Leeanne Enoch

The Honourable Leeanne Enoch MP
Minister for Treaty, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Communities and Minister for the Arts of Queensland
In office 12 November 2020 – 18 May 2023
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Coralee O'Rourke (Communities) Mick de Brenni (Housing)
Succeeded by	Herself (as Minister for Communities) Meaghan Scanlon (as Minister for Housing)
Minister for The Arts of Queensland
In office 12 December 2017 – 28 October 2024
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk Steven Miles
Preceded by	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef of Queensland
In office 12 December 2017 – 12 November 2020
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Steven Miles
Succeeded by	Meaghan Scanlon
Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy of Queensland
In office 16 February 2015 – 12 December 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Ian Walker
Succeeded by	Kate Jones (Innovation) Mick de Brenni (Digital Technology)
Minister for Small Business of Queensland
In office 8 December 2015 – 12 December 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Kate Jones
Succeeded by	Shannon Fentiman
Minister for Housing and Public Works of Queensland
In office 16 February 2015 – 8 December 2015
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Tim Mander
Succeeded by	Mick de Brenni
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Algester
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 January 2015
Preceded by	Anthony Shorten
Personal details
Political party	Labor
Children	2
Alma mater	Griffith University University of East London
Occupation	Teacher
Signature
Website	www.leeanneenoch.com

Leeanne Margaret Enoch is an Australian politician currently serving as the Labor member for Algester in the Queensland Legislative Assembly since 2015. Prior to the 2024 Queensland election she served as a Minister in the Palaszczuk and Miles governments, most recently as Minister for Treaty, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Communities and Minister for the Arts.

Enoch is an Aboriginal Australian of the Quandamooka peoples of North Stradbroke Island, and was the first Indigenous Australian woman elected to the Queensland Parliament.^[1][2]

Early life and education

Enoch was born the oldest of four, and became the first member of her family to graduate from university. She is the sister of playwright Wesley Enoch, who is the eldest of three brothers.^[3]

Career

Enoch worked as a high school English and drama teacher in schools across South-East Queensland and East London,^[where?] later becoming a manager of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander policy in the State Education Department.^[2]

Upon her election to the Queensland Parliament in 2015, Enoch became a first-term cabinet minister, becoming Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Science and Innovation.^[4][5] Her department launched the Advance Queensland initiative in June 2015, in a drive to create jobs in new and emerging industries. The Advance Queensland Expert Panel is an independent panel created to provide advice to government.^[6][7]

She served as Minister for Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Minister for Science, and Minister for Housing and Public Works (c. 2017).^[8]

As of May 2023, Enoch serves as the Minister for Treaty, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Minister for Communities and Minister for the Arts.^[9]

Other activities

Enoch was a witness in Eatock v Bolt, a 2011 decision of the Federal Court of Australia which held that two articles written by columnist and commentator Andrew Bolt and published in The Herald Sun newspaper had contravened section 18C, of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Bolt had accused Enoch and other Aboriginal people of "choosing" their identity for personal benefit.^[10]

See also

• List of Indigenous Australian politicians
• Women in the Queensland Legislative Assembly
• First Palaszczuk Ministry
• Second Palaszczuk Ministry
• Third Palaszczuk Ministry

• Miles ministry

References

1. Higgins, Isabella (29 November 2017). "New Torres Strait Islander MP Cynthia Lui aims to inspire next generation of Indigenous politicians". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 16 February 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
2. "Labor's Leeanne Enoch to become one of two Indigenous MPs". ABC News. 31 January 2015. Archived from the original on 12 October 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
3. "Two of us: Leeanne and Wesley Enoch". The Age. 7 March 2015. Archived from the original on 13 June 2015.
4. Green, Antony. "Algester". Queensland Election 2015. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 14 February 2015.
5. "Queensland's new Labor Cabinet sworn in at Government House". Australian Broadcasting Corporation 16 February 2015. 15 February 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
6. State of Queensland. Department of the Premier and Cabinet. "Advance Queensland Business Development Fund test". Advance Queensland. Access Denied. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2017.
7. "Advance Queensland delivering jobs for Queenslanders". Ministerial Media Statements. 15 February 2017. Archived from the original on 23 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
8. "Hon Leeanne Enoch". Queensland Parliament. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
9. The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory Archived 20 May 2024 at the Wayback Machine, accessed 11 December 2023
10. Eatock v Bolt [2011] FCA 1103, (2011) 197 FCR 261, Federal Court (Australia).

External links

• Media related to Leeanne Enoch at Wikimedia Commons

Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Anthony Shorten	Member for Algester 2015–present	Incumbent