Career
Wong graduated from university in 1992. She continued her association with the CFMEU as an industrial officer. She was admitted to the South Australian Bar in 1993.
During 1995 and 1996, Wong acted as an advisor to the timber union and the newly-elected New South Wales state government, specialising in the area of forest policy in the middle of the fierce 1990s environmental battles over logging in NSW.
On returning to Adelaide, Wong began practising law, working as a solicitor at the firm Duncan and Hannon between 1996 and 1999. From 1999 to 2002, Wong worked as a legal officer with the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union. During this time, she also won a position on the ALP's state executive.
During her legal career (between 1996 and 2002), Wong appeared 11 times before the Australian Industrial Relations Commission, 15 times before the South Australian Industrial Relations Court, 8 times before the South Australian Industrial Relations Commission, 3 times before the South Australian Workers Compensation Appeal Tribunal and 10 times before the South Australian Workers Compensation Tribunal.
Wong ran for pre-selection for the Senate in 2001, and was selected for the top position on the Labor Party's South Australian ticket. Wong is a member of EMILY's List Australia, the support network for Labor women, and, until her appointment as a minister following the 2007 election, sat on a number of Senate committees, primarily those related to economics.
In June 2005, Wong was appointed Shadow Minister for Employment and Workforce Participation and Shadow Minister for Corporate Governance and Responsibility. Following the reshuffle in December 2006, she became responsible for the portfolios of Public Administration and Accountability, Corporate Governance and Responsibility, and Workforce Participation.
In November 2007, in the wake of the Labor Party victory in the 2007 election, Wong was appointed Minister for Climate Change and Water. As a result of this promotion, she is the highest ranked politician representing South Australia. She accompanied then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to Bali for the international climate change talks. Wong led final negotiations as Chair of the United Nations Working Group in the closing days of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2007, shortly after her appointment as Minister for Climate Change and Water.
In September 2010, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced Wong had been promoted to succeed Lindsay Tanner as Minister for Finance and Deregulation.
Read more about this topic: Penny Wong
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