Brenda Gibbs

Gibbs joined the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in 1969. She was a delegate to state council from 1985 and was also a delegate to state conference in 1987 and national conference in 1991. She served on the state administrative committee from 1994 to 1997.^[1]

Gibbs was elected to a six-year Senate term at the 1996 federal election.^[2] Her preselection was controversial, in part due to her husband's position as ALP state president, and occurred only after an existing candidate resigned from the ticket. Her support derived from "an unlikely alliance between her own faction, Labor Left, and the right-wing Labor Unity faction".^[1]

Gibbs' son died from a heroin overdose a week after her election to parliament. She was an advocate for drug law reform, supporting a medical approach to drug addiction including the introduction of supervised injection sites and increased government funding for treatment facilities. She also spoke frequently on poverty in Australia and welfare matters.^[1]

In June 2000, Gibbs was demoted to the third position on the ALP's Senate ticket in Queensland, widely regarded as "unwinnable".^[1] Her demotion resulted from factional conflict within the party.^[3] She was not re-elected at the 2001 election and her term concluded on 30 June 2002.^[2]

In 1965, aged 17, Gibbs married Bob Gibbs, with whom she had two children.^[1] Her husband was a union organiser and was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1977, later serving as the party's state president.^[4] They divorced in 1997.^[1]

After leaving parliament, Gibbs worked for the Logan City Council and as a real estate agent.^[1]

She has now retired.