Joy Burch

Joy Marie Burch is an Australian politician with the Labor Party, and the current Speaker of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Burch was first elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in the Brindabella electorate at the 2008 election, then re-elected at the 2012 and 2016 elections. Prior to being elected to the Legislative Assembly, Ms Burch was a registered nurse. She worked for several years as a community nurse across southern NSW and the ACT. Ms Burch lived for several years in Alice Springs, as the Executive Director of the Australian Rural Health Education Network, as Executive Director of the Northern Territory Remote Workforce Agency and as the CEO of the Rural Health and Community Support Services. She also was the owner and operator of a Childcare Centre. Ms Burch has formal tertiary education, with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, and Post-Graduate qualifications in Health Administration and Information Systems Management. Upon entering the Assembly, Ms Burch was appointed Government Whip, Assistant Speaker and ALP Caucus Secretary.A year later, Ms Burch was appointed to Cabinet. Over the next seven years, Ms Burch held a number of Ministerial positions, including: • Minister for Education and Training (November 2012 – January 2016) • Minister for Police and Emergency Services (December 2014 - December 2015) • Minister for Disability (November 2012 – January 2016) • Minister for Racing and Gaming (May 2011 – January 2016) • Minister for Arts (May 2011 – January 2016) • Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Affairs (May 2011 – October 2012) • Minister for Ageing (November 2009 – October 2012) • Minister for Children and Young People (November 2012 - July 2014) • Minister for Community Services (November 2009 – October 2012) • Minister for Multicultural Affairs (November 2009 – January 2015) • Minister for Women (November 2009 – January 2015)Ms Burch resigned from the Ministry in January 2016