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

, 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