Jacinta Collins has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 1987. She completed a Bachelor of Arts (Monash) and Bachelor of Social Work (La Trobe), before working as a Social Welfare Officer and Research Officer for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association. In 1989, Collins joined the ALP's Administrative Committee; Status of Women Committee; and Social Justice Policy Committee. She was appointed to the Senate in 1995 following the death of Senator Olive Zakharov.

In the ten years from 1995 to 2005, Collins served on Senate Legislative and References Committees on Community Affairs; Economics; and Employment, Workplace Relations, Small Business and Education. She was a participating member on the References Committee for Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade. Collins was a member of the Parliamentary Delegation to the 101st IPU Conference in Brussels, Belgium, April 1999; and of the Parliamentary Delegation to the Russian Federation in mid-2005. From 1998 to 2001, she was Parliamentary Secretary representing the Shadow Ministers for Industrial Relations and Employment, Training and Population in the Senate. From mid-2003 to 2004, Collins was a member of the Opposition Shadow Ministry, serving as Shadow Minister for Children and Youth.

Sources used to compile this entry: http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=10933&TABLE=BIOGS&TARGET=.