About Fran
Fran Bailey was sworn in as Minister for Small Business and Tourism on 26 October 2004. She is the Member for the Victorian seat of McEwen and has held that seat since March 1996, and previously from 1990-1993.
She has previously served as Minister for Employment Services and Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence.
Born in Brisbane, Ms Bailey grew up in Queensland and attended All Hallows College. She graduated as a secondary college teacher, specialising in English, History and French, from Queensland University. She later returned to study sociology at La Trobe University in Melbourne where she focussed on the psychology of group dynamics.
Prior to entering parliament, Ms Bailey operated several small businesses, including a retail outlet and a commercial and stud cashmere business which exported both meat and fibre.
As Minister for Employment Services, she was responsible for the Job Network, the Work for the Dole Scheme and other employment services. As Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, her range of responsibilities included personnel, recruiting, compensation, superannuation and consultation between Defence and industry.
While Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, she ensured greater opportunities for small business in providing contracted support services to the Australian Defence Force.
As Minister for Small Business and Tourism, she has cut red tape through the $50 million Regulation Reduction Incentive Fund, secured cuts to business taxes in two Budgets, secured the passage of unfair dismissals relief for small business and collective bargaining for small business. She launched the Building Entrepreneurship in Small Business program to better develop skills of small business operators, especially for IT skills and young entrepreneurs. Ms Bailey has also overseen the implementation of the Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct and reviewed the Franchising Code of Conduct.
In the tourism portfolio, she launched the 'So Where the Bloody Hell Are You?' international tourism campaign. International tourists spent an extra $1.8 billion in Australia in 2006. Ms Bailey also instigated the Action Plan for Japanese Tourism to reinvigorate the Japanese market, the National Tourism Investment Strategy to strengthen private sector investment in tourism and the Emerging Markets Strategy to target the emerging tourism markets of China and India.
Ms Bailey served on the House of Representatives Standing Committees including: Industry, Science and Technology from 29.5.96 to 31.8.98, and Primary Industries, Resources and Rural and Regional Affairs from 29.5.96 to 31.8.98, as well as Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade from 8.12.98 to 11.2.02.
The seat of McEwen spreads from the northern edge of Melbourne across the Great Dividing Range to the plains and highlands of central Victoria. It includes vineyards, cattle grazing, market gardening, sawmills, textiles, dairying and various small businesses and tourism operators.
Fran has two daughters, Amanda and Abby.