Misplaced Pages

The HonourableNat CookMP
Cook in 2021
Minister for Human Services
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 March 2022
Premier	Peter Malinauskas
Preceded by	Michelle Lensink
Member of the South Australian Parliament for Hurtle Vale
Incumbent
Assumed office 17 March 2018
Preceded by	New District
Member of the South Australian Parliament for Fisher
In office 16 December 2014 – 17 March 2018
Preceded by	Bob Such
Succeeded by	District Abolished
Personal details
Born	Natalie Fleur Cook Australia
Political party	Labor Party
Spouse	Neil Davis
Education	Flinders University
Profession	Nurse and politician
Website	www.natcook.com.au

Natalie Fleur Cook is an Australian politician and anti-violence campaigner. She became an anti-violence campaigner after the death of her son in a one-punch attack in 2008.

Cook is a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly, representing Hurtle Vale since the 2018 state election. She previously represented Fisher after winning the 2014 by-election, vacated by the death of independent member Bob Such. Cook was elected with a majority of 0.02%, a victory margin of nine votes. She represented the seat until it was abolished in the 2018 election.

Cook has served as the Minister for Human Services in the Malinauskas ministry since March 2022. Cook was previously the Parliamentary Secretary for Housing and Urban Development from September 2017 until Labor's loss at the 2018 election, after which she was the Shadow Minister for Human Services in the Labor Opposition.

Anti-violence activism

In 2008 Cook's 17-year-old son Sam Davis was killed in a one-punch attack at a party. Soon after Cook and her partner, Neil Davis, founded the Sammy D Foundation, which runs school programs to spread an anti-violence message and provide positive role models to disadvantaged youth. Cook stood down from the board of the Sammy D Foundation after she was elected to Parliament.

Political career

On 20 October 2014 Cook was pre-selected as the Labor Party candidate for the seat of Fisher in the 2014 Fisher by-election, following the death of incumbent member Bob Such. Cook won the by-election by nine votes from a 7.3 percent two-party swing, resulting in the Weatherill Labor Government changing from minority to majority government. On a 0.02 percent margin it was the most marginal seat in parliament.

A redistribution of electoral boundaries occurs following each South Australian general election and it was decided in 2016 that the electoral division of Fisher would be abolished. Its electors were divided between the seats of Davenport, Heysen, Hurtle Vale, and Waite, with Hurtle Vale designated as Fisher's successor by the South Australian Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission. Cook successfully contested the 2018 general election (when the new boundaries came into effect) in Hurtle Vale, becoming its first representative. Despite Labor losing government, Cook received a swing towards her of 3.6% in two-party preferred terms, taking 55.3% of the two-party preferred vote.

Following Labor's victory at the 2022 election, Cook was appointed as Minister for Human Services in the Malinauskas ministry.

References

1. ^ Wills, Daniel (20 October 2014). "Voters to go to the polls in Bob Such's seat of Fisher on December 6 as Liberal Iain Evans also retires and triggers Davenport by-election". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
2. ^ Green, Antony (2018). "SA Election 2018 – Electorate: Hurtle Vale". ABC News. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
3. ^ Harris, Lia (30 April 2013). "Sam Davis' parents spread the anti-violence message". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
4. ^ Novak, Lauren (14 August 2015). "Nat Cook and Neil Davis are rebuilding their lives – and those of their children". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
5. ^ "Fisher by-election win for Labor gives Weatherill Government majority in SA". ABC News. 13 December 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
6. ^ "Former Member of Parliament Details – Hon Bob Such". Parliament of South Australia. 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2018. Member for Fisher from 25 November 1989 to 11 October 2014 (his death)
7. ^ Green, Antony (October 2014). "2014 Fisher By-election". ABC News. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
8. ^ "2016 Report of the Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission". South Australian Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission. 7 December 2016. p. 16. Retrieved 18 March 2018. A by-election for the district of Fisher was held on 6 December 2014. The Labor candidate won the seat over the Liberal candidate, with a margin of nine votes.
9. ^ "2014 Fisher by-election – Final Distribution of Preferences". Electoral Commission of South Australia. 15 December 2014. Archived from the original on 26 March 2015. Retrieved 18 March 2018. In the recount conducted on 15 December 2014, Harris received 10275 votes and Cook received 10284 votes.
10. "Hon Natalie (Nat) Fleur Cook". Members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
11. Novak, Lauren (11 February 2015). "New Labor MP Nat Cook stands down from Sammy D Foundation board so it cannot be used as 'political ammunition'". The Advertiser. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
12. "Labor claims victory in Fisher by-election". The Advertiser. 13 December 2014.
13. Green, Antony (2018). "SA Election 2018 – Electorate: Davenport". ABC News. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
14. Green, Antony (2018). "SA Election 2018 – Electorate: Heysen". ABC News. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
15. Green, Antony (2018). "SA Election 2018 – Electorate: Waite". ABC News. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

External links

• "Cook, Nat". Former members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
• Parliamentary Profile: SA Labor website
• Sammy D Foundation

• Living people
• Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
• Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of South Australia
• Labor Left politicians
• 21st-century Australian politicians
• 21st-century Australian women politicians
• Women members of the South Australian House of Assembly