Ursula Stephens

Ursula was first elected to the Australian Senate for the state of NSW in 2001 and re-elected in 2007. She was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector in the new Rudd Labor government. Her responsibilities involved building an ambitious change agenda for Australia’s third sector. This included the National Compact, a National Volunteering Strategy, and a program of regulatory reform leading to the establishment of Australia's first national charities register - the Australian Charities and Non Profit Regulator which came into being in 2012.

Prior to 2007, Ursula served in a number of roles including as Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Parliamentary Secretary for Science and Water, and Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development and on numerous committees within the Parliament.

Ursula completed her PhD in Public Administration, following Masters studies in Adult Education and a Bachelor of Education degree. Before entering parliament she was involved in adult and community education, after training as a primary and special education teacher. Ursula has also served on numerous advisory and regulatory bodies and boards in the public and community sectors.

Outside Parliament, Ursula enjoys supporting and mentoring a number of social entrepreneurs and social enterprises. Born in Wicklow, Ireland, Ursula is a chairperson of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Ireland and the Australia-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group.  

Ursula lives with her husband on a farm outside Goulburn in country NSW.  In their spare time they indulge their grandchildren, work on their permaculture garden, go bushwalking, and take to the open road on their motorbikes.