none were safe - sparked critical responses from Carbines and Loney, and nasty responses from Eren and Crutchfield (suggestion that this may be part of a planned upper house campaign, as new electorate would include Geelong - 13 Apr - Paul Weller, President of VFF, says Hadden's defection "vital importance" to those in rural areas - Apr 19 - reportedly told that as an independent could only speak once every four weeks (http://www.thecourier.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=local&category=general%20news&story_id=387219&y=2005&m=4); to get around this, had to get the Libs and Nats to give her some of their speaking time - kicked out of her office by Apr 20 and given Hirsh's old office facing the sewer pipes - 20 Apr - criticised restrictions on when independents can speak in the Legislative Council - May 2 - reports that Bracks had written to Ballarat Labor members urging restraint in treatment of Hadden - May 22 - comes out strongly in support of cattle grazing in Alpine National Park; June 7 calls on country Labor MPs to cross floor - June 15 - opposes massive wind farm at Waubra, near Ballarat, claiming more consultation necessary - June - raises the issue of Labor "song sheets" with "lines of the week" given to backbenchers with the press, slams them - June - accuses Macedon Ranges Council of conflict of interest over Kyneton Bowling Club redevelopment - 8 July - criticises poorer representation of regional areas in new LC, echoing concerns from the Nats - 20 July - "IT HAS been a nail-biting three months since independent MP Dianne Hadden wrote to Premier Steve Bracks asking for extra office staff "as a matter or urgency" given she is battling along on her lonesome since quitting the ALP. But still no reply. "I heard through the rumour mill that I wouldn't receive any more resources because I need to be taught a lesson," barked Dianne. Either that or cabinet is still giving the matter high-level consideration. Or maybe the Premier's response is stuck in the mail."; Nov 21 - IT TOOK Pete "Snail mail" Batchelor two years to answer a parliamentary question on notice from Liberal Terry Mulder but Premier of Tax Steve Bracks has upped the speed limit by taking only four months to get back to Labor defector Dianne Hadden about her request for more staff to aid her crusade as an independent. The answer was no. Steve only provides extra staff to MPs elected as independents, not those who dump on the party mid-term. Hadden told Diary: "I've got a sign on my electorate office door saying 'Office hours are limited due to Premier Bracks failing to provide funds to maintain adequate staff for this office'. Everyone reads it and says what a terrible man that Steve Bracks is." At least she didn't have to wait two years to find out. - 4 Oct - speaks at anti-pokies rally in Kyneton - 7 Oct - raises concerns of ind petrol station owners over fuel theft - Dec 2 - denies has decided where she will run, stating that her constituents will decide; McQuilten suggests Ballarat East sure thing, Howard states "would not consider Ms Hadden a great threat" - Oct 25 - offers assistance to people interested in preparing submissions to gov about proposed transport route for toxic waste to planned Mildura dump - Dec 6 - reported that had been moved to office with Andrew Olexander, described by the Age as "a salubrious rabbit hole under Parliament known as the gallows or the dungeon"; reports office windows smashed again - 16 Feb 2006 - "Renegade Labor MP Dianne Hadden was the hardest working of Parliament's five independents of 2005, with 75 contributions." - 22 May 2006 - calls for referendum on water fluoridation in bush
