Participating Parliamentarians
In 2013, Dave Sharma was appointed Australia’s Ambassador to Israel, spending four years there working to advance ties in important areas including innovation, technology, counter-terrorism and peace in the Middle East. Since returning to Australia in 2017, Dave has joined the private sector, working with and advising a number of companies and businesses within the technology space. Elected at the May 2019 Federal Election as the local Member for Wentworth, Dave is committed to fighting for the values of residents and providing forward-thinking leadership. After spending most of his career advocating for Australia’s interests abroad, he is now doing that for the people of Wentworth.
Dave Sharma
Member for Wentworth, NSW
Liberal Party of Australia
Mike has been a paediatrician in Campbelltown for 37 years and has dedicated his life’s work to make sure our kids get the best start in life. His hard work and dedication to the region has earned him the respect of local families and residents. In his time as a paediatrician in the Macarthur region, Mike has seen over 200,000 patients. Mike has increasingly seen his patients and their families face issues of access; access to healthcare, access to work, access to housing and access to education. It is these issues that drove Mike to run for the Federal seat of Macarthur. Mike is here to try and make life better for the children he has cared for and their families.
Dr. Mike Freelander
Member for Macarthur, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Jason was born and raised on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Jason grew up in Belrose and attended Our Lady of Good Counsel Primary School at Forestville, before completing his secondary education at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview.
Having lived in Mackellar for more than 25 years, Jason and his wife Nichola are proud to be raising their young daughter in Collaroy.
Jason Falinski
Member for Mackellar, NSW
Liberal Party of Australia
Elected to the Federal Parliament in 2016, Susan was formerly a journalist and small business owner. She’s a mum of two, and she and her husband have called the Blue Mountains home for over 25 years. Like many others, they lost their home in the 2013 Blue Mountains bushfires, but they've rebuilt on the same site.
Susan is dedicated to fighting for her community, and is passionate about education, mental health and economic and social justice.
Susan Templeman
Member for Macquarie, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Chris Bowen entered Parliament in 2004 and has held a wide range of portfolios including serving as Treasurer, Minister for Human Services, Minister for Immigration, Minister for Financial Services, Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Competition Policy, Minister for Small Business and Minister for Tertiary Education. Chris has been responsible for a range of significant policy reform programs in these portfolios.
He served as Interim Leader of the Labor Party and Acting Leader of the Opposition following the 2013 Federal election and served as Shadow Treasurer. He is now the Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy.
Chris Bowen
Member for McMahon, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Maria Vamvakinou is the first Greek-born woman to be elected to the Parliament of Australia. Born on the island of Lefkada Greece, in 1959, Maria migrated to Australia with her family in 1963 as part of the Arthur Calwell Assisted migration policy. Maria grew up and was educated in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs and - as the child of working class migrant parents - developed a strong sense of social justice early on. The Federal seat of Calwell, which is situated in Melbourne’s North-West, is a culturally diverse community, with the largest Muslim community in Victoria, and has the largest intake of refugees in Victoria as part of the Special Humanitarian Program. Maria works closely with her constituency to advocate on issues such as immigration; employment; healthcare and education in Federal Parliament.
Maria Vamvakinou
Member for Calwell, VIC
Labor Party of Australia
Katie Allen has lived in the Higgins electorate for 40 years after growing up in Albury NSW. Katie was sworn in as the Member for Higgins at the Opening of the 46th Parliament in Canberra, making her First Speech on 29th July 2019, where she took the opportunity to speak about her passion for her diverse local community. She outlined her vision for ensuring a healthy and educated start to life for the next generation, an environmentally and economically sustainable future for all, lower taxes and a strong economy. Katie currently sits on the joint standing committees for Trade and Investment; the National Broadband Network; the Parliamentary Library; Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources and Communications and the Arts. Katie is also co convenor of the Parliamentary Friends of UNICEF, Parliamentary Friends of Child and Adolescent Health and Parliamentary Friends of Hemochromatosis, Parliamentary Friends of Young People and Parliamentary Friends of Cancer Care and Cure.
