Jeannie Ferris

Jeannie Margaret Ferris (14 March 1941 – 2 April 2007) was an Australian politician, lobbyist, journalist, and Liberal Senator for South Australia. She was educated at Monash University, where she graduated in agricultural economics.

Ferris was born Jeanne Margaret Whitlow in Auckland, New Zealand. During the period between her endorsement as a candidate for the 1996 election and 1 July 1996, when she took her seat, Ferris was employed by Senator Nick Minchin. It was suggested that this constituted holding "of office of profit under the Crown", which under section 44 of the Constitution could have rendered her election invalid. To avoid any possibility of this, she resigned from the Senate on 12 July 1996, and was immediately re-appointed by the Parliament of South Australia to the vacancy caused by her own resignation.

In December 2003, Ferris was involved in the resignation of Senator Andrew Bartlett as leader of the Australian Democrats, after an incident at Parliament House. Bartlett had earlier in the evening stolen five bottles of wine from a Liberal Party Christmas function, which Ferris had sent staff to retrieve. At around 10:30 pm Ferris confronted Bartlett, who was drunk. Bartlett approached Ferris on the floor of the Senate chamber, allegedly grabbing her arm and calling her a "fucking bitch". He then supposedly followed her out of the chamber while verbally abusing her. The next morning Bartlett apologised in writing to Ferris, although she considered the inclusion of a bottle of wine with Bartlett's letter of apology "quite inappropriate ... as an apology for drunken behaviour involving abuse and a physical attack."