Penny Simmonds is the Minister for Disability Issues, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment. She was elected the MP for Invercargill in 2020.

Prior to her election to Parliament, Penny was Chief Executive of Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) and served as an advisory board member of Venture Southland. Penny was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education, sport and the community in the 2016 New Years’ Honours list.