Dr. Katie Allen
Member for Higgins, VIC
Liberal Party of Australia
Lisa is the first woman to be elected as the Federal Member for Bendigo which is an electorate that has existed since Federation. Lisa’s maiden speech to Parliament reflected on the successes of the Bendigo region. She also spoke of her experiences growing up as the daughter of migrant small business owners, and advocated for public health, education and workers’ rights. Since being elected, Lisa has been particularly vocal on important local issues including:
local jobs and the misuse of labour hire and temporary worker visas
central Victoria’s poor communication network and the need for the rollout of the NBN
education reform in schools
community inclusiveness and tolerance
a just transition to a cleaner and greener renewable energy based economy and community
Lisa lives in Bendigo with her partner Matt, their daughter Daisy Jane and their son, Charlie Peter.
Ms Lisa Chesters
Member for Bendigo, VIC
Labor Party of Australia
Damian Drum MP is the Federal Member for the northern Victorian rural seat of Nicholls. Damian is a member of the National Party, and has represented the Goulburn Valley region in Federal Parliament since 2016.
Damian Drum
Member for Nicholls, VIC
The National Party of Australia
Brian Mitchell MP is your Federal Member for Lyons. Since being elected to parliament in 2016, Brian has been an outspoken advocate for providing regional services to regional Tasmanian youths. Brian regularly engages with youth representatives and sat down last month with UNICEF Youth Ambassador Mason Wood to discuss the key issues facing Australian kids and teenagers, including social media, mental health, climate change and life in a post-pandemic world. Outside of politics, Brian is a keen music fan, Star Trek tragic and regular canteen volunteer at his local footy club.
Brian Mitchell
Member for Lyons, TAS
Labor Party of Australia
Tim Wilson has served as the Federal Liberal Member for Goldstein since 2016 and currently serves as Chair of the House of Representatives’ Standing Committee on Economics. His principal areas of policy interest are: tax, health, trade, energy and the environment. Time was formerly Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner. In that role he worked with all layers of government to reform laws to stop and prevent terrorism and to improve economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians. He also stood up for marginalised communities against public harassment. Tim is a strong advocate for protecting free speech and freedom of religion.
Tim Wilson
Member for Goldstein, VIC
Liberal Party of Australia
Patrick Gorman has spent his working life protecting the fair go. Patrick, his wife Jess and their young son Leo and baby daughter Ruby live in North Perth. As a local dad, Patrick is passionate about education funding, protecting Medicare and boosting local jobs in Perth. His parents were both teachers. Patrick shares their values of fairness, opportunity and equality. He was elected as the Federal Member for Perth in 2018. Previously Patrick was Principal Adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. As State Secretary of WA Labor, Patrick lead the 2017 State Election campaign that elected Mark McGowan as Labor Premier of Western Australia.
Patrick Gorman
Member for Perth
Labor Party of Australia
In 2019, Gladys decided that she wanted to do even more to give back to the community that she had called home for over 30 years. She was elected in May 2019 to the 46th Parliament of Australia for the seat of Chisholm, in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. She is committed to hearing the concerns of everyone living in Chisholm and is working hard to make sure their voices are heard in Parliament.
Gladys Liu
Member for Chisholm, VIC
Liberal Party of Australia
Helen Haines is the Independent Federal Member of Parliament. She represents about 140,000 people from Falls Creek and the High Country in the north, down to Kinglake and Melbourne’s outskirts in the south. Indi includes some of Australia’s most diverse and beautiful countryside and many thriving regional centres and unique small communities. In 2019, Helen decided to stand for election, because she believes the community needs real representation on what matters to them: education, healthcare, getting rid of corruption in politics, harnessing clean energy for Australia’s future, and building our jobs and prosperity. As a nurse, Helen believes in decency, respect, common sense and caring for one another.
Helen Haines
Member for Indi, VIC
Independent
As a Sunshine Coast resident of more than 25 years , Andrew is committed to the local community.
As a small business owner, Andrew wants to make sure local businesses are given the opportunity to succeed and grow so that they can provide the jobs of the future. He believes small business is the engine room of the economy, and that smaller government and lower taxes are key to ensuring that small businesses on the Coast can thrive.
