Elizabeth Lee (born 1979) is an Australian politician. She has been a
Liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
member of the
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of
Kurrajong. Prior to entering the ACT Legislative Assembly in 2016, Elizabeth was a successful lawyer in the private sector and later a lecturer at the Australian National University and University of Canberra. Having migrated to Australia from Korea at the age of seven, Elizabeth moved to Canberra when she turned 18 to study Law and Asian Studies at The Australian National University.
On 27 October 2020, Lee was elected Leader of the
Canberra Liberals
The Liberal Party of Australia (Australian Capital Territory Division), branded as Canberra Liberals, is the division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The party has been in opposition in the ACT Legis ...
and became
Leader of the Opposition of the Australian Capital Territory.
Personal life
Lee was born in
Gwangju
Gwangju () is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
and migrated to Australia in 1986 when she was seven years old. She grew up in Western Sydney and moved to
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
at 18 to study law and Asian Studies at the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
. She has lived and worked in inner Canberra since 1998.
Lee lives in the inner south with her partner, Nathan, and young daughter, Mia. Outside of politics, she is passionate about fitness, having taught Sh’Bam and Body Balance classes at Fernwood Fitness and ANU Sport.
Career
She received Bachelors of Law and Asian Studies, a Graduate Diploma in legal practice, and a Masters of Law from the
Australian National University
The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...
, and worked as a law lecturer and solicitor.
Political career
Lee ran unsuccessfully for the
Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in the
Molonglo electorate
The Molonglo electorate was one of the three electorates for the unicameral 17-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly between 1995 and 2016. It had seven seats, and was the largest of the three electorates in terms of populati ...
in 2012, and for the
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia.
The term of members of the ...
seat of
Fraser Fraser may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Fraser Point, South Orkney Islands
Australia
* Fraser, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb in the Canberra district of Belconnen
* Division of Fraser (Australian Capital Territory), a former federal e ...
in 2013, both times representing the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2016 representing the new seat of
Kurrajong.
In
Alistair Coe
Alistair Bruce Coe (born 9 January 1984) is an Australian politician and a former leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). He was a member of the ACT Legislative Assembly from 2008 to ...
's shadow ministry Lee was made Shadow Minister for the Environment, Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Disability in December 2016. She was a key advocate for the Canberra Liberals' commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.
Following the Liberal Party's defeat at the
2020 election, Lee was elected on 27 October 2020 to replace Coe as party leader and
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the opposition is typically se ...
. She is the first Asian-Australian to lead a major political party in Australia.
In her first year as leader of the Canberra Liberals Lee has pushed for a variety of issues with a particular focus on policy affecting women, the economy, and the environment. In 2021 Lee introduced Australian-first
stealthing laws, with criminalised the nonconsensual removal of a condom during sex. She also released an exposure draft for legislation that would mean harsher penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence.
In late 2021, Lee attended the COP26 conference in Glasgow as part of the Australian Coalition for Conservation delegation. She addressed the UN Globe COP26 Legislators Summit closing panel, on how policy makers must set markers for how momentum on climate action can be accelerated from COP26, and also spoke at the Youth Environment Summit in Edinburgh on the importance of young voices on climate.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Elizabeth
1979 births
Living people
Liberal Party of Australia members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
Australian National University alumni
Australian politicians of Asian descent
South Korean emigrants to Australia
21st-century Australian politicians
Women members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
21st-century Australian women politicians