King worked as a social worker at Ballarat Children's Homes and Family Services from 1988 to 1992, and in 1991 was named Victorian Young Achiever of the Year in the field of community services.[1] In the same year she spent six months working in Birmingham, England, which influenced her later decision to enter politics.[5] King subsequently joined the Australian Public Service, working as an industry policy officer for the Australia New Zealand Food Authority (1993–1994) and as a senior officer in the Department of Health and Aged Care (1997–1999). She served as assistant director of the department's population health division and later as director of injury prevention.[1] While in the public service she lived in Canberra, spending periods in Narrabundah, Hughes and Swinger Hill.[6] King later moved back to Victoria and joined the private sector as a senior manager in KPMG's consulting division.[1]
Politics
King joined the Australian Labor Party in 1993 and worked briefly as a research officer for Andrew Theophanous, the parliamentary secretary for health in the Keating government. She served as president of the party's Port Melbourne branch from 1998 to 1999.[1]
King was the only Labor candidate to win a seat at the 2001 election from the Liberal Party of Australia, and secured a 5.5-point swing,[8] the largest swing to a Labor candidate in the poll. She was likely helped when the Liberals' initial candidate, Olympic gold medallist Russell Mark, resigned three months before the election,[9] whereas King had 18 months to campaign.[10] She maintained her seat at the 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2016 federal elections.
King was re-elected in the 2004 federal election with a slightly reduced majority[11] and was then appointed the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Development. In mid-2005 she was then promoted to Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury.
King was appointed to serve in the Second Gillard Ministry and was sworn in by Governor-GeneralQuentin Bryce on 14 September 2010 as the Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing and the Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport. On 25 March 2013, King was appointed to the Ministry as the Minister for Regional Services, Local Communities and Territories and the Minister for Road Safety and sworn in by Governor-General Quentin Bryce.[15] Following the June 2013 Labor leadership spill, she was appointed as the Minister for Regional Australia, Local Government and Territories in the Second Rudd Ministry and promoted into the Australian Cabinet.[16]
Opposition (2013–2022)
Despite the defeat of the second Rudd government in the 2013 federal election King retained her seat with a margin of 4.9 points.[17] Following the election of Bill Shorten as Labor Leader, King was appointed to shadow cabinet as Labor Health spokesperson.[18] King was re-elected for a sixth time in the July 2016 federal election, increasing her margin to 7.3 points,[citation needed] and retained her position as Shadow Minister for Health. Following the 2019 election, she was retained in Anthony Albanese's shadow ministry and given the portfolio of Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development.[1]