Anne Ruston is an Australian politician, a member of the Liberal Party, and a Senator for South Australia since 2012.
Born and raised in Renmark, on the River Murray in South Australia, Ms Ruston is a proud member of the community where she still lives and works to this day. She is the only Senator for South Australia based in a regional area.
In July 2014, Ms Ruston was elected Senior Deputy Government Whip in the Senate and chair of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee. She was also an active participant in the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Committee, initiating inquiries into the Australian citrus and wine industries. In August 2018, Ms Ruston was appointed the Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific under the Morrison government. In 2019, she became the Minister for Families and Social Services and Manager of Government Business in the Senate. Following a federal cabinet reshuffle in March 2021, Ms Ruston also became Minister for Women's Safety. Following the Liberal Party's defeat at the federal election in May 2022, Ms Ruston became the Shadow Minister for Sport, Health, Aged Care, and Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate in the Dutton shadow ministry.
Prior to becoming a Senator, Ms Ruston held several senior positions in government and the private sector. She was also the inaugural chief executive of the National Wine Centre.
