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Member Details

The Hon. (Penny) Penelope Gail SHARPE, MLC

Member Photo
Member of the Legislative Council
Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
Member of the Australian Labor Party
Term of service expires 58th Parliament (05 Mar 2027)
Contact Details
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Member of the Legislative Council
A The Hon. Penny Sharpe, MLC
Parliament House
Macquarie Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Ministerial Office
A The Hon. Penny Sharpe, MLC
52 Martin Place
SYDNEY NSW 2000
P 02 7225 6020
E Contact the Minister

Parliamentary Activity
Current Positions
Position Start Notes
Member, Procedure Committee 24 May 2023
Minister for Climate Change 06 Apr 2023
Minister for Energy 06 Apr 2023
Minister for Heritage 06 Apr 2023
Minister for the Environment 06 Apr 2023
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council 28 Mar 2023
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 06 May 2015 Elected to vacancy caused by her resignation.
Prior Positions
Position Start End Period Notes
Vice-President of the Executive Council 28 Mar 2023 05 Apr 2023 9 days
Minister for Heritage 28 Mar 2023 06 Apr 2023 10 days
Minister for the Environment 28 Mar 2023 06 Apr 2023 10 days
Substitute Member, Standing Committee on State Development 23 Jan 2023 27 Feb 2023 1 month 5 days Allegations of impropriety against agents of the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council
Substitute Member, Standing Committee on State Development 19 Dec 2022 19 Jan 2023 1 month 1 day Allegations of impropriety against agents of the City of Canterbury Bankstown Council
Shadow Minister for Heritage 15 Aug 2022 28 Mar 2023 7 months 14 days
Member, Select Committee on the Response to Major Flooding across New South Wales in 2022 23 Mar 2022 09 Aug 2022 4 months 18 days
Deputy Chair, Select Committee on the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Bill 2021 25 Nov 2021 22 Feb 2022 2 months 29 days
Member, Select Committee on the Greater Sydney Parklands Trust Bill 2021 23 Nov 2021 22 Feb 2022 3 months
Member, Select Committee on Floodplain Harvesting 30 Jun 2021 15 Dec 2021 5 months 16 days
Member, Portfolio Committee No. 1 - Premier and Finance 21 Jun 2021 03 Mar 2023 1 year 8 months 11 days
Shadow Minister for Environment 12 Jun 2021 28 Mar 2023 1 year 9 months 17 days
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council 08 Jun 2021 28 Mar 2023 1 year 9 months 21 days
Member, Select Committee on the coronial jurisdiction in New South Wales 06 May 2021 29 Apr 2022 11 months 24 days
Member, Select Committee on the High Level of First Nations People in Custody and Oversight and Review of Deaths in Custody 18 Jun 2020 15 Apr 2021 9 months 29 days
Substitute Member, Portfolio Committee No. 4 - Regional NSW 26 Sep 2019 21 Oct 2019 26 days Right to Farm Bill 2019
Member, Procedure Committee 03 Jul 2019 03 Mar 2023 3 years 8 months 1 day
Shadow Minister for Disability Inclusion 03 Jul 2019 14 May 2021 1 year 10 months 12 days
Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services 03 Jul 2019 14 May 2021 1 year 10 months 12 days
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council 02 Jul 2019 14 May 2021 1 year 10 months 13 days
Member, Select Committee on the Proposal to Raise the Warragamba Dam Wall 27 Jun 2019 03 Mar 2023 3 years 8 months 5 days
Member, Portfolio Committee No. 7 - Planning and Environment 15 May 2019 03 Mar 2023 3 years 9 months 17 days
Leader of the Opposition 25 Mar 2019 02 Jul 2019 3 months 8 days
Shadow Minister for Trade 27 Nov 2018 03 Jul 2019 7 months 7 days
Deputy Leader of the NSW Labor Party 10 Nov 2018 25 Mar 2019 4 months 16 days
Member, Portfolio Committee No. 6 - Planning and Environment 20 Jul 2017 01 Mar 2019 1 year 7 months 10 days
Shadow Minister for the Environment and Heritage 10 Mar 2016 03 Jul 2019 3 years 3 months 24 days
