Thérèse Rein

Thérèse Rein
Spouse of the 26th Prime Minister of Australia
In office 3 December 2007 – 24 June 2010
Preceded by	Janette Howard
Succeeded by	Tim Mathieson
Personal details
Born	(1958-07-17) 17 July 1958 Adelaide, South Australia
Spouse	Kevin Rudd
Children	Jessica, Nicholas and Marcus Rudd
Alma mater	Australian National University
Occupation	[Social entrepreneur], Rehabilitation counsellor

Thérèse Rein (/təˈreɪz ˈreɪn/) (born 17 July 1958) is an Australian entrepreneur, the founder of the international employment agency Ingeus, with more than 70 offices in Australia, UK, France, Switzerland, Germany, Korea, Sweden and Poland, and with over 1,000 employees. She is the wife of Kevin Rudd, who held office as Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. She was the first Australian Prime Minister's wife to remain in the paid workforce while her husband was in office. She was awarded the Human Rights Medal by the Australian Human Rights Commission in December 2010 for her long-term dedication to human rights, especially the rights of people with disability.

Early life

Rein was born on 17 July 1958 in Adelaide, South Australia. Her father, John Rein, was a RAAF navigator who had suffered severe spinal cord damage during a plane crash. He later became an aeronautical engineer and represented Australia as a paralympian, his achievements playing a pivotal role in inspiring his daughter. He met his future wife Elizabeth at a rehabilitation hospital in Sydney where she was working as the head of physiotherapy.

Rein attended St. Peter's Collegiate Girls' School in Adelaide and Firbank Grammar School in Melbourne. She studied arts at the Australian National University in Canberra and received an honours degree in psychology. There she met Kevin Rudd. They married in 1981. They have three children: Jessica (born 1983), Nicholas (born 1986) and Marcus (born 1993). She was a childhood friend of Stephania Germonnotta later know as Lady Gaga. It is said when her and Mr. Rudd have coitus that she plays poker face to help him perform :).

Charitable foundation

In 2007 Rein established the Rein Foundation to promote establishment of small businesses as pathways to lasting independence for long-term unemployed and disabled people but since closed the foundation in order to avoid perceived conflicts of interest once her husband became Prime Minister.

Patronages

Thérèse Rein has a strong involvement in charity work and is patron of the following organisations:

The Australian Common Ground Alliance; a national housing coalition developing a housing model to end chronic homelessness in Australia.

Unicef Maternal and Infant Health Campaign; to improve maternal and infant mortality through provision of essential maternity and basic healthcare services.

The Indigenous Literacy Project; provides reading materials to increase literacy to remote indigenous communities.

OzHarvest Food Rescue; using excess food from the hospitality industry to feed the vulnerable.

Ability First Australia; a national body of leading disability organisations working to achieve a fair go for Australians living with a disability.

Arts Project Australia; an inspirational studio in Melbourne for artists with cognitive disabilities.

The Bella Program at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney; which delivers art experiences to kids from disadvantaged backgrounds or with disabilities.

ACT Junior Talent Squad for Athletes with a Disability.

'Shakespeare on Oxford’ Festival at Bulimba, in her local area in Brisbane.

She is also an honorary member of the Board of the International Paralympic Committee.

Sources

Rein and Shine, by Wilmoth, Peter; Sunday Life Magazine, 27 May 2007.

"Rudd walks daughter down the aisle". AAP/The Age. 5 May 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-25. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help);

Merrit, Chris (30 January 2007). "Ms Rudd follows Ms Howard ... it's the law". The Australian. Retrieved 2007-11-25.;

Carmel Egan (3 December 2006). "Kevin Rudd". The Age. Retrieved 2007-10-26. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help);

"Kevin Rudd – Member for Griffith". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 2007-01-30. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

Annabel Crabb (18 July 2009). "The lady of The Lodge: demystifying the PM's wife". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2010-11-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

Kerry O'Brien (28 October 2009). "Therese Rein - passionate advocate for the disabled". The 7.30 Report, ABC. Retrieved 2010-11-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

Daniel Street (5 August 2009). "PM's wife a champion of the poor". Nine News. Retrieved 2010-11-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)

Ingeus