Sharon Bird

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Sharon Bird

| honorific-suffix =

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| office = Minister for Regional Development

| primeminister = Kevin Rudd

| term_start = 1 July 2013

| term_end = 18 September 2013

| predecessor = Anthony Albanese (as Minister for Regional Development and Local Government)

| successor = Warren Truss (as Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development)

| office1 = Minister for Regional Communications

| primeminister1 = Kevin Rudd

| term_start1 = 1 July 2013

| term_end1 = 18 September 2013

| predecessor1 = New portfolio

| successor1 = Fiona Nash

| office2 = Minister for Road Safety

| primeminister2 = Kevin Rudd

| term_start2 = 1 July 2013

| term_end2 = 18 September 2013

| predecessor2 = Catherine King

| successor2 = Jamie Briggs (as Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development)

| office3 = Minister for Higher Education and Skills

| primeminister3 = Julia Gillard

| term_start3 = 25 March 2013

| term_end3 = 1 July 2013

| predecessor3 = New portfolio

| successor3 = Sussan Ley (as Assistant Minister for Education)

| constituency_MP4 = Cunningham

| parliament4 = Australian

| term_start4 = 9 October 2004

| term_end4 = 11 April 2022

| predecessor4 = Michael Organ

| successor4 = Alison Byrnes

| birth_name = Sharon Leah Reed

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1962|11|15}}

| birth_place = Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

| nationality = Australian

| party = Australian Labor Party

| residence =

| partner = Gino Mandarino

| children = 2

| alma_mater = University of Sydney
University of Wollongong

| occupation = Teacher

| profession =

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

}}

Sharon Leah Bird (née Reed, born 15 November 1962) is an Australian former politician. Bird served as an Australian Labor Party (ALP) member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Cunningham in New South Wales from 2004 to 2022. She served as a minister during the late Gillard-Rudd years until Labor lost government at the next election. She served as the Shadow Minister for Vocational Education from October 2013 until July 2016. In 2021, Bird announced she would not be re-contesting at the 2022 Federal Election, retiring from politics.

Background and early career

Bird was born in Wollongong, and was educated at the University of Sydney and the University of Wollongong. She was a TAFE and high-school teacher before entering politics. She worked as an electorate officer for Colin Hollis, the member for the adjoining seat of Throsby, and was then a Senior Project Officer with the New South Wales Department of Juvenile Justice. Bird was a member of the Shellharbour Council between 1991 and 1995.{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=DZP |work=Senators and Members |publisher=Parliament of Australia |title=The Hon Sharon Bird MP |access-date=1 April 2013 |archive-date=7 November 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141107160936/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=DZP |url-status=live }}

Political career

Bird first contested the seat of Cunningham at the 2002 by-election held following the resignation of Labor's Stephen Martin. Despite Bird polling 38.13% of the primary vote, the Australian Greens' Michael Organ won the seat on a two-party-preferred basis.{{cite web |author=Bennett, Scott |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/Pubs/rn/2002-03/03rn18.htm |title=The Cunningham by-election 2002 |publisher=Parliament of Australia |date=11 November 2002 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070713133648/http://www.aph.gov.au/Library/pubs/RN/2002-03/03rn18.htm |archive-date=13 July 2007 }}{{cite news |author=Green, Antony |authorlink=Antony Green |url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/cunn.htm |title=Cunningham – Federal Election 2007 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=19 November 2007 |access-date=31 March 2013 |archive-date=7 May 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180507144917/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2007/guide/cunn.htm |url-status=live }}

Bird contested Cunningham again in the 2004 general election. Although she took a large early lead, she was unable to secure victory until Organ was eliminated and his preferences flowed overwhelmingly to her, allowing her to win on the 10th count.[http://results.aec.gov.au/12246/results/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-12246-114.htm House of Representatives 2004 – Cunningham] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402144332/http://results.aec.gov.au/12246/results/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-12246-114.htm |date=2 April 2015 }}, Australian Electoral Commission, 2005

On 2 March 2012, Bird was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills,{{cite press release |url=http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/changes-ministry-0 |title=Changes to the Ministry |work=Press office |publisher=Prime Minister of Australia |date=2 March 2012 |access-date=18 March 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120316203911/http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/changes-ministry-0 |archive-date=16 March 2012 }} and was promoted as Minister for Higher Education and Skills in a rearrangement of the Second Gillard Ministry on 25 March 2013.{{cite press release |url=http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/changes-ministry-2 |title=Changes to the Ministry |work=Press office |publisher=Prime Minister of Australia |date=25 March 2013 |access-date=1 April 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328105801/http://www.pm.gov.au/press-office/changes-ministry-2 |archive-date=28 March 2013 }} In July 2013, Bird was appointed as the Minister for Regional Development, the Minister for Regional Communications and the Minister for Road Safety in the Second Rudd Ministry.{{cite web |url=http://www.dpmc.gov.au/parliamentary/docs/ministry_list_20130701.pdf |title=Second Rudd Ministry |work=Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia |date=1 July 2013 |access-date=5 July 2013 }}{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

Bird is a supporter of same-sex marriage, voting in favour on the issue three times.{{Cite web|url=https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/cunningham/sharon_bird/policies/1|title=Sharon Bird voted very strongly for same-sex marriage equality — They Vote for You|access-date=15 July 2016|archive-date=9 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160809233638/https://theyvoteforyou.org.au/people/representatives/cunningham/sharon_bird/policies/1|url-status=live}}{{cite web | title=Cunningham | website=Australian Marriage Equality | url=http://www.australianmarriageequality.org/whereyourmpstands/electorates/Cunningham/ | access-date=27 May 2024 | archive-date=30 October 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231030160254/http://www.australianmarriageequality.org/whereyourmpstands/electorates/Cunningham/ | url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=https://www.openaustralia.org.au/mp/sharon_bird/cunningham|title=Sharon Bird, former Representative, Cunningham (OpenAustralia.org)|website=www.openaustralia.org.au|access-date=28 October 2023|archive-date=28 October 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231028193618/https://www.openaustralia.org.au/mp/sharon_bird/cunningham|url-status=live}}

On 19 November 2021, Bird announced that she would not be contesting the 2022 election, retiring after 18 years as the member for Cunningham.{{Cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-19/sharon-bird-resigns-federal-parliament-after-18yrs/100633908|title=Federal Labor MP Sharon Bird announces retirement after 18 years in parliament|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=19 November 2021|access-date=2 May 2022|archive-date=2 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220502201416/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-19/sharon-bird-resigns-federal-parliament-after-18yrs/100633908|url-status=live}}