Suzanne Mary Ellery (born 12 May 1962) is an Australian politician who has been a
Labor Party member of the
Legislative Council of
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
since 2001, representing
South Metropolitan Region
The South Metropolitan Region is a multi-member electoral region of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia. It was created by the ''Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987'', an ...
. She is the current
Minister for Finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
,
Minister for Commerce, and
Minister for Women's Interests
Minister for Women's Interests is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Sue Ellery of the Labor Party. The position was first created after the 1983 state election, for the government of Brian Burke, and has exist ...
in the
McGowan government, having previously served as a minister in the government of
Alan Carpenter
Alan John Carpenter (born 4 January 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th Premier of Western Australia, from 2006 to 2008. From Albany, Carpenter graduated from the University of Western Australia, and worked as a journ ...
from 2007 to 2008.
Early life
Ellery was born in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
to Rosemarie (née Gellard) and Peter Ellery. She attended
Newman College before going on to the
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany, Western Australia, Albany an ...
, graduating with a
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
degree. She joined the Labor Party while at university, and in 1983 was the national women's officer for the
Australian Union of Students
The Australian Union of Students (AUS), formerly National Union of Australian University Students (NUAUS), was a representative body and lobby group for Australian university and college of advanced education students. It collapsed in 1984 and w ...
. Prior to entering politics, Ellery worked in the trade union movement, including as an industrial advocate for the
Liquor, Hospitality, and Miscellaneous Workers' Union.
[Suzanne (Sue) Mary Ellery](_blank)
– Biographical Register of Members of the Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
Politics
Ellery entered parliament at the
2001 state election, as the lead candidate on the Labor Party's ticket in South Metropolitan Region. She was a
parliamentary secretary in the government of
Geoff Gallop
Geoffrey Ian Gallop (born 27 September 1951) is an Australian academic and former politician who served as the 27th Premier of Western Australia from 2001 to 2006. He is currently a professor and director of the Graduate School of Government at ...
in 2003, and continued on when Alan Carpenter replaced Gallop as premier in January 2006. Ellery was elevated to the ministry in March 2007, becoming
Minister for Child Protection,
Minister for Community Services,
Minister for Women's Interests
Minister for Women's Interests is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Sue Ellery of the Labor Party. The position was first created after the 1983 state election, for the government of Brian Burke, and has exist ...
, and
Minister for Seniors and Volunteering
Minister for Seniors and Ageing and Minister for Volunteering are positions in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Don Punch of the Labor Party. The position of "Minister for the Aged" was first created in 1984, for the governm ...
. She held her positions until the Labor government's defeat at the
2008 state election. After that election, Ellery continued on as a shadow minister, and was also elected leader of the Labor Party in the Legislative Council.
[Hon. Suzanne (Sue) Mary Ellery MLC](_blank)
Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 19 July 2016. She has been identified as a member of the party's
Labor Left
The Labor Left, also known as the Progressive Left or Socialist Left, is political faction of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It competes with the more economically liberal Labor Right faction.
The Labor Left operates autonomously in each s ...
faction.
From 2017 to 2022, she was the
minister for education and training
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Education administers the Department of Education. The position is held by Labor MP Jason Clare, following the Australian federal election in 2022.
Portfolio scope
The Minister is responsible fo ...
. In December 2022, she requested a change in ministries during a cabinet reshuffle.
She became the
minister for finance
A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation.
A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", ...
,
minister for commerce, and
minister for women's interests
Minister for Women's Interests is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Sue Ellery of the Labor Party. The position was first created after the 1983 state election, for the government of Brian Burke, and has exist ...
.
Ellery plans to retire from politics at the
2025 election.
See also
*
Women in the Western Australian Legislative Council
References
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellery, Sue
1962 births
Living people
Women members of the Western Australian Legislative Council
Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Australian trade unionists
Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council
People educated at Newman College, Perth
Politicians from Perth, Western Australia
University of Western Australia alumni
21st-century Australian politicians
21st-century Australian women politicians