Kate Ellis

The Honourable Kate Ellis MP
Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth
In office 1 July 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Peter Garrett
Succeeded by	Sussan Ley
In office 3 December 2007 – 28 June 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Position Recreated
Succeeded by	Peter Garrett
Minister for Employment Participation
In office 14 December 2011 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Mark Arbib
Succeeded by	Luke Hartsuyker
Minister for the Status of Women
In office 15 September 2010 – 14 December 2011
Prime Minister	Julia Gillard
Preceded by	Tanya Plibersek
Succeeded by	Julie Collins
Minister for Sport
In office 3 December 2007 – 24 June 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Preceded by	George Brandis
Succeeded by	Mark Arbib
Member of the Australian Parliament for Adelaide
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 October 2004
Preceded by	Trish Worth
Personal details
Born	22 September 1977 Melbourne
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	David Penberthy
Website	kateellis.com.au

Katherine Margaret Ellis, MP (born 22 September 1977) is an Australian politician, representing the federal division of Adelaide for the Australian Labor Party since 2004. She served in multiple portfolios in the outer ministry of the 2007–13 federal Labor government and is now in shadow cabinet.

Early life and career

Ellis was born in Melbourne and grew up in rural South Australia in the Murray River town of Mannum where her mother worked as a teacher in the local primary school. Ellis moved to Adelaide for her secondary education, attending Daws Road High School. She enrolled but left without completing a Bachelor of International Studies at Flinders University.^[1] While enrolled at Flinders she was General Secretary of the Students Association and an editor of Empire Times. A member of the Australian Labor Party, she worked as a research officer for state and federal parliamentarians. Ellis is linked with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA). She was a ministerial adviser to South Australian state minister Rory McEwen and then for the former Deputy Premier of South Australia, Kevin Foley.^[2][3][4][5]

Political career

Ellis was elected to the House of Representatives for the Division of Adelaide, South Australia at the 2004 federal election, defeating Liberal Party incumbent Trish Worth on a 2 percent two-party swing to a margin of 1.3 points, increasing to 8.5 points in 2007. The margin was reduced to 7.7 points in 2010 and to 4.0 percent in 2013.

After the 2007 election Ellis became Minister for Youth and Minister for Sport. This made her the youngest person ever to become an Australian government minister, a record until then held by former Prime Minister Paul Keating.^[6] In 2009 Ellis took on the portfolio of Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth. After the 2010 election, Ellis became the Minister for Employment Participation and Early Childhood and Childcare and the Minister for the Status of Women.^[7] For a few months prior to the 2013 Labor government defeat, Ellis was the Minister for Early Childhood, Childcare and Youth. Ellis was then elevated to shadow cabinet with the portfolios of Education and Early Childhood.^[2]

Political Positions

Ellis voted in support of a gay marriage bill in 2012.^[8] She supported the Safe School Coalition Australia program in 2016.^[9]

Personal life

Ellis is married to News Limited journalist David Penberthy, a former editor of Sydney's Daily Telegraph and current editor of Adelaide's Sunday Mail.^[10] Ellis gave birth to her first child, a boy, in April 2015.^[11] Ellis supports the Adelaide Football Club and was named as a club ambassador in 2009.^[12][13] In 2011, she joined tennis star Lleyton Hewitt as the club's number-one ticket holder, becoming the first woman so honoured.^[14] She is also a Club Ambassador for the SANFL team the Glenelg Tigers.^[15]

Ellis's public image has been the subject of media attention since her entry into public life. In October 2008, she was voted Parliament's "sexiest" MP in a poll of federal MPs conducted by The Courier-Mail newspaper.^[16] In April 2010, she modelled a Karen Millen dress and Gucci high-heels for Grazia magazine.^[17] She agreed to do the shoot to raise awareness of poor body image and in order to encourage fashion magazines to promote healthy attitudes toward weight and eating.^[18]

See also

• First Rudd ministry
• First Gillard ministry
• Second Gillard ministry
• Second Rudd ministry

References

1. "Panelist: Kate Ellis". ABC. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
2. Kate Ellis: APH
3. Kate Ellis: ALP
4. Kate Ellis: Hawker Britton
5. Why is the union that represents supermarket workers stopping gay marriage?: SMH 2 May 2015
6. Nicholson, Brendan (30 November 2007). "Rudd and the Sisters Ministry". Melbourne: The Age. Retrieved 5 January 2008.
7. "The Gillard ministry". Melbourne: The Age. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2010.
8. "Lower House votes down same-sex marriage bill". ABC News. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
9. "Kate Ellis: We need to send LGBTI students a message of unwavering support". Daily Life. Retrieved 2016-02-13.
10. "Federal Childcare Minister Kate Ellis and News Limited editor David Penberthy engaged to marry". adelaidenow. 12 November 2012.
11. Adelaide MP Kate Ellis and Advertiser columnist David Penberthy welcome baby boy: The Advertiser 10 April 2015
12. "2009 Season Guide out now". afc.com.au. Adelaide Football Club. 29 March 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
13. "About Kate". Kate Ellis. Retrieved 13 October 2010.
14. "Kate Ellis joins Crows" (Press release). Adelaide Football Club. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 26 March 2012.
15. "Club Ambassadors". Glenelg Football Club. n.d. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
16. Lewis, Steve (31 October 2008). "Kate Ellis voted Australia's sexiest politician". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 1 November 2008.
17. "Kate Ellis: 'I'm horrified by how we see ourselves'". Grazia (Australian edition, issue 85). 19 April 2010. pp. 20–21. Archived from the original on 15 April 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2010.
18. Harvey, Claire (4 April 2010). "Ellis digs her high heels in". The Sunday Telegraph. p. 28. Archived from the original on 15 April 2010. Retrieved 15 April 2010.

External links

• KateEllis.com.au official website
• Parliamentary Profile: Australian Parliament website
• Parliamentary Profile: Labor website
• Search or browse Hansard for Kate Ellis at OpenAustralia.org