Penny Sharpe - Brief Biography

Work

• Penny has been a Member of the NSW Legislative Council since October 2005. She is currently the Parliamentary Secretary for Transport. She is the Attorney General's representative on the NSW Privacy Advisory Committee and has served on a range of committees including Legislation Review, Privileges, Electoral Matters and the Joint Committee for Children and Young People.

• Penny is currently the Co-convenor of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, Co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of Reconciliation, Vice President of the Evatt Foundation, Secretary of the Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation and Vice President of the Australian Coalition for Democracy in Burma.

• Penny is a Member of the University of Technology Council and is an Honorary Associate of the University of Sydney.

• Penny was a Local Government Councillor on Marrickville Council from March 2004 to September 2008.

• Prior to entering parliament Penny was a policy advisor to the state government in the areas of Vocational Education and Training, Community Support and Development, Youth and Juvenile Justice.

• Penny also worked in vocational education and training establishing over 100 partnerships in NSW and ACT between schools, employers, business groups and community members.

• Penny became involved in the Labor party and politics when she was at uni. She was the President of the UNSW Student Guild and President of the National Union of Students

Personal

Penny was born and raised in Canberra. Penny studied Food Technology at UNSW.

She Coedited Party Girls - Labor Women Now published by Pluto Press in 2000.

Penny has served on the management committees of childcare centres and neighbourhood centres. She has been a foster carer for young women aged 15 - 17 through Banardos Adolescent Services

Penny currently lives in Marrickville with her partner and two children aged 10 and 4.

In her spare time Penny likes to cook, read crime fiction, ride bikes with her kids, tackle sudoku, play hearts and find obscure blogs on the web.