Penny Simmonds
Penny Simmonds | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the New Zealand Parliament for Invercargill | |
| Assumed office 17 October 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Sarah Dowie |
| Majority | 10,945 |
| Minister for Tertiary Education | |
| Assumed office 7 April 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Steven Joyce |
| 29th Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology | |
| Assumed office 7 April 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | Shane Reti |
| 17th Minister for the Environment | |
| In office 27 November 2023 – 7 April 2026 | |
| Prime Minister | Christopher Luxon |
| Preceded by | David Parker |
| Succeeded by | Nicola Grigg |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 1959 (age 66–67) |
| Party | National |
| Spouse | Marty Irwin |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | University of Otago |
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alma_mater which should be merged with/replaced by education.Penelope Elsie Simmonds CNZM MP (born September 1959) is a New Zealand politician, Member of Parliament and a Minister in the House of Representatives for the National Party. She previously served as the chief executive of the Southern Institute of Technology. Following the 2023 New Zealand general election, Simmonds assumed the disability issues, environmental, tertiary education and skills, and associate social development and employment portfolios in the Sixth National Government. In April 2026, Simmonds joined the New Zealand Cabinet and gained the tertiary education and science, innovation and technology portfolios.