Chancellor, it is my pleasure to present to you for a degree of the University, the Honourable Kate Lundy.
Kate Lundy built a strong reputation as a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory over almost 20 years.
She is widely respected within the commercial and academic sectors of the information and communications technology industry for her exceptional contributions to advocacy and policy.
It is a little known secret that Ms Lundy started her career as a builder's labourer though quickly found a passion for politics and in 1996 became the youngest woman from the Australian Labor Party to be elected to Federal parliament.
During her time in politics Ms Lundy held the portfolios of Sport and Multicultural Affairs, and served as Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation and Minister Assisting for the Digital Economy.
She also became known as a prominent advocate for ensuring ICT was part of the national conversation. Her parliamentary roles gave her the opportunity to shape and influence the public policy around the ICT industry.
Ms Lundy has been passionate about the issue of Internet regulation and has argued against the policy of both the Howard government and her own party in that area.
During her parliamentary career, she was a member of many committees dealing with communications, innovation and ICT issues.
She also took part in international delegations to showcase the capacity of the Australian information and communications technology industry.
Her contributions have become widely appreciated and recognised by the sector.
Ms Lundy is a patron of the Pearcey Foundation, a national non-profit advocacy group for the ICT industry. The Foundation described Ms Lundy as the 'one continuous voice for our sector in the Australian Parliament'.
Since her retirement from the Senate, Ms Lundy has continued to use her talents to benefit the Canberra community.
In 2015 she was appointed the ACT Local Industry Advocate, to broker links between local businesses and larger entities, to optimise the benefits to local industry and the government.
In the following year, she became the ACT Defence Industry Advocate, working with defence businesses, the government and educational institutions, to promote the capabilities of defence companies in the Canberra region.
Alongside these activities, Ms Lundy sits on a variety of strategic and advisory boards promoting the use of technology more broadly within Australian society.
She has worked closely with the University over recent years, specifically with the ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science.
This has helped the College connect with a variety of technology firms and individuals undertaking commercialisation or public policy work.
Chancellor, it is with pleasure that I present to you the Honourable Kate Lundy, that you may confer on her the Degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa for her exceptional contributions to advocacy and policy for information communications and technology, for the ACT and nationally.
