Ingrid Leary is a Labour Member of Parliament [31][39], representing the Taieri electorate [29].
Leary was educated at Macleans College [22] and, according to a single reputable secondary source, attended the University of Otago [23][24], where she is reported to have completed an honours law degree [38] and a journalism diploma [25]. Her confirmed careers span law [12], journalism [11], broadcasting [2], international relations [10], and university lecturing [21].
Early in her career, Leary worked as a lawyer [12] and, according to a single reputable secondary source, founded the pro-bono section at Russell McVeigh [18]. She is also reported, from a single reputable secondary source, to have served as a parliamentary press secretary for Maurice Williamson [17], a role also confirmed across multiple sources as parliamentary press secretary [16].
Leary then moved into journalism and broadcasting [2][11]. According to a single reputable secondary source, she worked as an international journalist covering breaking stories for 3 News, Campbell Live, and the NZ Herald [7][8][9], and as a news director at Fiji Television [14][15]. She is also reported to have lectured at the USP Journalism Programme from 1998 [13] and worked as a freelance journalist [6]. A single reputable secondary source indicates she owned a television production company producing series and documentaries for TVNZ, Māori Television, the Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation, and various NGOs [20].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Leary worked in the development sector across East Asia and the Pacific [4], served as communications director for East Asia [3], and held the role of Country Director for New Zealand and the Pacific [1]. She is also reported to have served as director of the British Council New Zealand from 2008 [5][27][28].
Leary has been a Member of Parliament since 2020, according to a single reputable secondary source [33], and according to another single reputable secondary source has held the Taieri seat since 14 October 2023 [32]. She is reported to have served as a member of the Finance Select Committee [34] and the Foreign Affairs Select Committee [35], and, according to a single reputable secondary source, as Chair of the Finance and Expenditure Committee in the 53rd Parliament [26].
According to a single reputable secondary source, Leary was awarded a New Zealand Special Service Award for Bravery in the media category in 2004 [36] and a New Zealand Special Service Medal in 2006 [37].