She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2010, representing the electorates of Keilor (2010–2014) and Sydenham (2014–present).
She has been Minister for Local Government, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Industrial Relations in the Andrews Ministry since December 2014.
A former union organiser, Hutchins was first woman to be elected Assistant Secretary of the Victorian Trades Hall Council (VTHC).
She was a Senior Advisor to the former Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks, Chief of Staff to the former Victorian Minister of Education, Mary Delahunty, and was a founding partner in the research and strategy company Global Workplace Solutions.
Hutchins, a member of Labor's Unity faction, is a member of the Australian Labor Party National Executive.
The widow of Steve Hutchins, a former Senator for New South Wales, she has one child and five step-children.