Verity Firth

The Honourable Verity Firth
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Balmain
In office 24 March 2007 – 26 March 2011
Preceded by	New district
Succeeded by	Jamie Parker
Minister for Education and Training
In office 8 September 2008 – 28 March 2011
Premier	Nathan Rees Kristina Keneally
Preceded by	John Della Bosca
Succeeded by	Adrian Piccoli
Minister for Climate Change and the Environment
In office 27 February 2008 – 5 September 2008
Premier	Morris Iemma
Preceded by	Phil Koperberg
Succeeded by	Carmel Tebbutt
Minister for Women
In office 2 April 2007 – 14 September 2009
Premier	Morris Iemma Nathan Rees
Preceded by	Sandra Nori
Succeeded by	Linda Burney
Personal details
Born	Verity Helen Firth 28 August 1973
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Matthew Chesher
Relations	Charles Firth (brother) Meredith Burgmann (aunt)
Children	April (daughter)
Residence	Glebe, New South Wales
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Occupation	Politician
Profession	Lawyer
Website	Personal website

Verity Helen Firth (born 28 August 1973) is the Chief Executive Officer of the Public Education Foundation in Australia and a former politician.

Firth served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Balmain for the Australian Labor Party from 2007^[1] to 2011. During this period, she served as Minister for Women, Minister for Science and Medical Research, and Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) from 2007 to 2008, Minister for Climate Change and the Environment in 2008, and as the Minister for Education and Training from 2009 to 2011.

Career

Firth became a member of the Labor Party at the age of 15. She studied at North Sydney Girls High between 1986 and 1991, before studying Arts/Law at the University of Sydney between 1992 and 1998. While at university, she was active in student politics. After graduating, she worked as a political staffer, prior to working as an articled clerk at Slater & Gordon in 2001; she then worked as a campaign organiser for the Australian Labor Party (2001–2004). Between 2004 and 2007, she practised as a solicitor with Slater & Gordon, specialising in asbestos litigation and industrial law.

Firth was elected as a councillor of the City of Sydney in 2004. During her tenure on Council, she served for a period as Deputy Lord Mayor. Prior to entering state politics, she served on the board of the Law and Justice Foundation and Aidwatch.

Firth was elected to the new seat of Balmain on 24 March 2007. Though there was a swing away from the Labor, she won the seat with a majority of just below 4%. She was sworn in on 2 April 2007, receiving simultaneous appointment as Minister for Women, Minister for Science and Medical Research, Minister Assisting the Minister for Health (Cancer) and Minister Assisting the Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water (Environment).^[2]

On 22 February 2008, Phil Koperberg, Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water, resigned from cabinet due to ill health. Firth was subsequently appointed as Minister for Environment and Climate Change.^[3]

Following the caucus election of Nathan Rees as Leader of the NSW Labor Party and Premier in September 2008 and ensuing New South Wales government reshuffle, Firth was appointed as Minister for Education and Training. She won early praise for her demand to the federal government that it fund state public schools to the same level as private schools. During her tenure as Education Minister, she was regarded as a future Labor leader.^[4] Firth retained the Education portfolio under Rees' successor, Kristina Keneally.

During early 2009, the then Rees Labor Government announced the CBD Metro project. Controversial from the start, the CBD Metro project dominated the Sydney news for much of the year. Firth received media coverage for her opposition to the CBD metro, in the event that it would mean a bus interchange at Rozelle (due to the urban density of the area).^[5] Firth was also perceived as being at odds with economically conservative sections of the NSW Cabinet after her opposition to the privatisation of Sydney Ferries became public; at the time, the option of privatising Sydney's ferry fleet was examined by the NSW government against the opposition of unions and some residents.^[6] The Keneally government subsequently announced that the ferries would not be privatised.

Firth was defeated by Jamie Parker (representing the NSW Greens) as the Member for Balmain at the 2011 state election. After her defeat, Firth considered returning to work as a solicitor. Instead, however, she was appointed as CEO of the Public Education Foundation, an advocacy organisation providing scholarships for students in need of financial assistance.^[7]

In May 2014, Firth won Labor preselection for the seat of Balmain in the 2015 state election.^[8] She lost the election to the sitting member, Jamie Parker of the Greens.^[9]

Personal life

Firth grew up in West Pymble and in Glebe. She lives in Glebe with her husband Matthew Chesher and their baby, April.

Her brother is Charles Firth, a comedian and member of The Chaser. Her aunt is Meredith Burgmann, the former NSW upper house president.^[10] Firth is the great-granddaughter of Anglican Bishop Ernest Burgmann.

In January 2011 Firth's husband, Matthew Chesher, was charged by police for possession of the illegal drug, ecstasy. Chesher resigned immediately as chief of staff to Minister for Roads David Borger. Firth said she was "angry, hurt and very disappointed".^[11] Verity refused to say how many tablets Chesher was buying and refused to say whether she had ever taken drugs.^[12] Chesher was charged with the possession of one ecstasy tablet and subsequently placed on a 12-month good-behaviour bond with no conviction being recorded.^[13] Chesher was later described as a "habitual cocaine user".^[14]

References

1. Mitchell, Alex (7 May 2006). "I'm not going anywhere". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2007-09-07.
2. "The Hon. Verity Helen Firth, MP". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
3. Benson, Simon (22 February 2008). "'Sick' Phil Koperberg resigns from NSW Cabinet". The Daily Telegraph. Australia.
4. Parker, Maralyn (15 September 2008). "Minister Firth asks Rudd for More Money for Public Schools". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 2008-09-20.
5. West, Andrew (11 December 2009). "Firth takes an axe to pillar of CBD Metro". The Sydney Morning Herald.
6. West, Andrew (13 November 2009). "Divisions deepen as minister opposes Sydney Ferries sale". The Sydney Morning Herald.
7. Patty, Anna (30 June 2011). "Life not a popularity contest outside the bear pit". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
8. Needham, Kirsty (3 May 2014). "Verity Firth wins community preselection for seat of Balmain". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
9. http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-state-election-2015/nsw-election-2015-greens-pull-ahead-of-labor-to-secure-seat-of-balmain-20150328-1m9h3k.html
10. "Crossroads: Short shift". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 2007. Retrieved 14 August 2012.
11. "Verity Firth's husband charged with drug possession". The Sydney Morning Herald. AAP. 29 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-29.
12. "Can't say no: Why Verity Firth is far from ecstatic". Retrieved 14 August 2012.
13. Scheikowski, Margaret (1 April 2011). "Verity Firth's husband on bond for drugs". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 April 2011.
14. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/firths-hubby-owed-debt-to-drug-dealer/story-e6freuy9-1226256324574

External links

• Inaugural Speech to Parliament
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