Catherine served on the Opposition front bench for 8 years variously in the Juvenile Justice, Fair Trading and Environment portfolios. In 2011 she was appointed Chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee oversighting the Ombudsman, and Police Integrity Commission.
She has served as Parliamentary Secretary for Tertiary Education and Skills, Parliamentary Secretary to former Premier Mike Baird, Parliamentary Secretary for Education & the Hunter, Parliamentary Secretary for Digital Inclusion, Parliamentary Secretary for Cost of Living and Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter.