Farina contested the 2005 state election atop the Labor ticket, and after the election was promoted to the position of parliamentary secretary. She lost one of her portfolios to Peter Watson in November 2005, but picked up another in a reshuffle in March 2006. She has repeatedly been touted as a potential Cabinet minister, although she was overlooked in the reshuffle that followed the resignation of Premier Geoff Gallop in March 2006 and again when John D'Orazio was forced to resign from Cabinet in May 2006. Most recently, as of May 2006, Farina has been heavily involved with a project aimed at reducing negative effects associated with leavers' week in her region.