Jenny McAllister

Jennifer Ryll McAllister (born 21 February 1973) is an Australian politician. She has been a Senator for New South Wales since 2015 and previously served as National President of the Australian Labor Party from 2011 to 2015. She is from the Labor Left faction of the Labor Party. She was appointed as the Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme in 2025, having previously served as the Minister for Emergency Management and Minister for Cities in the first Albanese ministry from 2024.

Early life and education McAllister was born in Murwillumbah, on the north coast of New South Wales.

Professional career

From 2002 to 2006 McAllister worked as an adviser to the Minister for Environment in the NSW Government.

McAllister was the co-founder of the Labor Environmental Activist Network (known as LEAN).

McAllister was the Labor candidate for the seat of Richmond in the 2001 federal election.

Opposition (2015–2022) In July 2014, Jenny McAllister was selected to run on the Labor senate ticket at the 2016 election in the number two position, replacing John Faulkner, and considered a winnable spot. However, on 6 February 2015, John Faulkner resigned from the Senate, creating a casual vacancy. On 6 May 2015, McAllister was elected by a joint sitting of the NSW Parliament to fill the vacancy.

In August 2018 she was appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities. On 30 August 2016 to 21 August 2018 she was Opposition Deputy Whip in the Senate.

Personal life McAllister is married to John Graham—former assistant general secretary of the NSW branch of the Labor Party and member of the Legislative Council.

McAllister owns an investment property in Redfern in NSW.

She also owns a property with her husband in Wentworth Falls in NSW, which is managed for the purposes of environment conservation and recreation.