Background
The daughter of a former ABC foreign correspondent, O'Connor spent her childhood in India, Singapore, Japan, Canberra, Brisbane and Stradbroke Island, Queensland, before moving to Tasmania in 1989.
politician Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
The daughter of a former ABC foreign correspondent, O'Connor spent her childhood in India, Singapore, Japan, Canberra, Brisbane and Stradbroke Island, Queensland, before moving to Tasmania in 1989.
One of two Greens in the eight member cabinet, O'Connor was Minister for Human Services, Community Development, Climate Change and Aboriginal Affairs in the Bartlett and Giddings cabinets from 2011 until 2014. On 12 June 2015, O'Connor was confirmed as the new Greens leader in Tasmania, after the resignation of Kim Booth. Prior to entering Parliament, O'Connor worked as a television news journalist and a political staffer in the Keating Government for former Justice Minister and Federal ALP member for Denison Duncan Kerr and later for Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens and Tasmanian Senator Christine Milne.
She also became well known in Tasmania as the face of the "Save Ralphs Bay" campaign. This community campaign began in March 2004, when Sydney-based developer Walker Corporation announced its intention to construct Tasmania's first canal housing estate in the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area east of Hobart. In June 2010 the legal confirmation of the Ralphs Bay Conservation Area as being 171 hectares came into effect, therefore preventing Walker Corporations proposed canal housing estates.
O'Connor finished second on the Tasmanian Greens Denison ticket in 2006 with 3.6% of the primary vote. She received 70% of Tasmanian Greens Leader Peg Putt's preferences and eventually reached almost half a quota before being excluded. Cassy O'Connor was re-elected at the 2010 election, receiving the highest number of first preference votes in Denison with 16.2%.
On 19 April 2010, Labor Premier David Bartlett appointed Ms O'Connor as Secretary to Cabinet. In November 2010 she was promoted within the Bartlett cabinet, holding two portfolios. O'Connor and Nick McKim are the first Greens in Australia to hold Cabinet positions.
In 2011 O'Connor was given full Ministerial responsibility for Human Services, Community Development, Aboriginal Affairs and Climate Change. Elements of Community Development include Multicultural Affairs, Seniors, Women, Youth and Gambling. On 16 January 2014, Premier Lara Giddings announced that the power sharing arrangement with the Tasmanian Greens was over, and that O'Connor and McKim would be replaced by Labor MPs, effective 17 January.
She said that the ALP would not govern with Greens in the cabinet in future.