Karen Struthers

Karen Struthers (born 19 February 1963) is an Australian politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1998 to 2012.

The Hon Karen Struthers
Minister for Community Services of Queensland
In office 26 March 2009 – 26 March 2012
Preceded by	Lindy Nelson-Carr (Communities)
Succeeded by	Tracy Davis (Communities)
Minister for Housing of Queensland
In office 26 March 2009 – 26 March 2012
Preceded by	Robert Schwarten
Succeeded by	Bruce Flegg
Minister for Women of Queensland
In office 26 March 2009 – 26 March 2012
Preceded by	Margaret Keech
Succeeded by	Tracy Davis (as Minister for Communities)
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Archerfield
In office 13 June 1998 – 17 February 2001
Preceded by	Len Ardill
Succeeded by	Seat abolished
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Algester
In office 17 February 2001 – 24 March 2012
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Anthony Shorten
Personal details
Born	(1963-02-19) 19 February 1963 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Labor Party
Alma mater	University of Queensland, Griffith University

She first entered Parliament at the 1998 election, winning the seat of Archerfield after the retirement of sitting member Len Ardill.[1]

Archerfield was abolished in a redistribution ahead of the 2001 state election, and Struthers followed most of her constituents into the new seat of Algester,[2] which she held until her defeat in the 2012 election. She was promoted to the front bench on 12 February 2004 as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier (Multicultural Affairs) and Minister for Trade. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Employment, Training and Industrial Relations on 28 July 2012 and became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health on 13 September 2006. In March 2009, she was promoted to the Cabinet as Minister for Community Services and Housing and Minister for Women.[3]

Struthers was one of several Labor MPs in previously safe seats who were swept out in the massive Liberal National landslide of 2012, losing to LNP challenger Anthony Shorten on a swing of over 18 percent—enough to turn the seat from safe Labor to safe LNP in one stroke. In a measure of the backlash against Labor that year, Struthers had seen off a challenge from Shorten in 2009, taking 59 percent of the two-party vote.