Pru Goward

Pru Goward
Goward attending an opera function in Sydney (2012)
Minister for Family and Community Services
In office
30 January 2017 – 2 April 2019
PremierGladys Berejiklian
Preceded byBrad Hazzard
Succeeded byGareth Ward
In office
3 April 2011 – 23 April 2014
PremierBarry O'Farrell
Preceded byLinda Burney
Succeeded byGabrielle Upton
Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault
In office
2 April 2015 – 2 April 2019
PremierMike Baird
Gladys Berejiklian
Preceded byHerself (as Minister for Women)
Succeeded byMark Speakman
Minister for Social Housing
In office
30 January 2017 – 2 April 2019
PremierGladys Berejiklian
Preceded byBrad Hazzard
Succeeded byMelinda Pavey
Minister for Women
In office
3 April 2011 – 30 January 2017
PremierBarry O'Farrell
Mike Baird
Preceded byLinda Burney
Succeeded byTanya Davies
Minister for Mental Health
Assistant Minister for Health
In office
2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017
PremierMike Baird
Preceded byJai Rowell
Succeeded byTanya Davies (as Minister for Mental Health)
Minister for Medical Research
In office
2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017
PremierMike Baird
Preceded byJillian Skinner
Succeeded byBrad Hazzard
Minister for Planning
In office
23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015
PremierMike Baird
Preceded byBrad Hazzard
Succeeded byRob Stokes
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Goulburn
In office
24 March 2007 – 1 March 2019
Preceded bynew district
Succeeded byWendy Tuckerman
Personal details
Born
Prudence Jane Goward

(1952-09-02) 2 September 1952 (age 72)
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party
Spouse(s)Alastair Fischer (m. 1973; dis. 1983)
David Barnett (1986-2022 (his death))
Children3 (including Kate Fischer)
Alma materUniversity of Adelaide (1974)

Prudence Jane Goward AO (born 2 September 1952[1]) is an Australian former politician and Liberal member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2007 to 2019, representing the seat of Goulburn.

She was the New South Wales Minister for Family and Community Services and Minister for Social Housing, from January 2017 to March 2019 in the Berejiklian government, and the Minister for Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, from 2015 until March 2019. Goward has also previously served as the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for Medical Research, and Assistant Minister for Health between April 2015 and January 2017, and the Minister for Women between 2011 and January 2017, in the second Baird government and the Minister for Planning during 2014 and 2015. With the first Berejiklian government she returned to Community Services portfolio which she previously held between 2011 and 2014, in the O'Farrell and first Baird governments.

Prior to entering politics, Goward served as the Australian Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner Responsible for Age Discrimination with the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. In 2019, Goward became an academic with Western Sydney University.[2]

  1. ^ Thompson, Peter (13 November 2006). "Pru Goward". Talking Heads. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Professor Pru Goward joins Western Sydney University". Western Sydney University. Retrieved 1 February 2023.