Natasha Stott Despoja

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Natasha Jessica Stott Despoja (born 9 September 1969), Australian politician, has been an Australian Democrats member of the Australian Senate for South Australia since November 1995. She is the youngest woman ever elected to the Australian Senate. She is of Croatian descent.

Stott Despoja was born in Adelaide and educated at the prestigious private Pembroke School and later the University of Adelaide, where she graduated in arts. 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 for Democrat Senators John Coulter and Cheryl Kernot.

On 29 November 1995 Stott Despoja filled the Senate casual vacancy created by the resignation of Senator John Coulter. She was elected to her seat in 1996 and re-elected in 2001.

Stott Despoja was elected Deputy Leader of the Australian Democrats in 1997, and was elected leader from 6 April 2001, replacing Meg Lees. Although her relatively left-wing politics were popular with many Australian Democrats members, her leadership style caused difficulties with her parliamentary colleagues. She resigned on 21 August 2002 due to a lack of support from the party room, following an ultimatum delivered by Senator John Cherry.

During 2004 Stott Despoja took leave from the Senate following the birth of her first child, but has since returned to full duties as Democrats spokesperson on Higher Education, Status of Women, and Work and Family (amongst others).

In October 2006 Stott Despoja underwent emergency surgery for an ectopic pregnancy. On 22 October 2006, she announced that she would not be contesting the 2007 federal election, with her term expiring in mid-2008.^[1] If she serves out the entirety of her current term, she will become the longest-serving Democrats Senator.