Catryna Bilyk
Catryna Bilyk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| SenatorforTasmania | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2008 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Catryna Louise Goninon 7 February 1959 Hobart,Tasmania, Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party |
| Website | catrynabilyk |
Catryna Louise Bilyk(néeGoninon;born 7 February 1959) is an Australian politician. She is a member of theAustralian Labor Party(ALP) and has been aSenatorforTasmaniasince 2008.
Early life
[edit]Bilyk was born inHobart.She worked as an industrial officer for theAustralian Services Union,a researcher for psychiatric pioneerEric Cunningham Dax,an early childhood educator, and an advisor to Tasmanian Labor MinistersDavid Crean,Ken BaconandDavid Llewellyn.[1]She has also been ALP National Vice-President.[2]She is married with two adult children.
Senate
[edit]Bilyk was elected to serve a six-year term in the Senate at the2007 federal election,after being placed in the third position on theAustralian Labor Party'sTasmanianticket. She was elected to the sixth Senate seat for Tasmania, on preferences distributed fromAndrew Wilkie,theAustralian Greens' second candidate for the Senate in Tasmania in the 2007 election.[3]It was second time lucky for Bilyk, who had also been preselected in third spot on the Labor Senate ticket in Tasmania at the2001 federal election,but failed to win a seat.[4]
On 27 February 2016, Bilyk announced that she supportssame-sex marriage,having previously opposed it.[5]
Cancer diagnosis and advocacy
[edit]In March 2008, as a senator-elect, Bilyk was diagnosed with two benign brain tumours, which were surgically removed.[6]Her experience with brain tumours motivated her to raise funds for research to improve the survival rate for cancer. To date, events she has organised have raised over $120,000 for Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.[7]
On 6 December 2016, Bilyk was appointed chair of a newly-formed Senate Select Committee into funding for research into cancers with low survival rates. The Committee has been tasked with inquiring into and reporting on "the impact of health research funding models on the availability of funding for research into cancers with low survival rates."[7]
References
[edit]- ^"Senator Catryna Bilyk".Senators and Members of theParliament of Australia.Retrieved11 November2021.
- ^"ASU official appointed ALP Vice-President".Australian Services Union. Archived fromthe originalon 24 January 2008.
- ^"Tasmanian preference count, 2007 election"(PDF).Australian Electoral Commission.Retrieved24 January2008.
- ^"2001 Federal Election Results".Australian Electoral Commission.
- ^"On reflection I have changed my mind about same-sex marriage".The Mercury.Retrieved16 December2016.
- ^"Ms Catryna Bilyk – Senator Elect for Tasmania".Australian Labor Party. Archived fromthe originalon 29 August 2007.
- ^ab"Brain tumour survivor to lead rare cancers inquiry".ABC News Online.Retrieved16 December2016.
External links
[edit]
- 1959 births
- Living people
- Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia
- Labor Right politicians
- Members of the Australian Senate
- Members of the Australian Senate for Tasmania
- Women members of the Australian Senate
- 21st-century Australian politicians
- 21st-century Australian women politicians
- National Library of Australia Council members