Natasha Griggs

Natasha Griggs MP
Member of the Australian Parliament for Solomon
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 August 2010
Preceded by	Damien Hale
Personal details
Born	(1969-01-24) 24 January 1969 Adelaide, South Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Country Liberal (territory) Liberal Party of Australia (federal)
Spouse(s)	Paul Griggs
Children	Aaron
Residence	Palmerston, Northern Territory
Alma mater	Northern Territory University
Occupation	Politician
Website	Personal Website

Natasha Louise Griggs (born 24 January 1969) is an Australian politician first elected at the 2010 Australian Federal election as a Member of the Australian House of Representatives to the division of Solomon, Northern Territory, representing the Country Liberal Party. She sits with the Liberals. She was re-elected in the 2013 Australian Federal Election.

Background

Natasha Griggs was born in Adelaide, moved to the Territory when she was four weeks old and attended primary and secondary schools in Alice Springs before moving to Darwin in 1987 to complete a Bachelor of Business at the Northern Territory University (now Charles Darwin University).

She started her working life in the Northern Territory government in the IT sector. Before her election to public office she had a career in both the Government and private sectors, holding both senior project and business manager positions. In 2002 Griggs was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, undergoing six months of intensive treatment. She beat the illness and returned to work. She remains an advocate for charities and NGO's focused around cancer prevention, research and treatment. Beyond this, Griggs has long been a prominent advocate for community and non-profit organisations, raising $30,000 and being named the Territory's leading fundraiser in 1992.

Griggs stood as an Alderman in 2008 and won election to the Palmerston City Council, during which she was elected by her colleagues to the position of deputy mayor.

Political career

In 2009 she won Country Liberals pre-selection for Solomon, the marginal Labor seat that had been held by Damian Hale since the previous election. At the 2010 election, she won with a two-party-preferred swing of 1.94 points to become the first opposition member in the seat's history. She became the first female member of the House of Representatives to represent the Northern Territory. During her first term she opposed the construction of a nuclear waste facility in the Northern Territory arguing that science, and not politics, should determine its location.

She also campaigned strongly against the removal of houses from RAAF Base Darwin, championed the need for on-going support for Defence Force personnel returning home from deployment overseas and gained bi-partisan support to have 19 February, Bombing of Darwin Day, declared a National Day of Observance.

Between 2010 and 2013 Griggs was a member of three parliamentary committees: the House of Representatives Standing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Committee, the Joint Standing National Capital and External Territories Committee and the Joint Select Australia's Immigration Detention Network Committee.

She was elected for a second term in 2013 despite a small swing against her, becoming a backbencher in the Abbott government.

Griggs has a particular interest in disability issues and was one of the founding members of Riding for the Disabled NT. She is Patron of SIDS and Kids NT.

Personal life

Griggs lives in Palmerston with her husband Paul.

References

Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Damien Hale	Member for Solomon 2010–present	Incumbent