Born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide's western suburbs, Key attended the Largs Bay Primary, Port Adelaide Girls Technical, and Marryatville Adult Matriculation High School (where she was among the second group of adults in South Australia to matriculate[1]) before completing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in politics and sociology at Flinders University, where she was elected as the first female general secretary of the Flinders University Students Association.

[3] With the election of the Rann government in 2002, Key became Australia's first Minister for Social Justice, with further portfolio responsibilities for community and disability services, ageing, housing, youth and the status of women.

Key oversaw a comprehensive overhaul of South Australia's child protection laws and strategies to improve and sharpen the way in which Government responds to the needs and welfare of children in care.

[7] During Key's term as Social Justice Minister, South Australian also saw the redrafting of anti-discrimination legislation and the Equal Opportunity Act.

Following a mid-term cabinet reshuffle in 2004, Key became the Minister for Employment, Training and Further Education while also retaining the youth and status of women portfolios.