Preceded by Mary Jo Fisher Occupation Rose grower Role Australian Senator | Nationality Australian Name Anne Ruston | |
 | ||
Born 10 June 1963 (age 60)
Renmark, South Australia ( 1963-06-10 ) Political party Liberal Party of Australia Alma mater University of Southern Queensland Office Australian Senator since 2012 Education University of Southern Queensland Party Liberal Party of Australia | ||
Senator the Hon Anne Ruston, Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources
Anne Sowerby Ruston (born 10 June 1963) is an Australian politician, and Liberal Party Member of the Australian Senate.
Born 10 June 1963 in Renmark, South Australia, Ruston spent her early years in Renmark before matriculating from Renmark High School and graduated with a Bachelor of Business at the University of Southern Queensland.
Since 2003, she has been the owner and managing director of Ruston's Roses, the largest rose garden in Australia.
Prior to purchasing Ruston's Roses and then entering the Senate, Ruston held a number of positions in politics. She began her career as an electorate officer for Peter Arnold, local Member for Chaffey. Upon the election of the Brown Liberal Government in 1993 she became Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister for Industrial Affairs and Tourism, Recreation, Sport and Racing (SA). In 1996, Ruston was appointed Chief Executive at the National Wine Centre until 2002, following which she purchased Ruston's Rose Garden and became a commercial rose producer.
Ruston became Vice-President of the South Australian Liberal Party in 2011. In August 2012, Ruston was pre-selected by the Liberal Party to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the resignation of Mary Jo Fisher. On 5 September 2012, Ruston was appointed to the Senate by a joint sitting of the Parliament of South Australia. Malcolm Turnbull appointed her as Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources in his ministry on 20 September 2015.
