Archer was born inHobart,Tasmania,[4] to a teenage mother. As a six-week-old baby, she was adopted by bank workers Barry and Marian Whelan, who already had a son and daughter.[5] The Whelans separated when Archer was eight and she remained with her adoptive father. However, he died not long after, and Archer moved toRavenswood, a suburb ofLaunceston, to live with her mother, who had remarried. Archer revealed that she was subjected to sexual abuse by her stepfather, whom she has described as "an aggressive, emotionally abusive and controlling alcoholic".[5]
She attended Ravenswood Primary School but was then sent to board atLaunceston Church Grammar School, only ten minutes from her home, on the insistence of her stepfather.[6] The turmoil in her family life contributed to "misbehaviour and recklessness". She was expelled from Launceston Grammar, and failed Year 12.[5] Despite that, she was admitted to theUniversity of Tasmania, although she soon dropped out.[7] She worked at theTasmanian Herbarium from 1995 to 1999,[4] as a botanical curator,[7] and later worked in "a variety of mostly casual administrative and hospitality jobs",[8] including at the2000 Summer Olympics, before returning to university.[7] She completed a Bachelor of Arts in English and political science, followed by a graduate certificate in international politics.[4]
Archer was elected to theGeorge Town Council in 2009. She served as deputy mayor from 2011 to 2014 and then as mayor until resigning in 2019 to enter federal politics.[4]
In December 2020, Archer publicly criticised theMorrison government's trial of acashless debit card to deliver welfare payments, stating that she would oppose its use within her own electorate and describing it as a "punitive measure enacted on the presumption that all welfare recipients within the trial areas are incapable of managing their finances and require the government's assistance".[12] The House of Representatives passed legislation to make the card permanent by one vote, with Archer abstaining from voting despite her earlier criticism.[13]
Archer has crossed the floor a number of times, including:
25 November 2021, to support a motion byHelen Haines that called for a debate on a national anti-corruption commission.[14]
10 February 2022, with four other Liberal MPs, to include protection for transgender students in the government's modifications to theSex Discrimination Act.[15]
4 August 2022, the sole member of the Liberal Party and National Party coalition to cross the floor to vote in favour of the government's 43% carbon emissions reduction target legislation.[16]
30 November 2022, the sole member of the Liberal Party and National Party coalition to cross the floor to vote in favour of theLabor government's motion to censure former prime ministerScott Morrison over hissecret appointment to several ministries; she said that she was registering support, as a Liberal, for the rule of law.[17][18]
6 September 2023, joining a number of crossbench MPs in voting for a motion byAndrew Wilkie calling on the government to cease the prosecutions of whistleblowersDavid McBride and Richard Boyle. The Labor Party and the rest of the Coalition voted against.[20]
19 October 2023, voting against a motion byPeter Dutton related to his call for aroyal commission intochild sexual abuse in indigenous communities and an audit of government spending on indigenous Australians. She was opposed to targeting indigenous people specifically, and against more talking when action was required.[21]
14 February 2024, the sole member of the Liberal Party and National Party coalition to cross the floor to vote in favour of urging the US and UK to allowJulian Assange to return safely to Australia.[22]
In November 2023, it was reported that there was a push by some Liberals for her to leave the party, with fellow northern Tasmanian MPGavin Pearce supposedly an opponent.[24]
In March 2024, she said that she felt marginalised within the Liberal Party, with fewer moderates around. She claimed that her views hadn't changed, but the party had shifted to the right, becoming "One Nation lite".[25]
Archer served as secretary and treasurer of the Liberal Party'sGeorge Town branch from 2012 to 2013.[4] Archer unsuccessfully contested the2018 Tasmanian election.[7]
Following her defeat at the previous federal election, Archer was elected to the state seat ofBass at the2025 Tasmanian State election, gaining the most votes of any candidate in the division.[26]
Archer was appointed Minister for Health, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Aging in theThird Rockliff Ministry.[3]
Archer has five children with her husband Winston. After marrying, they moved to his family property outsideGeorge Town, where they farm sheep and beef cattle.[8]
