Penny Wong was born in Malaysia in 1968 and came to Australia with her family when she was eight. She studied law at the University of Adelaide and worked as a barrister and solicitor, a union industrial officer and a ministerial adviser before being elected to the Senate for South Australia in 2001. A member of the opposition shadow ministry from 2004 to 2007, she became Minister for Climate Change and Water in 2007 and Minister for Finance and Deregulation in 2010. In 2013, she became Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.

At the South Australian State Labor Convention in 2010, she urged the Australian Labor Party to support same-sex marriage.

Published Resources

Newspaper Articles

• Martin, Sarah and Kelton, Greg, 'Wong's Gay-marriage Push Gathers Pace', The Advertiser, 29 November 2010, p. 4. Details
• Taylor, Lenore, 'The Minister of Cool [Profile of Penny Wong]', Weekend Australian Magazine, 23-24 May 2009, pp. 12-16. Details

Online Resources

• Senator the Hon Penny Wong, http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=00AOU. Details

See also

• 'Wong, Penelope Ying-Yen', The Australian Women's Register, National Foundation for Australian Women, http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE5361b.htm. Details