About Giz
Giz was educated in England and Australia. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science from Murdoch University in 1981. In 1984 Giz successfully completed a Trade Certificate in carpentry and joinery at the City & Guilds of London. In 1992 she became one of only three women registered builders in Western Australia. Giz ran her own building business for 12 years.
Prior to being elected to the State Parliament, she was employed as the WA Co-ordinator of the Marine & Coastal Community Network. Giz’s interest in ecology, peace and social justice led to her involvement in numerous and diverse community groups working on issues such as, coastal and marine, urban bushland, community housing and opposition to the arms trade.
She is renowned as an energetic and passionate activist. In the UK, Giz trained nonviolent direct action groups for peace camps. These peace camps were instrumental in the removal of US nuclear missiles from the UK.
Giz was one of the inaugural inductees into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame 2011 for her achievements as a long serving Member of Parliament and her work in the Gay and Lesbian community.
Click here to read Giz’s Inaugural Speech made on 10 June 1997.
Giz takes a very active role in Parliament. She currently serves as Chair of the Standing Committee on Estimates and Financial Operations and is a Co-opted Member – Standing Committee on Procedure and Privileges (Council).
Previous roles in Committees include:
- Deputy Chair – Standing Committee on Legislation.
- Member – Select Committee into the Police Raid on the Sunday Times.
- Member – Select Committee into the Appropriateness of Powers and Penalties for Breaches of Parliamentary Privilege and Contempts of Parliament.
- Member – Select Committee on Native Title.
- Member – Select Committee on Advocacy for Children (Appointment of a Commissioner for Children).
- Chair – Select Committee into the Department of Education and Training.
- Member – Select Committee on the Adequacy of Foster Care Assessment Procedures by the Department for Community Development.
Outside Parliament Giz is a member of the following groups and organisations:
- Amnesty International Australia
- Anti-Nuclear Alliance of Western Australia
- Australia Tibet Council
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- Australian Marine Conservation Society
- Australian Red Cross
- Bicycle Transport Alliance
- Cambridge Coastcare
- Conservation Council of WA
- Environment Defender’s Office of WA
- Environmental Weeds Action Network WA
- Friends of Bold Park Bushland
- Friends of Shenton Park Bushland
- Gay and Lesbian Community Services
- Pride WA
- RTR FM
- South Cottesloe Coastcare
- Sustainable Energy Now
- Urban Bushland Council
- Western Australian Council of Social Services
- Women’s Council for Domestic and Family Violence Services (WA)
Message from Hon Alison Xamon MLC - Congratulations to Giz Watson and Jo Vallentine who were both recognised amongst 100 “Women of the Century” and inducted into the WA Women’s Hall of Fame as part of the International Women’s Day 100th birthday celebrations.
