Bridget is the Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development, and the Leader of the Nationals in the Senate. She is a former Cabinet Minister, and the first federal female Agriculture Minister and has held a number of portfolios including emergency management, national recovery and resilience, sport, regional communications, education and health. Bridget was elected Senator for Victoria in 2010.
She holds a Bachelor or Applied Science and Education, specializing in mathematics and physical education. She lectured at Monash University.
Bridget is the author of a biography of former Country Party Prime Minister: John McEwen – Right Man, Right Place, Right Time.
As minister Bridget was known for local, pragmatic, and evidence-based policy. She is also a strong proponent of the Westminster conventions of the Australian Parliament, religious freedom, and of the rights of law-abiding firearms owners.
