Peta Murphy Explained

Peta Murphy
Birth Name:Peta Jan Murphy
Birth Date:1973 11, df=y
Birth Place:Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Death Place:Frankston, Victoria, Australia
Party:Labor
Profession:Barrister
Office1:Member of the House of Representatives for Dunkley
Predecessor1:Chris Crewther
Successor1:Jodie Belyea
Termstart1:18 May 2019
Termend1:4 December 2023

Peta Jan Murphy (1 November 1973 – 4 December 2023) was an Australian politician. She was a member of the House of Representatives from 2019 until her death in 2023, representing the Victorian seat of Dunkley for the Australian Labor Party (ALP).[1]

Early life and education

Peta Jan Murphy was born in Goulburn, New South Wales, on 1 November 1973.[2] She held Bachelor of Science (Psychology) and Bachelor of Laws degrees from the Australian National University, and a Master of Criminology degree from the University of Melbourne.[3]

Early career

Prior to entering parliament, Murphy worked variously as a solicitor, barrister, Senior Public Defender at Victoria Legal Aid, Team Leader at the Victorian Law Reform Commission and as Chief of Staff to Labor Shadow Minister Brendan O'Connor MP.[2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]

Politics

Murphy first stood for Dunkley at the 2016 election on the retirement of Bruce Billson, gaining a 4.1% swing but losing to Liberal candidate Chris Crewther.[9]

Murphy ran again in the 2019 election and with the benefit of an electoral redistribution that turned Dunkley from a marginal Liberal seat into a notionally marginal Labor seat, along with a further 1.7% swing, was successful, becoming the first ALP member for Dunkley since 1996 and the first woman to represent the seat.[10] [11] She was a member of the House of Representatives Social and Legal Affairs Committee, the House of Representative Economics Committee and the House of Representatives Select Selection Committee.[2]

Murphy was an advocate for breast screening and early diagnosis of cancer[12] [13] [14] and in her maiden speech spoke of her commitment to healthcare and creating employment opportunities in Melbourne's outer suburbs.[15]

Murphy worked with Breast Cancer Network Australia to promote better treatment and understanding of cancer.[16] [17] Along with Lucy Wicks, former Liberal Member for Robertson, Murphy established the Parliamentary Friends of Women's Health in 2021 to provide a bi-partisan platform.[17] [18]

Murphy was re-elected with an increased margin at the 2022 Australian federal election.[19]

Personal life

Murphy was born in Goulburn, New South Wales.[2] She married Rod Glover in 1999.[20]

Murphy played softball in the National League[21] [22] and represented NSW, ACT, Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula at the junior and senior level for squash. She was a past winner of the Australian 35+y Masters Squash, the US 35+y Masters Squash and the gold medal winner at the World Masters Games for 35+ years squash.[23] [24] [25] [26] She was a previous President of Squash Victoria, Vice President of Squash Australia and member of the World Squash Federation Governance and Audit Committee.[27] [28] Murphy also served on the board of local Community Legal Centres, Peninsula Health and the Peninsula Waves.[29]

Murphy was the Patron of the Frankston City Bowls Club and the Frankston Vietnam Veterans Association.[30]

Health and death

Murphy was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, at the age of 37. The cancer recurred around the time of her being sworn in to parliament in July 2019.[31] [32] She died from cancer at her home in Frankston on 4 December 2023, at the age of 50.[33]

In February 2024, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opened the new "Peta Murphy Breast Imaging Suite" at Frankston Hospital, in honour of Murphy’s contribution to cancer awareness and advocacy.[34]

References

 

Notes and References

  1. News: Qualification checklist. Australian Electoral Commission. 29 May 2019.
  2. 133646 . Ms Peta Murphy MP . 8 November 2021.
  3. Australian Parliament biography: https://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=133646
  4. Web site: Melbourne. University of. 17 May 2019. The different faces and missions of Peta Murphy. 11 April 2021. The Junction.
  5. Web site: Dear Peta. 11 April 2021. www.bcna.org.au.
  6. Web site: Appendix A: Advisory committee members Victorian Law Reform Commission. 11 April 2021. www.lawreform.vic.gov.au. 11 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210411095110/https://www.lawreform.vic.gov.au/content/appendix-advisory-committee-members. dead.
  7. Web site: Lawyers. By. Our Authors. 11 April 2021. Obiter. en-AU.
  8. Web site: Victims of Crime in the Criminal Trial Process Victorian Law Reform Commission. 11 April 2021. www.lawreform.vic.gov.au.
  9. Web site: House of Representatives division information. 11 April 2021 . Australian Electoral Commission . en-AU.
  10. Web site: House of Representatives division information . 11 April 2021 . Australian Electoral Commission . en-AU.
  11. News: Bittersweet victory for new Labor MP Peta Murphy . . 26 May 2019 . 31 May 2019.
  12. Web site: Frankston Bowling Club . 11 April 2021 . BCNA Pink Sports Day.
  13. Web site: 15 February 2021 . Cancer fundraiser a success . 11 April 2021. Bayside News. en-AU.
  14. Web site: Clun . Rachel . 23 February 2021 . Why a Labor backbencher with breast cancer volunteered to get a COVID-19 vaccine . 11 April 2021 . . en-AU.
  15. Web site: First Speech: Ms Peta Murphy MP.
  16. Web site: Breast Cancer Network Australia. 11 April 2021. www.facebook.com. en.
  17. Web site: Media alert: Parliamentary friends for Women's Health . 11 April 2021 . Medianet. en-AU.
  18. Web site: Parliamentary Friendship Groups (non-country). 11 April 2021. www.aph.gov.au. en-AU.
  19. Web site: Dunkley (Key Seat) - Federal Electorate, Candidates, Results . .
  20. Web site: 'Advocating always for others': Labor MP Peta Murphy has died. Women's Agenda. Boecker, Brianna. 4 December 2023. 4 December 2023.
  21. News: 18 November 1992. Commodores: two each way. 42. Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 11 April 2021.
  22. News: 31 January 1995. Magnums' mixed results in Adelaide. 22. Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 11 April 2021.
  23. Web site: Squash Ladies Results - FINALS 15 October 2009 - Sydney 2009 World Masters Games. 11 April 2021. GameDay. en.
  24. Web site: Mornington Peninsula dominate at the Hopman Cup. 11 April 2021. Squash & Racquetball Victoria.
  25. Web site: 9 August 2016. Murphy aims for a slam Dunkley. 11 April 2021. The Standard Journalism@Swinburne. en-AU.
  26. Web site: Club Locker. 11 April 2021. clublocker.com.
  27. Web site: Peta Murphy recognised at 2017 Women in Sport Breakfast. 11 April 2021. Squash & Racquetball Victoria.
  28. Web site: Oceania Squash Federation, Who We Are. 11 April 2021. www.oceaniasquash.org.
  29. Web site: Past Publications. 11 April 2021. Peninsula Health. en-AU.
  30. Web site: Patron Frankston City BC. 4 May 2021.
  31. News: Labor MP Peta Murphy receives cancer diagnosis two weeks before first speech . ABC News . 24 July 2019 . 3 August 2019 . Tom . Lowrey.
  32. News: 'Cancer sucks': MP delivers pointed maiden speech, two weeks after diagnosis . . 24 July 2019 . 3 August 2019 . Rob . Harris.
  33. News: Labor MP Peta Murphy dies years after breast cancer diagnosis. Worthington. Brett. 4 December 2023. 4 December 2023. ABC News.
  34. https://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/8508527/pm-honours-late-mp-on-dunkley-by-election-hustings/