Elise was elected to the House of Assembly in April 2010 as a Liberal Member for Denison.
In her first term of Parliament, Elise was the Opposition Whip and Shadow Minister for Police & Emergency Management, Planning, Community Development (covering women, child/youth affairs, seniors, multiculturalism and the Disability Bureau) and Aboriginal Affairs.
After the March 2014 State election Elise was named as the Government Nominee for the Speaker of the House of Assembly, and was formally elected by the House on Tuesday, 6 May 2014. During this time, she was the Chair of a number of Standing Committees as the Speaker of the House of Assembly and haf overall responsibility for the administration of that House as the Presiding Officer. On 2 October 2017, Elise joined the Cabinet as Minister for Justice, Minister for Corrections, Minister for Environment and Parks, and Minister for the Arts.
Prior to entering State Parliament, Elise represented the people of Hobart as an Alderman for three years, and practised law for a total of 17 years in the areas of employment (industrial relations), anti-discrimination and insurance law, and was a member of the Employment and Equal opportunity Committee and Litigious Issues Committee of the Law Society of Tasmania. She also has extensive experience in civil and criminal trials.
Elise has also been a board member of a number of not for profit organisations in Tasmania and is a strong supporter of numerous community organisations.