Gabrielle Upton

The Honourable
Gabrielle Upton
MP
Minister for the Environment
Assumed office
30 January 2017
Premier Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by Mark Speakman
Minister for Local Government
Assumed office
30 January 2017
Premier Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by Paul Toole
Minister for Heritage
Assumed office
30 January 2017
Premier Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded by Mark Speakman
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Vaucluse
Assumed office
26 March 2011
Preceded by Peter Debnam
Attorney General of New South Wales
In office
2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017
Premier Mike Baird
Preceded by Brad Hazzard
Succeeded by Mark Speakman
Minister for Sport and Recreation
In office
30 August 2013 – 23 April 2014
Premier Barry O'Farrell
Preceded by Brad Hazzard
Succeeded by Stuart Ayres
Minister for Family and Community Services
In office
23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015
Premier Mike Baird
Preceded by Pru Goward
Succeeded by Brad Hazzard
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Vaucluse
Assumed office
26 March 2011
Preceded by Peter Debnam
Personal details
Born (1964-12-16) 16 December 1964
Sydney
Political party Liberal Party
Spouse(s) Alexander M. Sundich
Children 2
Alma mater University of New South Wales
Stern School of Business
Profession Lawyer
Website Parliamentary webpage

Gabrielle Cecelia Upton (born 16 December 1964), an Australian politician, is the New South Wales Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Local Government, and the Minister for Heritage since January 2017 in the Berejiklian government.[1] Upton is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, representing the seat of Vaucluse for the Liberal Party since 2011.

Upton previously served as the NSW Attorney General between April 2015 and January 2017 in the second Baird government and was the first woman to be appointed as Attorney General.[2] She has also previously served as the New South Wales Minister for Family and Community Services in the first Baird government during 2014 and 2015;[3] and the Minister for Sport and Recreation during 2013 and 2014.[4]

Background and early career

Upton was born and raised in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney where she attended Brigidine College in Randwick and the University of New South Wales, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. Upton's career began as a banking and finance lawyer with legal firms Freehill, Hollingdale & Page and DLA Phillips Fox, after being admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia in 1988.

Upton moved to live New York City in 1993 where she graduated with a Master of Business Administration (Finance and Management) from the Stern School of Business at New York University, New York. She then worked as a banker with Deutsche Bank and Toronto Dominion Bank in New York financing the energy sector. From 2000 until 2010, Upton was legal counsel at the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a member of CAMAC, the Australian federal government's principal advisory committee on corporations and securities law, between 2006 and 2011. Upton served as Deputy Chancellor at the University of New South Wales from 2006 until 2009, and on the University's Council from 2002 to 2010. From 2005 to 2011, Upton was the Deputy Chair of the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award - Australia and from 2009 - 2011 was Chair of The Friends of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Australia; and was also a board member of Neuroscience Research Australia from 2007 to 2011; and a Fellow of the Law Faculty at the University of New South Wales.

Neuroscience and mental health advocacy

Upton has spoken out about the need to raise awareness about mental health and in March 2010 gave a speech to Sydney Rotary where she called for a "full gamut" approach to combating mental illness. This speech noted that every day in Australia six to seven people die by suicide, which was 40 per cent higher than deaths caused on the country's roads – a statistic she described as "completely unacceptable".[5] She has written about the prevalence of mental illness among young Australian lawyers and discussed moves by the legal profession to combat mental illness in the law firm workplace.[6]

Political career

Following the earlier announcement that the Liberal sitting member, Peter Debnam would not re-contest the next state election, on 26 September 2010 Gabrielle won Liberal Party pre-selection for Vaucluse.[7] At the 2011 state election, Gabrielle was elected with a swing of 9.9 points and won the seat with 81.4 per cent of the two-party vote.[8] Following the election, she was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills.[4] In August 2011 she was appointed Chair of the NSW Parliamentary friends of Israel.[9] On 21 August 2013, Upton was appointed as the Minister for Sport and Recreation.

