ABOUT SENATOR SMITH

Marielle Smith was elected as a Senator for South Australia in 2019. Marielle believes deeply in the power of good public policy to change lives for the better. She is passionate about using her role in the Senate to drive transformational policy reform, with a particular focus on women’s health, early childhood education and care, job creation in South Australia, and gender equality.   

Marielle currently chairs the Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee and serves on a range of other key committees, including the Senate Community Affairs References Committee and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.  She has been pivotal in a range of influential parliamentary inquiries, including the recent Senate inquiry into perimenopause and menopause.  

Before entering Parliament, Marielle advised former Prime Minister Julia Gillard on gender and global education issues and served as an early childhood education adviser to the former Minister, the Hon Kate Ellis MP. She also worked in international policy in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet and volunteered in Ghana, working to protect children from trafficking and forced labour.  Marielle has served on both public and private sector boards.  

Marielle holds a Master of Science (Distinction) in Public Policy and Administration from the London School of Economics and a first-class honours degree from the Australian National University.   

Marielle lives in Adelaide with her husband, young son and daughter.