Andrew is passionate about ensuring we get the infrastructure that our growing region needs, particularly when it comes to upgrading the congested Bruce Highway, North Coast Rail and the Sunshine Coast Stadium.
Andrew is especially passionate about helping young people, having served as a former President of the Sunshine Coast Children’s Therapy Centre.
Andrew Wallace
Member for Fisher, QLD
Liberal Party of Australia
Based in Western Sydney, Ed Husic was elected to the House of Representatives as the Federal Member for Chifley in 2010. Before entering Parliament, he held several roles within the public and private sector including National President of the Communications Electrical Plumbing Union. In 2021 Ed was promoted to the Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation. He has had a long-standing interest in the impact of tech on our economy and community and his portfolio appointments and parliamentary interests have focused on this. For a number of years, he has been part of the Federal Opposition’s team developing policies to promote early stage and digital innovation.
Ed Husic
Member for Chifley, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Upon being elected in 2010 Ken has been proud and humbled to be the Federal Member for Flynn and your representative in Canberra.
Ken and his partner Shirley have 6 children and a number of grandchildren.
As a former small business owner, Ken understands the difficulties of juggling a family and running a business.
Ken O’Dowd
Member for Flynn, QLD
Liberal Party of Australia
Peta’s ambitions for her time in the Federal Parliament are to be a strong voice for her community and to be part of a generation of Australian politicians who work to recover the public's faith in our democratic system. Peta believes that politics should be a vehicle for increasing opportunities and enlarging our national imagination. She is committed to overcoming politics based on fear and division and chooses robust debates about ideas and solutions over personal attacks and petty judgements. She has vowed to use the platform of the Federal Parliament to protect and improve our system of universal health care and to address the challenges cancer patients and their families face navigating that system.
Peta Murphy
Member for Dunkley, VIC
Labor Party of Australia
Peter was first elected in 2016 and elected for a second term at the May 2019 election. Peter is the son of migrant parents and grew up in an inner city housing commission in Melbourne. Peter’s parents instilled in him the importance of giving something back to the country that had given his family so many opportunities.
Peter Khalil
Member for Wills, VIC
Labor Party of Australia
Phillip entered politics because he hadn’t seen a fighter in the local MP’s role for too long. Passionate about his home town, and wanting Townsville to be a great place to raise his family, he decided to run for office. Phillip wants to see the Herbert electorate prosper again, to be a region where there is opportunity and reward for effort, and a city in which we can have great confidence in the future.
Water security, affordable electricity and job creation are critical pieces of the economic puzzle and must be treated as such. Small and medium businesses are the engine room of the local economy, and Phillip wants Townsville businesses to have confidence to take risk, be rewarded and drive our local economy for years to come.
Phillip Thompson
Member for Herbert, QLD
Liberal National Party of Queensland
Like most Canberrans, Alicia believes we have an obligation to address disadvantage and solve the problems of inequality. She understands the importance of good public education, health care and a strong social safety net to ensure that all Canberrans have the opportunity to live healthy and fulfilled lives.
Also like most Canberrans, Alicia believes that we must do more to protect the environment and want to see Australia taking the necessary action to protect our planet.
She wants to see Australia looking to the future and ensuring our economy adapts and generates strong and reliable employment.
Alicia Payne
Member for Canberra, ACT
Labor Party of Australia
Richard Marles is currently the Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for National Reconstruction, Employment, Skills and Small Business, Shadow Minister for Science, and the Federal Member for Corio.
Richard’s previous appointments include Shadow Minister for Defence, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Minister of Trade, Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry, and Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Affairs.
Richard Marles
Member for Corio, VIC
Labor Party of Australia
In 2007 Amanda was elected as the Member for Kingston at 29 years of age. In the 46th Parliament Amanda was honoured to be reappointed to the Federal Labor Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education and Development and Shadow Minister for Youth. Amanda believes investment in young people is the best investment Australia can make for its future and bringing these two portfolios together will ensure there is a sharp focus on our children and young people.
Amanda Rishworth
Member for Kingston, SA
Labor Party of Australia
Sharon Bird MP was elected as the Federal Member for Cunningham (New South Wales) in October 2004, November 2007, August 2010, September 2013 and July 2016.