Due to the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as premier,[10] and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader,[3] in April 2014 Upton was appointed as the Minister for Family and Community Services; and lost the portfolio of Sport and Recreation.[4][11][12]

Following the 2015 state election, Premier Mike Baird announced that Upton would become the next NSW Attorney General, and on 2 April 2015, she was sworn in as the first female Attorney General of New South Wales.[2][13] Following the resignation of Mike Baird as Premier,[14] Gladys Berejiklian was elected as Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier.[15][16][17] The Berejiklian ministry was subsequently formed with Upton sworn in as the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Local Government, and the Minister for Heritage with effect from 30 January 2017.[1]

In September 2018, a number of concerns were made public over Upton's capacity and ability to perform as a government minister. Allegations from former staff and other government sources included her "contempt for bureaucrats", suggested she was "paralysed by indecision", and was an "underperformer" who should not be in cabinet [18]. Separate sources including fellow government ministers labelled her as "the weakest performer in the cabinet"[19].

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in". Sky News. Australia. AAP. 30 January 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  2. 1 2 Hasham, Nicole (3 April 2015). "Premier Mike Baird's new NSW cabinet sworn in: Gladys Berejiklian and Gabrielle Upton first female Treasurer and Attorney-General". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 Nicholls, Sean (22 April 2014). "Mike Baird's cabinet reshuffle a preparation for next election". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 "Ms Gabrielle Cecelia Upton, MBA, BA, LLB MP". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. 21 August 2013. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  5. ↑ Bennett, Jennifer (24 March 2010). "Suicide statistics completely unacceptable' says Upton". Wentworth Courier. p. 38. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  6. ↑ Upton, Gabrielle (25 March 2010). "Suicide prevention is everyone's problem". The Punch. News Limited. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  7. ↑ Bennett, Jennifer (26 September 2010). "Gabrielle Upton wins Liberal preselection for Vaucluse". Wentworth Courier. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  8. ↑ Green, Antony (5 April 2011). "Vaucluse". NSW Votes 2011. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
  9. ↑ http://www.jwire.com.au/news/support-for-israel-in-the-nsw-parliament/18576
  10. ↑ "Barry O'Farrell quits as NSW Premier over memory fail". The Australian. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Mike Baird's NSW cabinet". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Baird Cabinet announced: Premier promotes Constance to Treasurer, makes way for five new MPs". ABC News. Australia. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  13. ↑ "NSW premier Mike Baird announces new cabinet". The Sydney Morning Herald. 1 April 2015. Retrieved 1 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Jacques, Owen (19 January 2017). "Baird resigns: NSW Premier to quit top job and Parliament". The Satellite. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
  15. ↑ "Swearing-In of The Honourable Gladys Berejiklian MP, the 45th Premier of New South Wales, and The Honourable John Barilaro MP, Deputy Premier". Vice Regal Program. Governor of New South Wales. 23 January 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  16. ↑ "Ministers". www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Clennell, Andrew (26 January 2017). "Premier Gladys Berejiklian plans major reshuffle for cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 January 2017.
  18. ↑ Smith, Alexandra (14 September 2018). "Senior adviser to Gabrielle Upton receives compensation for severe stress". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  19. ↑ Smith, Alexandra; Loussikian, Kylar (13 September 2018). "'Weakest performer in cabinet': NSW Environment Minister under threat". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by
Peter Debnam		 Member for Vaucluse
2011–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Mark Speakman		 Minister for the Environment
2017–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Paul Toole		 Minister for Local Government
2017–present
Preceded by
Mark Speakman		 Minister for Heritage
2017–present
Preceded by
Graham Annesley		 Minister for Sport and Recreation
2013–2014		 Succeeded by
Stuart Ayres
Preceded by
Pru Goward		 Minister for Family and Community Services
2014–2015		 Succeeded by
Brad Hazzard
Preceded by
Brad Hazzard		 Attorney General of New South Wales
2015–2017		 Succeeded by
Mark Speakman
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