Sharon Grierson was born and raised in Newcastle. Her Grandfather was a miner’s federation activist at the 1929 Rothbury coalminers’ dispute.

Believing in the power of communities, Sharon led a resident action group, also her daughters’ P&C and later became a board director of the Honeysuckle Development Corporation and Tinonee Gardens Multicultural Aged Care Village.

Sharon is a former teacher and school principal. In 2001 Sharon was elected as the first woman to represent the federal seat of Newcastle. She was re-elected in 2004 with the largest swing of any sitting Labor MP. In the 41st Parliament, Sharon was Deputy Chair of Parliament’s powerful Public Accounts Committee, a member of the Economics Committee of Parliament, Secretary of Labour’s Regional Policy Committee, and a Member of Labor’s Industrial Relations Taskforce.

Sharon believes that linking Newcastle’s strong industrial foundation in transport, mining, engineering, maritime and manufacturing to new endeavours such as our tourism and leisure industry, creative arts, defence technology, medical research, and the CSIRO energy centre, represents the way to a prosperous future.