[1] Her father Bob Borsellino (d. 2011) was a journalist and political activist who led efforts for an inquiry into the killing of the Balibo Five.

[2][3] Her grandfathers were both World War II veterans, Joe Borsellino with the United States Marines and Victor Perkins with the Australian Army.

[1] In a considerable upset at the 2004 election,[6] Elliot defeated the National Party's Larry Anthony, a minister in the Howard government.

Elliot's win was one of the few victories for the Labor Party as the Coalition easily won a fourth term in government.

However, the growth of Tweed Heads and other coastal communities, as well as the concurrent loss of its more rural territory, has seen it become an increasingly urban seat since the 1980s.

However, on the seventh count, a Green candidate's preferences flowed overwhelmingly to Elliot, allowing her to defeat Anthony by 301 votes.

[8] On 11 September 2010 Elliot was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade,[9] and held this position until a reconfiguration of the ministry on 4 February 2013 when she became a backbencher.

[10] She publicly announced that this was because of her opposition to coal-seam gas mining (CSG) in the electorate, which conflicted with the role of parliamentary secretary.