Gayle Tierney

Gayle Tierney is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council since November 2006, representing Western Victoria Region.

Tierney was the minister for training and skills from November 2016, the minister for higher education from November 2018, and the minister for agriculture from June 2022. She was also the minister for corrections between 2016 and 2018.

Tierney studied politics and Asian studies at Flinders University, before entering the trade union movement.  

Notably, she was the first woman to become state secretary of the traditionally male-dominated Vehicle Division of the Automotive, Metals and Engineering Union (now part of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union), having in that role from 1993 to 2006, and was its federal president from 2000 to 2006.  

Tierney entered politics at the 2006 state election.  

She has held various positions including shadow parliamentary secretary for employment from 2012 to 2014 and cabinet secretary in 2016.

On 9 November 2016, Tierney was appointed as minister for corrections and minister for training and skills following the resignation of Steve Herbert.

Following the 2018 Victorian state election, she was re-appointed as minister for training and skills and appointed minister of higher education.