Senator McLucas was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing in the newly elected Rudd Labor Government on 4 December 2007
Jan was elected to the Australian Senate in 1998 and began her term as a Queensland Senator in July 1999. She is based in Cairns and has lived in North Queensland for most of her life. Born in Ravenshoe, she attended primary school there and then boarding school in Brisbane.

Jan trained as a teacher at Townsville College of Advanced Education (now James Cook University) where she was active in the student union. She taught for 10 years, mainly in the north. She worked in Charters Towers, Townsville, Ingham, Hayman Island and in Cairns.

“The 10 years I spent teaching young children was an extremely satisfying part of my life. Access to quality education is fundamental to achieving one’s potential and contributing to society.”

Jan was active in the Queensland Teachers Union during this time and values her association with the Union. She was also active in the broader Union movement and was the Secretary of the Cairns and District Provincial Trades and Labor Council in the late 1980s.

Her daughter Alice was born in 1990.

Consequently, Jan became involved in community-based childcare, both at her daughter's own centre and as President of the Cairns and District Child Care Development Association.

“Access to affordable, quality childcare is essential for parents wanting to continue to participate in the workforce. With other parents, we ran a strong campaign against the funding cuts to childcare after the election of the Howard Government in 1996. Childcare cannot be seen as a luxury. I am still appalled though at the paltry wages that child care workers receive.”

In 1995 Jan stood was elected Councillor of the Cairns City Council and represented Division 7 for four years.

Environmental issues have always been a part of Jan’s interest and activity. She has campaigned on a range of issues including opposing uranium mining near the Burdekin River; to save heritage buildings; against the building of the Tully Millstream dam and to stop development of the East Trinity Wetlands.

“Living in Cairns, with two World Heritage Areas on our doorstep truly brings home the need to preserve our environment. Other than the obvious environmental benefits, there are social and economic rewards which are enormous.”

Jan has worked with indigenous people - mainly in Cairns, Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait, for many years and was a member of the Regional Advisory Group of the Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy in the late 1990s.

“It is a great honor to represent Queenslanders in the Australian Senate,” she says. “Representation is best done when communication lines are open. Please take the opportunity to contact me to ensure your views are included.”

For more information on Jan's role in the Senate visit the "information archive" section.

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