Jenny Macklin was the Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs from 2007-2013, and from 2011-2013 was Minister for Disability reform under the Gillard and Rudd Labor governments. Jenny was instrumental in the national roll-out for the NDIS, overseeing the design and implementation of the Scheme. Macklin was also a member of the Government’s Expenditure Review Committee and Chair of the Government’s Social Policy Committee.

Jenny was the Minister was responsible for the design and implementation of Australia’s first national paid parental leave scheme. Prior to its launch on 1 January 2011, Australia was one of just two developed countries without a national paid parental leave scheme. The scheme provides primary caregivers with 18 weeks of paid parental leave paid at the national minimum wage. In the six years since the scheme was launched more than 700,000 Australian families have accessed paid parental leave.

In 2019, Jenny retired from the Parliament after a fruitful and successful political career.