 In September 2007, former Prime Minister Bob Hawke campaigned with Parke in Fremantle and said that she was "a lady of extreme talent and she's got the experience of dealing with practical situations which will stand her in very good stead in the Parliament".Kevin Rudd appointed Parke as Minister for International Development in his second ministry, a role she served in until Labor lost office in September 2013.In 2013 Parke was a joint recipient of the Alan Missen award for integrity, awarded by the Accountability Round Table once every three years.