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"I have known Bronwyn Pike
for ten years and worked with her when she was Director of Social
Justice for the Uniting Church. She is personally committed to many
of the issues I think are important - especially assisting problem
gamblers." Rev.
Tim Costello - Urban Seed, Melbourne.
"Bronwyn understands how
important it is to build effective and equal partnerships. Bronwyn
has been able to use her social portfolios to achieve significant
environmental and social advances. Bronwyn is the type of
parliamentarian, the type of Minister that sustains the idealism of
the people who care about the community." Mike Hill - Local Government and
Environmental Activist, Brunswick.
"I admire Bronwyn Pike.
She isn't driven by ambition, ego or a sense of personal profile,
but a deep feeling for community." Julia Blake - Actor and Kensington
Resident.
Before entering Parliament,
Bronwyn Pike worked as a secondary and tertiary teacher, a
community services manager and as the Director of the Unit of
Justice and Social Responsibility in the Uniting Church.
Bronwyn is also a former
Board Director of Greenpeace Australia.
When she was elected to
Parliament in 1999, Bronwyn became the Minister for Housing and
Aged Care and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Health. She
was appointed Minister for Community Services and Minister
Assisting the Premier on Community Building in 2002. Following the
re-election of the Bracks’ Labor Government in late 2002, she
became the Minister for Health. In August 2007, Bronwyn became the
Minister for Education in the new Brumby Labor
Government.
As the Minister for Housing,
Bronwyn was responsible for Victoria's first comprehensive
Homelessness Strategy to improve services and help prevent people
and families becoming homeless. She implemented the neighbourhood
renewal program to improve public housing estates by combining
housing upgrades with increased employment and training
opportunities for tenants, and better access to services like
transport and health.
As Minister for Health,
Bronwyn oversaw the rebuilding of Victoria's public health system,
delivering an 83% funding increase for public hospitals, as well as
the employment of more than 7,000 additional nurses and 1,200
additional doctors in the public health system.
Bronwyn is eager to draw upon
her experiences of being a long serving Minister and her personal
experiences of being a parent and teacher to lead the biggest
government school rebuilding program in the State’s history. She
supports the approach of her predecessors which ties schools more
closely with their communities, with shared facilities and
partnerships making education centres open and flexible hubs of
learning.
Bronwyn brings to the
Parliament a long history of advocating for social change, equality
and the disadvantaged. For many years she has been a supporter of
EMILY's List and an active participant in human rights, peace and
social justice campaigns. She is also an avid Royal Park dog
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