Shadow Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events 10 Mar 2016 27 Nov 2018 2 years 8 months 18 days
Member, Portfolio Committee No. 5 – Industry and Transport 14 May 2015 20 Jul 2017 2 years 2 months 7 days
Member, Standing Committee on Social Issues 14 May 2015 01 Mar 2019 3 years 9 months 16 days
Shadow Minister for Heritage 09 Apr 2015 10 Mar 2016 11 months 2 days
Shadow Minister for Planning 09 Apr 2015 10 Mar 2016 11 months 2 days
Shadow Minister for the Environment 09 Apr 2015 10 Mar 2016 11 months 2 days
Member, General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3 22 Jun 2011 05 Mar 2015 3 years 8 months 12 days
Member, General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4 18 May 2011 22 Jun 2011 1 month 5 days
Member, General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4 24 Jun 2010 04 Mar 2011 8 months 9 days
Parliamentary Secretary 06 Jan 2010 28 Mar 2011 1 year 2 months 23 days
Member, Select Committee on the NSW Taxi Industry 18 Nov 2009 01 Jun 2010 6 months 15 days Deputy Chair
Parliamentary Secretary 23 Sep 2008 04 Dec 2009 1 year 2 months 12 days
Member, General Purpose Standing Committee No. 1 10 May 2007 24 Jun 2010 3 years 1 month 15 days
Parliamentary Secretary assisting the Minister for Energy, and the Minister for Mineral Resources 08 May 2007 05 Sep 2008 1 year 3 months 29 days
Member, General Purpose Standing Committee No. 1 08 Jun 2006 02 Mar 2007 8 months 23 days In place of Mr Donnelly
Member, Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters 29 May 2006 02 Mar 2007 9 months 2 days In place of Ms Fazio.
Temporary Chair, Committees 23 May 2006 02 Mar 2007 9 months 8 days
Member, Committee for Children and Young People 05 Apr 2006 02 Mar 2007 10 months 26 days
Temporary Chair, Committees 02 Mar 2006 19 May 2006 2 months 18 days
Member, Legislation Review Committee 17 Nov 2005 02 Mar 2007 1 year 3 months 14 days
Member, Privileges Committee 17 Nov 2005 02 Mar 2007 1 year 3 months 14 days
Member of the NSW Legislative Council 11 Oct 2005 05 Mar 2015 9 years 4 months 23 days Elected for the balance of the term of service of Hon. CM Tebbutt (resigned).
Parliamentary Record
Ms Sharpe's speeches in Hansard
Ms Sharpe's questions published in the Question & Answer Paper
Ms Sharpe's Notices of Motion given in Parliament
About the Electorate

Biography
Political Party Activity

Community Activity

Local Government Activity

Military Service

Honours Received

Personal

Penny Sharpe was first elected to the NSW Legislative Council in October 2005. Penny is currently Labor's Minister for Climate Change, Energy, Heritage and the Environment, as well as the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council. 
 


In the previous Parliament Penny was Labor's Shadow Minister for the Environment, Disability Inclusion and Family and Community Services. 


In the previous Labor Government, Penny was a Parliamentary Secretary across a number of portfolios including Transport, Roads, Mining and Energy.


Prior to entering Parliament Penny was a policy advisor in the areas of Vocational Education & Training, Community Services, Homelessness, Drug & Alcohol, Juvenile Justice and Young People. She worked for several years developing partnerships across NSW between schools, businesses and communities to provide workplace learning for young people.


Penny's policy interests include public transport, the environment, education, women, LGBTI reform and e democracy.


Penny has previously been a foster carer for young women. She has three children.

Qualifications, Occupations and Interests

Additional Information

First speech, 16 November 2005:

The Parliament of New South Wales acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of all Aboriginal people, and pays respects to all Elders past and present. We acknowledge the Gadigal people as the traditional custodians of the land on which the Parliament of New South Wales stands.