Penny Sharpe
Encyclopedia
Penelope Gail Sharpe is an Australia
n politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
since October 2005, when she filled a casual vacancy caused by the decision of Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt
to move to the Legislative Assembly
. Sharpe, a mother of three, is the first openly lesbian
woman to serve in the New South Wales parliament.
Sharpe was born in Canberra
, but later shifted to Sydney
. She studied food technology at the University of New South Wales
, where she became involved in student politics. She was elected president of the University of New South Wales Student Guild in 1993, the same year that she met her long-term partner, Jo Tilly. Sharpe rose to national prominence the following year when she became president of the National Union of Students
. As president, she was involved in a national campaign against the Keating
Labor
government's higher education reforms, as well as in the partially-successful Victorian
battle against attempts by its Liberal
government to introduce voluntary student unionism
there.
Sharpe subsequently worked as a program officer for the Australian Student Traineeship Foundation where she assisted the development of over 100 school/industry partnerships across NSW and the ACT. During this time Sharpe and Tilly were foster carers for young women aged 15 – 17 through Barnados. She remained active in the Labor Party, and in 1999 took a position as a staffer for Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt
. Sharpe was a co editor of Party Girls: Labor Women, a book about the role of women in politics. In late 2004, Sharpe was elected to Marrickville
council. Around the same time, she and her partner became parents for a second time.
In August 2005, Deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge
resigned from his state parliamentary seat of Marrickville
, and Sharpe initially registered interest in becoming the Labor candidate in the subsequent by-election
. However, she immediately stepped aside in favour of her employer when Tebbutt announced her interest in shifting from the upper house. Despite this initial setback, Tebbutt's victory in the by-election created a casual vacancy in the Legislative Council from their Socialist Left faction, and Sharpe immediately became the leading candidate to replace Tebbutt.
Sharpe's official appointment to the Legislative Council was announced in late September, which immediately caused substantial media attention due to her status as a lesbian mother - particularly as she would now be sitting alongside the likes of conservative Liberal David Clarke
and Christian Democratic Party
firebrand Fred Nile
. She largely refused to comment on her private life in the subsequent fracas, but announced her policy goals as improving access to education and eliminating discrimination against gay parents. She has also made clear her intention to confront Clarke and Nile on gay rights issues; a stance that was heavily reflected in her maiden speech to parliament.
In December 2005, Sharpe announced that she would donate the remainder of her local council salary until 2008 to two gay and lesbian charities, Guthrie House and Twenty10 Gay and Lesbian Youth Support.
Sharpe maintains her own blog, Red Leather, and is one of only a handful of Australian politicians to do so.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
since October 2005, when she filled a casual vacancy caused by the decision of Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt
Carmel Tebbutt
Carmel Mary Tebbutt is an Australian politician. She is the Australian Labor Party Member for Marrickville in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 2008 to 2011. She was also Minister for Health in the Keneally Government...
to move to the Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
. Sharpe, a mother of three, is the first openly lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
woman to serve in the New South Wales parliament.
Sharpe was born in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, but later shifted to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. She studied food technology at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, where she became involved in student politics. She was elected president of the University of New South Wales Student Guild in 1993, the same year that she met her long-term partner, Jo Tilly. Sharpe rose to national prominence the following year when she became president of the National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
. As president, she was involved in a national campaign against the Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...
Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
government's higher education reforms, as well as in the partially-successful Victorian
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
battle against attempts by its Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
government to introduce voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism
Voluntary student unionism is a policy, notable in Australia, under which membership of – and payment of membership fees to – university student organisations is voluntary....
there.
Sharpe subsequently worked as a program officer for the Australian Student Traineeship Foundation where she assisted the development of over 100 school/industry partnerships across NSW and the ACT. During this time Sharpe and Tilly were foster carers for young women aged 15 – 17 through Barnados. She remained active in the Labor Party, and in 1999 took a position as a staffer for Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt
Carmel Tebbutt
Carmel Mary Tebbutt is an Australian politician. She is the Australian Labor Party Member for Marrickville in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly and was Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 2008 to 2011. She was also Minister for Health in the Keneally Government...
. Sharpe was a co editor of Party Girls: Labor Women, a book about the role of women in politics. In late 2004, Sharpe was elected to Marrickville
Marrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney's Inner West is located 7 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia and is the largest suburb in the Marrickville Council local government area...
council. Around the same time, she and her partner became parents for a second time.
In August 2005, Deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge
Andrew Refshauge
Andrew John Refshauge was an Australian politician and Deputy Premier of New South Wales from 1995 to 2005.Refshauge was born in Melbourne, the son of Major-General Sir William Refshauge AC CBE ED , who later became Honorary Physician to Queen Elizabeth II 1955–64 and Director-General of the...
resigned from his state parliamentary seat of Marrickville
Electoral district of Marrickville
Marrickville is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is a 13.47 km² urban electorate in Sydney's inner west, centred on the suburb of Marrickville from which it takes its name...
, and Sharpe initially registered interest in becoming the Labor candidate in the subsequent by-election
Marrickville by-election, 2005
A by-election was held in the State Electoral District of Marrickville in New South Wales, Australia on 17 September 2005.The by-election was prompted by the resignation of the sitting member Deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge on 10 August 2005, in the wake of the resignation of Premier Bob Carr.The...
. However, she immediately stepped aside in favour of her employer when Tebbutt announced her interest in shifting from the upper house. Despite this initial setback, Tebbutt's victory in the by-election created a casual vacancy in the Legislative Council from their Socialist Left faction, and Sharpe immediately became the leading candidate to replace Tebbutt.
Sharpe's official appointment to the Legislative Council was announced in late September, which immediately caused substantial media attention due to her status as a lesbian mother - particularly as she would now be sitting alongside the likes of conservative Liberal David Clarke
David Clarke (Australian politician)
David John Clarke, an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council representing the Liberal Party of Australia since 2003. and is considered to have conservative Christian views.-Personal life:...
and Christian Democratic Party
Christian Democratic Party (Australia)
The Christian Democratic Party is a right-wing political party in Australia. Its leader is Fred Nile, a Congregational Church minister and a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council.-Formation:...
firebrand Fred Nile
Fred Nile
Frederick John "Fred" Nile is an Australian politician and clergyman. Nile has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 1981, except for a period in 2004 when he resigned to contest the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election...
. She largely refused to comment on her private life in the subsequent fracas, but announced her policy goals as improving access to education and eliminating discrimination against gay parents. She has also made clear her intention to confront Clarke and Nile on gay rights issues; a stance that was heavily reflected in her maiden speech to parliament.
In December 2005, Sharpe announced that she would donate the remainder of her local council salary until 2008 to two gay and lesbian charities, Guthrie House and Twenty10 Gay and Lesbian Youth Support.
Sharpe maintains her own blog, Red Leather, and is one of only a handful of Australian politicians to do so.