Sharon was Shadow Minister for Vocational Education on the 18 October 2013 until July 2016.
Sharon served as Minister for Regional Development, Minister for Regional Communications and Minister for Road Safety from 1 July 2013.
Ms Bird also served as Minister for Higher Education and Skills from 25 March 2013 and as Parliamentary Secretary for Higher Education and Skills from 5 March 2012 until her appointment as Minister.
Sharon Bird
Member for Cunningham, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Andrew’s concern with governance has its origins in his decision to resign from the Office of National Assessments (ONA) on 11 March 2003 in protest over the Iraq war. He was the only serving intelligence official in Australia, the UK and US to resign publicly before the invasion. He subsequently ran against Prime Minister John Howard at the 2004 federal election and wrote a successful account of his experience, Axis of Deceit.
Andrew Wilkie
Member for Clark, TAS
Independent
As a Bega Valley Shire Councillor from 2012 and Mayor from 2016 to 2020, Kristy set out to be a new voice with a fresh approach to engaging with her community and working across the political divide.
Kristy’s community has been hit hard by drought, bushfires, floods and COVID-19. With those challenges comes opportunity and she is more determined than ever to forge a path towards a bigger, brighter future for regional communities based on the lessons learnt and values rediscovered along the way.
Kristy wants to ensure there are real career prospects for people in her area, that ‘real’ regional development is a key priority for governments and that bushfire-affected communities aren't forgotten.
Kristy McBain
Member for Eden-Monaro, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Celia Hammond was elected as the fifth Liberal Member for the Federal Electorate of Curtin in Western Australia in the 2019 Federal Election.
Celia was admitted as a legal practitioner in Western Australia in 1992. She worked as a lawyer in private practice for a number of years before moving into a career as a legal academic. She lectured at the University of Western Australia from 1994 to 1998, before accepting a position at the University of Notre Dame Australia’s newly established Fremantle School of Law. She was subsequently promoted to head of the law school, before moving into the University’s management team in 2003, taking on various positions and responsibilities including Legal Counsel and Deputy Vice Chancellor. In 2008, Celia was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of Notre Dame Australia, a position she held until she resigned in February 2019 to enter politics.
Celia lives locally with her husband and three teenage sons.
Celia Hammond
Member for Curtin, WA
Liberal Party of Australia
Luke loves the Top End and is proud to call it home. He lives in Ludmilla with his wife Kate and two kids, Sally and Frank. Like Many Territorians, he moved there, fell in love with the place and never looked back.
Luke comes from a military family, his Pop served in World War 11, his Dad in Vietnam and he and his two brothers have all served in the ADF. Australia’s Defence and veteran community means a lot to him.
Luke wants a better Australia for our kids to grow up in, an Australia with a world class education system, universal health care, backed by Medicare and fair and decent job opportunities for all.
Luke Gosling
Member for Solomon, NT
Labor Party of Australia
Emma is passionate about the Central Coast. She worked as a Pharmacist for almost 20 years, including ten years at Wyong Hospital. Quality, affordable healthcare is vital for the community, and as the local MP, she’s working hard to make sure the region receives its fair share of funding.
In 2019 she was given additional responsibilities as Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers. She is determined to use these roles to improve the quality of life for people living with mental ill health and increase the recognition of and support for unpaid carers across Australia.
Emma McBride
Member for Dobell, NSW
Labor Party of Australia
Since being elected, Tim has been an active advocate on issues ranging from family violence, Australian aid, cyber security, refugee and asylum policy, cycling and Australia's engagement with Asia.
While Tim’s ancestors arrived in Australia in the 1840s, his wife arrived in Australia from Hong Kong in the 1980s. In this way, Tim’s children are at once both second and sixth generation Australians. As a result, Tim is passionate about protecting the harmonious multicultural society in which we live and understands the specific needs of our multicultural communities.
Tim lives in Footscray with his wife and two children.
Tim Watts
Member for Gellibrand, VIC
Labor party of Australia
Our campaign partners
Our Partners are united by the belief that the youth voice is powerful and deserves to be heard. As a collective, we believe that we need more young people in Parliament.