Kate Ellis

Minister for Early Childhood and Childcare
Minister for Employment Participation

Kate grew up in the South Australian town of Mannum on the Murray River, where her mother taught at the primary school and her father ran a local small business. The family then moved to Adelaide where Kate attended high school and university in the inner southern suburbs.

Her family instilled in her a strong belief in the power of education and the importance of the fair go and it was these values that inspired Kate to join the Labor Party.


“Through my mother's passion for education, my father's belief in sticking up for others and later through his reliance on a quality public health system, I learnt the valuable lessons that inspire me to always work to improve the services and opportunities available for our community.”

Prior to entering Parliament in 2004 as the youngest woman ever elected to the House of Representatives, Kate juggled several jobs to support herself through high school and university and later worked as a research officer for the South Australian Government.

In 2010, Kate became the Minister for Employment Participation and Early Childhood and she's worked hard to deliver many key Labor reforms, in particular the increased funding to improve childcare affordability for Australian families.

Kate enjoys spending time amongst the community in Adelaide. She is particularly passionate about her local sporting teams: the Adelaide Crows, Glenelg Tigers and Adelaide Thunderbirds.