Elizabeth Lee
MLA
Lee in 2021
Leader of the Opposition in the Australian Capital Territory
Assumed office
27 October 2020
DeputyLeanne Castley
Preceded byAlistair Coe
Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
for Kurrajong
Assumed office
15 October 2016
Personal details
Born
Lee Seulgi

(1979-08-30) August 30, 1979
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLiberal Party
Alma materAustralian National University
Elizabeth Lee
Hangul
Revised RomanizationLee Seulgi
McCune–ReischauerLee Sŭlki

Elizabeth Lee[lower-alpha 1] (born 30th August 1979)[2] is an Australian politician. She has been a Liberal 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 and became Leader of the Opposition of the Australian Capital Territory.[3]

Personal life

Lee was born in Gwangju, South Korea and migrated to Australia in 1986 when she was seven years old. She grew up in Western Sydney and moved to Canberra at 18 to study law and Asian Studies at the Australian National University.[4] She has lived and worked in inner Canberra since 1998.

Lee lives in the inner south with her partner, Nathan, and young daughters, Mia and Ava. 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, and worked as a law lecturer and solicitor.

Political career

Lee ran unsuccessfully for the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in the Molonglo electorate in 2012, and for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Fraser in 2013, both times representing the Liberal Party. She was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2016 representing the new seat of Kurrajong.[5]

In Alistair Coe's shadow ministry Lee was made Shadow Minister for the Environment and Shadow Minister for Disability in December 2016.[6] She was a key advocate for the Canberra Liberals' commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. In February 2018 following the death of Steve Doszpot, the Education portfolio was added to Lee's responsibilities.[7]

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.[8] She is the first Asian-Australian to lead a major political party in Australia.[9] 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, which criminalised the non-consensual 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.

Following a Shadow Cabinet reshuffle on 7 December 2023, Lee was reallocated as Shadow Minister for Education alongside her existing portfolio responsibilities as Shadow Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Housing Affordability and Choice, Shadow Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Emissions Reduction, Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Tourism and Major Projects[10].

References

  1. ↑ "Act 엘리자베스 리(이슬기) 의원 재선 확정" (in Korean). 19 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Elizabeth Lee". Smartvote Australia.
  3. ↑ Jervis-Bardy, Dan (27 October 2020). "Elizabeth Lee elected Canberra Liberals' new leader". Canberra Times. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
  4. ↑ Jervis-Bardy, Dan (30 October 2020). "Elizabeth Lee on leadership, racism and fighting for her daughter's future". Canberra Times. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  5. ↑ ACT Electoral Commission (7 November 2016). "List of elected candidates - 2016 Election". www.elections.act.gov.au. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Knaus, Christopher (2 November 2016). "Alistair Coe keeps transport, Jeremy Hanson keeps senior spot in shadow ACT ministry". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  7. ↑ Bushnell, Ian (5 February 2018). "Coe reshuffles shadow ministry after loss of Steve Doszpot". Riotact. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
  8. ↑ "Elizabeth Lee named ACT Opposition Leader after Alistair Coe chooses not to contest Canberra Liberal leadership". ABC News. 27 October 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2021.
  9. ↑ Lo, Jieh-Yung (16 November 2020). "Why Elizabeth Lee's rise means so much to Asian Australians like me". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Bladen, Lucy (7 December 2023). "Hanson dumped from shadow cabinet". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 9 January 2024.

Notes

  1. ↑ Korean: 이슬기, romanized: Lee Seulgi, pronounced [isʰɯɭɡi]
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