Penny Wong

Penelope Ying-Yen "Penny" Wong (born 5 November 1968) is an Australian politician who has represented South Australia in the Senate since 2002, and is the current Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. Wong is a member of the Labor Party and was a member of the Federal Cabinet in both the Gillard Government and the first and second Rudd governments.

Born in Malaysia to an Australian mother and Malaysian father, Wong was educated at Scotch College in Adelaide, and then attended the University of Adelaide, graduating with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees. Prior to entering Federal parliament, Wong worked as a lawyer and political advisor. Wong is the first Asian-born member of an Australian cabinet. She is the first female openly-LGBTI Australian federal parliamentarian as well as federal government cabinet minister and supports marriage equality in Australia.

First elected to the Senate at the 2001 federal election (and sitting from July 2002), Wong was named Minister for Climate Change and Water following Labor's victory under Kevin Rudd at the 2007 election. Her appointment was amended on 26 February 2010 to Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water. On 13 September 2010, she was sworn in as Minister for Finance and Deregulation in the Gillard Government. Wong retained the position after Kevin Rudd's successful leadership spill in June 2013, and also gained the position of Leader of the Government in the Senate, holding these roles until Labor's defeat at the 2013 federal election.