Lisa Baker (Australian politician)

{{Short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Lisa Baker

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| assembly = Western Australian Legislative

| constituency_AM = Maylands

| term_start = 6 September 2008

| term_end = 5 February 2025

| predecessor = Judy Edwards

| successor = Dan Bull

| majority =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1958|8|26}}

| birth_place = Perth, Western Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Labor

| alma_mater = WAIT

| website = {{URL|https://maylands.walabor.org.au/}}

}}

Lisa Loraine Baker (born 26 August 1958) is an Australian politician who was a Labor Party member of the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia from 2008 to 2025, representing the seat of Maylands.

Baker was born in Perth. She attended Perth College, Mercedes College, and Governor Stirling Senior High School at various points, and then went on to the Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University), graduating with an initial degree in psychology and then a graduate diploma in development studies. During the 1990s, Baker was employed by the National Native Title Tribunal as director of its business services division. In 2002, she became the CEO of the Western Australian Council of Social Service (WACOSS), a peak organisation for the social services sector in Western Australia.[http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/library/MPHistoricalData.nsf/MemberNames/Baker,%20Lisa%20Loraine?OpenDocument Lisa Loraine Baker] – Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 12 July 2016.

From 1998 to 2001, Baker also served on the Mundaring Shire Council. In 2008, she was preselected as the Labor candidate for Maylands, a safe seat. She subsequently entered parliament at the 2008 state election, replacing the retiring Judy Edwards.[http://www.abc.net.au/elections/wa/2008/guide/mayl.htm Maylands] – 2008 Western Australian Election, Antony Green's Election Guide. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Her majority was reduced at the 2013 election (as part of a statewide swing against Labor), turning Maylands into a marginal seat.[http://www.abc.net.au/elections/wa/2013/guide/mayl.htm Maylands], WA Votes 2013, ABC News. Retrieved 12 July 2016. Baker is openly gay,Andrew O'Connor, [http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-23/labor-mp-lisa-baker-makes-passionate-same-sex-marriage-plea/6800130 "WA Labor MP Lisa Baker makes same-sex marriage plea as Liberal opponent Peter Abetz cites Stolen Generation to reject change"], ABC News, 23 September 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2016. and owns a 20-acre property on the outskirts of Perth.Steve Holland, [http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/hunters-disturbed-by-wa-mp-lisa-bakers-guntargeted-joey-facebook-post-20150507-ggwe53.html "Hunters disturbed by WA MP Lisa Baker's gun-targeted joey Facebook post"], WAtoday, 8 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.

Baker was appointed Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly on 11 May 2017.{{cite web|title=Hansard WA Parliament |work=Parliament of Western Australia |date=11 May 2017 |url=http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard/hansard.nsf/0/4A01EB88B3C8AD724825811D003BD556/$file/A40%20S1%2020170511%20All.pdf |archivedate=14 May 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514165527/http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/Hansard/hansard.nsf/0/4A01EB88B3C8AD724825811D003BD556/%24file/A40%20S1%2020170511%20All.pdf |url-status=dead }}

In March 2024, Baker announced her retirement from politics at the 2025 state election.{{cite web |last1=Caporn |first1=Dylan |title=Lisa Baker: Another Labor MP announces retirement from politics ahead of 2025 State Election |url=https://thewest.com.au/politics/state-politics/lisa-baker-another-labor-mp-announces-retirement-from-politics-ahead-of-2025-state-election-c-13838350 |website=The West Australian |access-date=5 March 2024 |date=5 March 2024 |url-access=subscription}} She was succeeded by Labor candidate Dan Bull.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-10 |title=Maylands - WA Electorate, Candidates, Results |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wa/2025/guide/mayl |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=www.abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}