Elizabeth Lee (politician)

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

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.

She was also a group fitness instructor, teaching Sh'Bam and Body Balance at Fernwood Fitness and ANU Sport.

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.

In Alistair Coe's shadow ministry Lee was made Shadow Minister for the Environment, Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Disability in December 2016. She was a key advocate for the Canberra Liberals' commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045.

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.[4] She is the first Korean-Australian to lead a major political party in Australia.[5] 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, with criminalised the nonconsensual removal of a condom during sex. She also released an exposure draft for legislation that would mean harsher penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence.

Ms Lee was applauded for her constructive approach to Opposition during the ACT's COVID Lockdown in 2021. Unlike other Opposition Leaders, Lee supported the ACT Government's health message and held criticisms for when the COVID response was lacking.

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.