Marise Payne

Marise Ann Payne is an Australian politician. She is a Liberal Party Senator for the state of New South Wales. Senator Payne was appointed to the Senate onApril 1997, and elected in 2001 for a full term, and again in 2007 and 2013. Payne was promoted to cabinet as Australias first female Minister for Defence, in the Turnbull Government, onSeptember 2015. She is the partner of NSW Liberal Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events, Stuart Ayres.

Payne was born in Sydney. She attended MLC School, Burwood and then attended the University of New South Wales, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Laws. A member of the Liberal Party since 1982, Payne was the Young Liberal Movements first female Federal President and was NSW State President during 1987 and 1988. She also served foryears on the NSW Liberal State Executive.

Source: Wikipedia