Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister biography

Minister Jenny McAllister has served as a Senator for New South Wales since 2015, representing the Australian Labor Party. In 2024, she was appointed as the Minister for Emergency Management and Cities in the Albanese Labor Government, following her role as Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy from 2022 to July 2024. She was born in Murwillumbah and grew up on the north coast of NSW.

Senator McAllister’s professional career spans senior roles in both the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on infrastructure, environment management and climate change. Before joining the Australian Senate, she held various senior roles at AECOM, a global infrastructure firm. Senator McAllister brings this experience and knowledge of productivity to her ministerial portfolio.

Senator McAllister served as National President of the Labor Party between 2011 and 2015. She was previously the Shadow Cabinet Secretary, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, and Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence.

Climate change and environmental management remain key areas of interest for Senator McAllister. She was co-founder of the Labor Environmental Activist Network (known as LEAN). Senator McAllister is passionate about managing the economy to achieve social justice and social inclusion, and better outcomes for climate and sustainability. Senator McAllister is married to NSW MLC John Graham and they have two children.

Parliamentary service

  • Chosen by the Parliament of New South Wales on 6.5.2015 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent the State in the Senate, vice the Hon. J Faulkner (resigned). Re-elected 2016 and 2022.

Ministerial appointments

  • Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy from 1.6.2022.
  • Minister for Cities; Minister for Emergency Management from 28.07.2024

Committee service

  • Joint Standing: Treaties served from 15.9.2016 to 1.7.2019
  • Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit served from 12.11.2015 to 9.5.2016; Public Accounts and Audit served from 15.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Intelligence and Security served from 2.7.2019 to 18.10.2021; Intelligence and Security served as Deputy Chair from 19.10.2021 to 11.4.2022
  • Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Economics: References served from 14.5.2015 to 9.5.2016; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 12.11.2015 to 9.5.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 12.11.2015 to 15.11.2015; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 16.11.2015 to 9.5.2016; Environment and Communications: Legislation served as Substitute member from 16.3.2016 to 5.5.2016; Economics: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Economics: References served from 1.9.2016 to 1.6.2022; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served from 1.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 1.9.2016 to 12.9.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served from 1.9.2016 to 11.9.2016; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Deputy Chair from 12.9.2016 to 1.7.2019; Economics: Legislation served from 2.7.2019 to 16.3.2021; Finance and Public Administration: Legislation served as Deputy Chair from 4.7.2019 to 5.2.2020; Finance and Public Administration: References served as Chair from 4.7.2019 to 6.2.2020; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 16.6.2021 to 1.6.2022
  • Senate Select: National Broadband Network served from 13.5.2015 to 13.5.2015; Health served from 14.5.2015 to 5.5.2016; National Broadband Network served as Chair from 14.5.2015 to 12.11.2015; Murray-Darling Basin Plan served from 11.8.2015 to 17.3.2016; Resilience of Electricity Infrastructure in a Warming World served from 10.11.2016 to 7.4.2017; Fair Dinkum Power served from 5.12.2018 to 28.6.2019; Foreign Interference through Social Media served from 5.12.2019 to 9.12.2019; Foreign Interference through Social Media served as Chair from 10.12.2019 to 21.4.2022
  • Senate Standing: Appropriations, Staffing and Security served from 28.7.2022 to present

Parliamentary party positions

  • Australian Labor Party. Served: 06.05.2015 to present
  • Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities from 21.8.2018 to 2.6.2019.
  • Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet from 2.6.2019 to 23.5.2022.
  • Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate from 2.6.2019 to 23.5.2022.
  • Shadow Assistant Minister for Communities and the Prevention of Family Violence from 11.8.2020 to 23.5.2022.
  • Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate from 30.8.2016 to 21.8.2018.

Party positions

  • President of the Federal Australian Labor Party from 2011 to 2015.

Personal

  • Born: 4.7.1973, Murwillumbah, Australia
  • Gender: Female
  • Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

  • BA(Hons) (University of Sydney).
  • Adviser to the Minister for Environment (NSW) from 2002 to 2006.
  • Public Servant (NSW) from 2006 to 2010.
  • Director at AECOM from 2010 to 2015.