Karen Andrews

Andrews grew up in Townsville and attended Townsville Grammar School. She is well educated and qualified as she completed Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the Queensland Institute of Technology and was one of the engineering faculty’s first two female graduates. She also holds a graduate diploma in industrial relations at Victoria University. She worked as an industrial advocate within the metal, engineering and construction industries, representing the employers in negotiations with employees before getting into mainstream politics.

Andrews is an advocate for the advancement of science as she was a founding co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Science in 2012, along with Richard Marles. Her major policies while in office as the Science and Technology minister include the creation of a Cooperative Research Centre on clean energy and additional funding for artificial intelligence research and the Australian Space Agency. She also garnered media attention and positive publicity as she was a key figure in the government’s response to COVID-19. She was also a part of a political controversy as she was accused of leading a hostile work environment.