Mrs Jones, who took up her seat in the ACT Legislative Assembly last year, likens entering the halls of territory power to being the new kid in high school.

''It is a bit like coming to a new school in year 9 when everyone else knows who is who and what is what and now I have to work hard to catch up,'' Mrs Jones said.

With a new job and four kids under the age of seven, finding the time to read is not easy.

''I'm really fascinated by conservative thought … I can't pretend to be a book worm. It can be tough to find time to squirrel away and read a book,'' she said.

''I usually read as I'm going to sleep and it depends on how exhausted I am.''

At the moment There Is No Alternative by Claire Berlinski is sitting on her bedside table.

''It is a very thoughtful biography of Margaret Thatcher. It delves into the challenges she faced, her successes and failures. I am keenly interested in conservative women of the past because I believe many of the political choices and battles we face today are very similar, though in a different time, to those faced forever by Western society.''

And the 32-year-old wants one day to write her own guide on how to succeed in politics. ''One day, when there is nothing else to gain. I'd love to write for other women. How to do what I've done.''

A book that changed her life is Dave Grossman's On Killing.

''It was the first book my husband suggested when we first met, because he's army. It opened my eyes to another world out there and what they do overseas. When we first got to know each other it was something I needed to understand - what's this whole killing things about? And Grossman's book is a study of the psychology of military killing. It's actually a pretty easy read.''