She was a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1982 to 1992, representing the electorate of Ringwood.
She joined the Labor Party in 1972 and was involved in a number of community organisations, including serving as co-ordinator of the Maroondah Halfway House Group, a women's refuge, from 1977 to 1978 and president of the Boronia Technical School Council from 1979 to 1983.
Setches was minister during a period of significant change: she introduced mandatory reporting of child abuse, formally closed the notorious Sunbury Asylum however little was done to accommodate the insane who for the most part were left to roam the streets in places like St Kilda resulting in some being shot by police after turning violent, increased funding to Kew Cottages, and advocated the outlawing of surrogacy.
[3] She subsequently retired to Victoria Harbour at Docklands, and has spoken about planning issues in the area.
[5][6] Three of her parliamentary advisers, Alan Griffin, Gavin Jennings and Lynne Kosky, subsequently went on to political careers of their own as federal and state ministers.