Ros Spence

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Ros Spence

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| constituency_AM = Kalkallo

| assembly = Victorian Legislative

| term_start = 26 November 2022

| term_end =

| predecessor = Seat established

| successor =

| constituency_AM1 = Yuroke

| assembly1 = Victorian Legislative

| majority1 =

| term_start1 = 29 November 2014

| term_end1 = 26 November 2022

| predecessor1 = Liz Beattie

| successor1 = Seat abolished

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1970|12|16}}

| death_date =

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| birthname =

| nationality =

| party = Labor Party

| spouse = Kos Samaras

| relations =

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| website = {{URL|https://www.rosspence.com.au/}}

}}

Rosalind Louise Spence (born 16 December 1970{{cn|date=August 2023}}) is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2014, representing Yuroke from 2014 to 2022, then Kalkallo from 2022 onwards.{{Cite web|url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/vic-election-2014/guide/yuro/|title = Yuroke Results|access-date = 4 December 2014|website = ABC News}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2022/guide/kalk|title = Kalkallo Results|access-date = 28 November 2022|website = ABC News}}

Early life, education and career

Spence was raised in Eltham and graduated from Eltham High School in 1988. She later graduating with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania in 2002.{{Cite web |title=About Ros {{!}} Ros Spence MP |url=http://www.rosspence.com.au/details/about/ |access-date=2024-02-22 |website=www.rosspence.com.au |language=en}}

Prior to her election to Parliament, Spence worked as an electorate officer to various state and federal Members of Parliament, as operations manager for the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party, and as a volunteer solicitor at the Broadmeadows Legal Centre.{{Cite web|url = https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/people-in-parliament/members-search/search-members/details/22/6|title =Member Profile: Ms Ros Spence (Yuroke)|access-date = 24 March 2020|website = Parliament of Victoria}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/ros-spence-joins-the-cabinet/|title =Ros Spence Joins Cabinet|access-date = 24 March 2020|website = Premier of Victoria}}

Political career

From 2008 to 2012, Spence served as a Councillor in the City of Hume, including as Mayor between 2011 and 2012. In 2013, she was selected as the Labor candidate for the seat of Yuroke and was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly at the 2014 Victorian state election.{{cite news|last1=Savino|first1=Natalie|title=Former Hume mayor Ros Spence endorsed as ALP candidate for Yuroke|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/north/former-hume-mayor-ros-spence-endorsed-as-alp-candidate-for-yuroke/story-fnglenug-1226797474183|access-date=7 December 2014|work=Hume Leader|date=10 January 2014}} She later re-elected at the 2018 Victorian state election.{{Cite web|url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic-election-2018/guide/yuro/|title =Yuroke Results 2018|access-date = 24 March 2020|website = ABC News}}

Following the abolition of the Yuroke electorate, Spence won the seat of Kalkallo at the 2022 Victorian state election.{{Cite web|url = https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2022/guide/kalk|title = Kalkallo Results|access-date = 28 November 2022|website = ABC News}}

Following her election, Spence served as Government Whip and later as Parliamentary Secretary for Public Transport and Parliamentary Secretary for Road Infrastructure. She has also served as the Chair of the Electoral Matters Committee.

In March 2020, Spence was elevated to the Second Andrews Ministry following the resignation of Gavin Jennings as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Community Sport and Youth.{{Cite web|url = https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/breaking-news/vic-cabinet-shuffle-after-mps-retirement/news-story/b0047dab987aa96e418aea1cb01cffba|title =Vic cabinet shuffle after MP's retirement|access-date = 24 March 2020|website = The Weekly Times}} She was additionally appointed as Minister for Prevention of Family Violence in June 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/statement-new-ministry|title=Statement On New Ministry|publisher=Premier of Victoria|date=25 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627065514/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/statement-new-ministry|archive-date=27 June 2022|url-status=live}}

Following the 2022 election, Spence was sworn in as Minister for Prevention of Family Violence, Community Sport and Suburban Development.{{cite web|url=https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-cabinet-keep-doing-what-matters|title=New Cabinet To Keep Doing What Matters|publisher=Premier of Victoria|date=5 December 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206041117/https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/new-cabinet-keep-doing-what-matters|archive-date=6 December 2022|url-status=live}}

Spence is presently the Minister for Agriculture, Community Sport and Carers and Volunteers in the Allan ministry.

= Electoral history =

class="wikitable" \|+Electoral history of Ros Spence in the Parliament of Victoria ! rowspan="2" \|Year ! rowspan="2" \|Electorate ! rowspan="2" \|Party ! colspan="4" \|First Preference Result ! colspan="4" \|Two Candidate Result
Votes !% !+% !Position !Votes !% !+% !Result
2014 \| rowspan="2" \|Yuroke \| rowspan="3" \|Labor \|20,484 \|54.1 \|−2.2 \|1st \|25,839 \|68.5 \| +2.5 \|Elected
2018 \|28,519 \|59.42 \| +5.33 \|1st \|33,730 \|70.26 \| +1.74 \|Elected
2022 \|Kalkallo \|21,531 \|53.9 \|−5.7 \|1st \|26,561 \|66.5 \|−4.4 \|Elected

class="wikitable"

|+Electoral history of Ros Spence in the Parliament of Victoria

! rowspan="2" |Year

! rowspan="2" |Electorate

! rowspan="2" |Party

! colspan="4" |First Preference Result

! colspan="4" |Two Candidate Result

Votes

!+%

!Position

!Votes

!+%

!Result

2014

| rowspan="2" |Yuroke

| rowspan="3" |Labor

|20,484

|54.1

|−2.2

|1st

|25,839

|68.5

| +2.5

|Elected

2018

|28,519

|59.42

| +5.33

|1st

|33,730

|70.26

| +1.74

|Elected

2022

|Kalkallo

|21,531

|53.9

|−5.7

|1st

|26,561

|66.5

|−4.4

|Elected

Personal life

Spence has one son and is married to former Victorian Labor assistant state secretary Kos Samaras.{{Cite web|url = https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/key-victorian-alp-strategist-kosmos-samaras-to-resign/news-story/a61bc451309ae9144edc10ca066f3c38|title =Member Profile: Key Victorian ALP strategist Kosmos Samaras to resign|access-date = 24 March 2020|website = The Australian}}