Penny Wong
90 / 803 divisions voted in this parliament
0 votes against their party's majority position
24.3 years in federal parliament
Counted against the divisions held while they sat, not the whole parliament. Absence from a division is not abstention: pairing arrangements, leave and parliamentary duties are not distinguished in the official record. How these figures are computed.
Background
| Born | 5 Nov 1968, Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 1 Jul 2002 |
| Parliaments | 40th, 41st, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts (Jurisprudence) | University of Adelaide |
| Bachelor of Laws Honours | University of Adelaide |
| Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice | University of South Australia |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Legal officer | 1999 – 2002 | |
| Barrister and solicitor | 1996 – 1999 | |
| Senior Policy Adviser | Minister for Land and Conservation (NSW), the Hon. K Yeadon | 1995 – 1996 |
| Industrial officer | 1990 – 1994 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 23 May 2022 | current |
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 23 May 2022 | current |
| Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 23 Jul 2016 | 23 May 2022 |
| Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment | Shorten Shadow Ministry | 18 Oct 2013 | 23 Jul 2016 |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 14 Oct 2013 | 23 May 2022 |
| Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (shadow) | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 14 Oct 2013 | 23 May 2022 |
| Minister for Finance and Deregulation | Gillard Ministry (2nd); Rudd Ministry (2nd) | 14 Sep 2010 | 18 Sep 2013 |
| Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency and Water | Rudd Ministry; Gillard Ministry; Gillard Ministry (2nd) | 8 Mar 2010 | 14 Sep 2010 |
| Minister for Climate Change and Water | Rudd Ministry | 3 Dec 2007 | 8 Mar 2010 |
| Cabinet Minister | Rudd Ministry; Gillard Ministry; Gillard Ministry (2nd); Rudd Ministry (2nd) | 3 Dec 2007 | 18 Sep 2013 |
| Shadow Minister for Workforce Participation | Rudd Shadow Ministry | 10 Dec 2006 | 3 Dec 2007 |
| Shadow Minister for Public Administration and Accountability | Rudd Shadow Ministry | 10 Dec 2006 | 3 Dec 2007 |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Latham Shadow Ministry; Beazley Shadow Ministry; Rudd Shadow Ministry | 26 Oct 2004 | 3 Dec 2007 |
| Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility | Latham Shadow Ministry; Beazley Shadow Ministry; Rudd Shadow Ministry | 26 Oct 2004 | 3 Dec 2007 |
| Shadow Minister for Employment and Workforce Participation | Latham Shadow Ministry; Beazley Shadow Ministry; Rudd Shadow Ministry | 26 Oct 2004 | 10 Dec 2006 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appropriations, Staffing and Security Senate Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | current |
| Procedure Senate Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | current |
| Intelligence and Security Joint Statutory | Member | 13 Sep 2016 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Intelligence and Security Joint Statutory | Member | 25 Jun 2015 | 9 May 2016 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 24 Jun 2015 | 6 Nov 2015 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 4 Sep 2014 | 1 Oct 2014 |
| Intelligence and Security Joint Statutory | Member | 16 Jul 2014 | 25 Nov 2014 |
| Appropriations, Staffing and Security Senate Standing | Member | 12 Nov 2013 | 9 May 2016 |
| Appropriations and Staffing Senate Standing | Member | 26 Jun 2013 | 11 Nov 2013 |
| Procedure Senate Standing | Member | 26 Jun 2013 | 9 May 2016 |
| Education, Employment and Workplace Relations: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 18 Nov 2004 | 1 Jul 2005 |
| Economics: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Mar 2004 | 15 Nov 2004 |
| Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 23 Jun 2003 | 26 Nov 2003 |
| Ministerial Discretion in Migration Matters Senate Select | Member | 23 Jun 2003 | 31 Mar 2004 |
| Superannuation Senate Select | Member | 10 Dec 2002 | 10 Sep 2003 |
| Corporations and Financial Services Joint Statutory | Deputy Chair from 18 Sep 2002 to 31 Aug 2004 | 1 Jul 2002 | 17 Oct 2007 |
| Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2002 | 15 Nov 2004 |
| Finance and Public Administration: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2002 | 1 Mar 2004 |
| Parliamentary Library Senate Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2002 | 15 Nov 2004 |
| Senators' Interests Senate Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2002 | 15 Nov 2004 |
Memberships as the Parliamentary Handbook records them; current means no end date is recorded.
Election history
| Election | Electorate | Party | First pref % | Swing | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 32.26 | Elected 2nd of 6 | |
| 2016 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 27.32 | Elected 2nd of 12 | |
| 2013 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 22.66 | Elected 3rd of 6 | |
| 2007 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 35.62 | Elected 4th of 6 |
First-preference share of the formal vote at each event, matched by name within the member's state. A Senate row gives the whole group's share of the state's formal vote, since most Senate votes are cast for a group above the line.
Parliamentary expenses
| Category | Apr-Jun 2026 | Jan-Mar 2026 | Oct-Dec 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Travel | $292,581 | $312,939 | $267,352 | $266,098 |
| Office Facilities | $53,366 | $69,786 | $91,363 | $97,572 |
| International Travel | $64,399 | $70,015 | $113,472 | $48,834 |
| Office Administration | $31,949 | $14,416 | $12,582 | $29,418 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $20,072 | $21,226 | $17,186 | $18,378 |
| Other Car Costs | $8,418 | $10,766 | $10,302 | $10,899 |
| Travel Allowance | $10,822 | $6,762 | $8,960 | $9,244 |
| Telecommunications | $1,562 | $1,400 | $1,813 | $1,434 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $0 | $0 | $0 | $3,285 |
| Total | $483,169 | $507,310 | $523,030 | $485,161 |
Expenditure as the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority publishes it each quarter, in its own categories, rounded to the dollar. Travel distances, office locations and roles differ, so totals do not compare between members. IPEA's reports and notes.
Voting record 90 divisions
Photo: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikidata, Parliamentary Handbook, AEC (CC BY 4.0), IPEA (CC BY 3.0 AU), They Vote For You (ODbL). Errors? Request a correction.