Natasha Stott Despoja
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Natasha Stott Despoja AM |
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| Ambassador of Australia for Women and Girls | |
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Assumed office 16 December 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Penny Williams |
| Leader of the Australian Democrats | |
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In office 6 April 2001 – 21 August 2002 |
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| Preceded by | Meg Lees |
| Succeeded by | Brian Greig (interim) |
| Senator for South Australia | |
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In office 29 November 1995 – 30 June 2008 |
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| Preceded by | John Coulter |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
9 September 1969 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Democrats |
| Spouse(s) | Ian Smith |
| Children | Conrad and Cordelia |
Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja AM (born 9 September 1969) is Australia's Ambassador for Women and Girls. A former politician and former leader of the Australian Democrats, she was a Democrats senator for South Australia from 1995 to 2008. Stott Despoja was appointed to the Senate at the age of 26, and until Sarah Hanson-Young was elected in 2007, was previously the youngest woman to sit in the Parliament of Australia.
Stott Despoja was born in Adelaide, the daughter of Shirley Stott Despoja, an Australian-born journalist with English heritage, and Mario Despoja, an immigrant from Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia). She was educated at Stradbroke Primary and Pembroke School and, later, the University of Adelaide where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1991. She was active in student politics, becoming president of the Students' Association of the University of Adelaide (SAUA) and serving as state women's officer for the National Union of Students in South Australia. She then worked as a political adviser and researcher to Democrat senators John Coulter (SA) and Cheryl Kernot (Qld).
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