Paula Wriedt

Infobox Politician
name = Paula Catherine Wriedt


caption =
birth_date =Birth date and age|1968|12|11|df=y
birth_place =Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
death_date =
death_place =
constituency_MP3 = Franklin
parliament3 = Tasmanian
term_start3 = 24 February 1996
term_end3 =
predecessor3 =
successor3 =
party = Australian Labor Party
spouse = Dale Rahmanovic (separated)
children = Daniel (2000), Amy (2001)
religion =
website = [http://paulawriedt.com paulawriedt.com]
footnotes =

Paula Catherine Wriedt (born 11 December 1968, Hobart) is an Australian politician. She is an Australian Labor Party member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, representing the outer suburban Hobart seat of Franklin. She was first elected to parliament in the 1996 election. Wriedt is the daughter of former state Labor leader and Whitlam Government Minister for Agriculture Ken Wriedt. [cite web | url=http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/tasparl/wriedt706.htm | title=Paula Wreidt | publisher=Parliamentary Library of Tasmania | date= 2008 | accessdate=2008-04-13]

Wriedt was appointed Minister for Education in 1998, becoming the youngest ever female member of Cabinet in Tasmania. As Education Minister, in December 2000, she launched "Learning Together", a major policy on education, training and information provision for the state of Tasmania. Learning Together promised a complete overhaul of the state's education system, introducing the Essential Learnings Curriculum as a trial way to assess and teach students. Wriedt also funded the establishment of a number of child care centres co-located with government primary schools, and saw the raising of Tasmania's school leaving age from 16 to 17 years.cite web | url=http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/cabinet/paula_wriedt | title=Cabinet Profile - Paula Wreidt | publisher=Tasmanian Government | year= 2008 | accessdate=2008-04-13]

In 2002 she also became Minister for Women. In 2005, Wriedt initiated the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women to recognise the significant contribution that women have made to Tasmania throughout history.

In the 2006 Tasmanian state election Wriedt suffered a decline in her primary vote, almost losing her seat to Liberal challenger Vanessa Goodwin, after criticism of the government over the Essential Learnings Curriculum. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/tas/content/2006/s1676047.htm|title=Bartlett Interview|last=Ward|first=Airllie|date=2006-06-30|work=Stateline Tasmania|accessdate=2008-08-10] After the election, she became Minister for Tourism, Arts and the Environment, while David Bartlett assumed her Education portfolio. Following a cabinet reshuffle in January 2008, Wriedt was appointed Minister for Economic Development and Tourism. [cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,23127006-3462,00.html|title=Wriedt wins in Cabinet reshuffle|work=The Mercury (Hobart)|date=29 January 2008|accessdate=2008-08-04]

On 31 July 2008, Wriedt was the subject of a comment, which some described as a "lewd" remark, made by Sam Newman on the Nine Network's AFL Footy Show.cite news | last = Denholm | first = Matthew | title = Stricken minister Paula Wriedt rushed to hospital | url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24129790-5006788,00.html | publisher = The Australian | date = 2008-08-05 | accessdate = 2008-08-05 ] Wriedt appeared on the show to announce a AUD$4 million sponsorship deal for a Tasmanian AFL team bid. [cite news | url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24111501-661,00.html | title=Footy show star Sam Newman in trouble | work=Herald-Sun | date= 31 July 2008 | accessdate=2008-07-31] cite news|url=http://northerntasmania.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/politics/paula-wriedt-rushed-to-hospital/1234714.aspx|title=Paula Wriedt rushed to hospital|last=Burgess|first=Julian|date=4 August 2008|work=The Examiner|accessdate=2008-08-04] Wriedt described the remark as "stupid and inappropriate", and Newman apologised the following day.cite news|url=http://northerntasmania.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/politics/paula-wriedt-rushed-to-hospital/1234714.aspx|title=Paula Wriedt rushed to hospital|last=Burgess|first=Julian|date=4 August 2008|work=Launceston Examiner|accessdate=2008-08-04]

The following week, on 4 August 2008, Wriedt was admitted to hospital after an apparent suicide attempt. [cite web | year = 2008 | url = http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24136303-921,00.html | title = Legal threat, Facebook link to suicide attempt | publisher = The Mercury | accessdate = 2008-08-06] [cite web | year = 2008 | url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/08/05/2324396.htm?section=justin | title = Government won't comment on Wriedt future | publisher = ABC News | accessdate = 2008-08-06] [cite web | year = 2008 | url = http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/tasmanian-mps-suicide-bid/2008/08/05/1217702042519.html | title = Tasmanian MP's suicide bid linked to work, personal strains | publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald | accessdate = 2008-08-06] Premier David Bartlett announced that she would require a period of treatment and recuperation, and that he would be temporarily handling Wriedt's ministerial duties.

On August 6, 2008, Wriedt released a statement [cite news|url=http://www.media.tas.gov.au/release.php?id=24428|title=Statement from Paula Wriedt|last=Wriedt|first=Paula|date=6 August 2008|work=Tasmanian Government Media Releases|accessdate=2008-08-11] acknowledging that she had been suffering from depression following the breakdown in her marriage to Dale Rahmanovic as a consequence of an affair of several months she had with former chauffeur Ben Chaffey. Chaffey had subsequently commenced legal proceedings seeking an ex-gratia payment of about $150,000, claiming the fall-out from the affair has left him unable to resume his work duties. [cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24137466-2702,00.html|title=Paula Wriedt regrets 'hurt' over affair with driver|last=Denholm|first=Matthew|date=6 August 2008|work=The Australian|accessdate=2008-08-06]

On 12 September 2008 Premier Bartlett asked the Governor of Tasmania to withdraw Wriedt's commission, ending her appointment as a minister. [cite news|url=http://news.smh.com.au/national/tasmania-premier-sacks-troubled-minister-20080912-4f4r.html|title=Tasmania premier sacks troubled minister|date=2008-09-12|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|accessdate=2008-09-12]

References

External links

* [http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/ha/ISWriedtPaula.htm Paula Wriedt's maiden speech to parliament]
* [http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/history/tasparl/wriedt706.htm Parliamentary library profile]