The Australian Women's Register

Deb Foskey grew up in rural Victoria and after completing a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Diploma of Education at Melbourne University moved with her family to settle at Cabanandra in the mountain forests of East Gippsland. There they built their off-grid home and campaigned to save the East Gippsland forests while Deb taught in the region’s schools. The family moved to Canberra for the children’s secondary schooling where she continued her studies at the Australian National University, gaining a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 2003. A member of the ACT Greens, Deb Foskey was elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly, at her second attempt, representing the electorate of Molonglo in 2004. She had previously stood for an ACT Senate seat at the federal elections in 1996 and 1998.

By now a single parent Deb was concerned about the housing rights of low-income earners and was able to protect the tenancies of the residents of a long-stay caravan park in Narrabundah when the ownership changed.  Other matters she concerned herself with during her time in the Assembly included proposing a ban on caged hens for egg production in the ACT and increased accountability of decision-making by the Labor majority government.

She retired from the Assembly in 2008 after serving for one term only, and returned to Cabanandra where she continued to campaign for environmental, climate and social issues and remained active in community groups. She stood for the East Gippsland Shire Council in 2016, was a Greens candidate at the 2018 Victorian state election for the seat of East Gippsland and at the 2019 federal election for the seat of Gippsland. Shortly after the 2019 election she was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died within a year.