Christine Couzens

Background

Couzens was born and raised in Geelong, and has been a long time resident of Geelong West. She previously worked in the office of the former Member for Geelong Ian Trezise as his electorate officer. At the time of her preselection, she was the vice-president of the Geelong Trades Hall Council and had previously served as the council's president.

Couzens attended Corio Technical School, leaving at the age of 14 to take up work in a cake factory – though "absolutely hated the methodical, monotonous work". Couzens had plans to leave this job and pursue a career as a writer, however these plans fell through when she became pregnant to her then-boyfriend and future husband Allan Couzens – a local Indigenous Australian rules player, at the age of 15. Two months into her pregnancy, in 1973, she was arrested and labelled a "moral danger to society" due to the indecency of her pregnancy. Couzens ended up with a 12-month probation and was ordered by the court judge to marry as soon as she turned 16.

Couzens won preselection for the state seat of Geelong for the 2014 election unopposed, following the retirement of Ian Trezise. She defeated Liberal candidate Paula Kontelj.