Kate Ellis

The Honourable Kate Ellis MP
Shadow Minister for Education and Early Childhood
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 October 2013
Leader	Bill Shorten
Preceded by	Christopher Pyne
Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth
In office 9 June 2009 – 28 June 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Succeeded by	Peter Garrett
In office 1 July 2013 – 18 September 2013
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd
Preceded by	Peter Garrett
Succeeded by	Sussan Ley
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 Sport
In office 3 December 2007 – 24 June 2010
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd Julia Gillard
Preceded by	George Brandis
Succeeded by	Mark Arbib
Minister for Youth
In office 3 December 2007 – 9 June 2009
Prime Minister	Kevin Rudd
Succeeded by	Herself as Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth
Member of the Australian Parliament for Adelaide
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 October 2004
Preceded by	Trish Worth
Personal details
Born	(1977-09-22) 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. She has, to date, not completed any undergraduate degree since. 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. She was a ministerial adviser to South Australian state minister Rory McEwen and then for the former Deputy Premier of South Australia, Kevin Foley.^[1][2][3]

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.^[4] 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.^[5] 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.^[1]

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.^[6] As of October 2014 the couple are expecting their first child together; with Penberthy having two from a previous marriage.^[7] Ellis supports the Adelaide Football Club and was named as a club ambassador in 2009.^[8][9] In 2011, she joined tennis star Lleyton Hewitt as the club's number-one ticket holder, becoming the first woman so honoured.^[10] She is also a Club Ambassador for the SANFL team the Glenelg Tigers.^[11]

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.^[12] In April 2010, she modelled a Karen Millen dress and Gucci high-heels for Grazia magazine.^[13] 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.^[14]

See also

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

References

External links

• Search or browse Hansard for Kate Ellis at OpenAustralia.org
• APH Profile
• Official website