Justine Maree Caines OAM

Justine Maree Caines was born on 21 Feb 1973 at 0643 am to Marie (née Lucas) & Richard Caines at St Margaret’s Hospital, Sydney. Justine’s childhood was spent in Sydney & Merriwa. In her adult years Justine studied at Universities in Adelaide & Canberra: laying the path for her personal & professional life. Justine worked for the CPSU & FSU unions & for Greens MLA’s Kerrie Tucker & Meredith Hunter. Highly skilled in media comms & strategic policy, Justine’s professional career included years of advocacy as Director of New Paradigm Consulting, a leading political lobbying platform. In her professional life Justine worked with the Danni Foundation, the AIATSIS foundation, LASA, World Vision, ASC & McMillan Shakespeare. Prior to these roles Justine spent 15 years in community advocacy spearheading the birth of Maternity Coalition & reviving Homebirth Australia, catapulting both national orgs into the offices of numerous State & Federal politicians. Justine held a unique edge with media & activism. In 2006 she facilitated the largest senate submission into Maternity Services across the nation and a 4000 strong rally held on the lawns of Australian Parliament House in 2009. In 2007 frustrated with political inaction, Justine co- founded the What Women Want political party fielding senate & HoR candidates in an 8 week federal election campaign. In 2010 she championed the first ‘block of Independents’ to run in the Federal Election & with crucial preferences in Corangamite: electing Australia’s first female PM, the Hon. Julia Gillard. In 2011 Justine was awarded an Order of Australia (OAM) for her work in community education & maternity advocacy. She is survived by her mother Marie and her eight beautiful home born children Ruby, Clancy, Will, Tobias, Bella, Rosie, Riley & Quinn Smith. Justine was dearly loved by all her Caines, Smith, Lucas, Goldsmith & Nutt family. Justine was aged 49 years 🦋