Kate Lynne Thwaites[1] (born 19 January 1980) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has been a member of the House of Representatives since the 2019 federal election, representing the Division of Jagajaga in Victoria. She was a journalist and public servant before entering parliament.
Early life
Thwaites was born in Melbourne on 19 January 1980.[2] Her father was a lawyer and her mother was a schoolteacher.[3]
Thwaites grew up in the suburb of Rosanna.[4] She holds the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of International Development from RMIT University.[2]
Career
In 2002, Thwaites began working at 2CUZ, an Indigenous community radio station in Bourke, New South Wales.[3] She later worked for ABC News until 2008, when she joined Oxfam Australia as a media adviser.[2] She later worked as a senior adviser to Labor MP Jenny Macklin and as communications director at the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services.[5][6] She also worked with the National Disability Insurance Agency in Geelong.[2]
Politics
In July 2018, Thwaites won Labor preselection for the Division of Jagajaga, following Macklin's retirement. According to The Guardian, her victory was "almost a direct result of Josh Burns' win in Macnamara, with the Labor left concerned about its female representation".[7] She retained Jagajaga for the ALP at the 2019 federal election with a small positive swing.[5] Thwaites was returned as the member for Jagajaga at the 2022 Federal Election with an increased margin of over 12% of the two party preferred vote.[8]
In 2021, Thwaites co-authored a book, Enough Is Enough, with her predecessor Jagajaga member, Jenny Macklin.[9]
In April 2023, Thwaites co-signed an open letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese calling for an urgent boost to JobSeeker, Youth Allowance, and other support payments.[10] In the same month she joined others advocating for an expansion of the single parenting payment to include more mothers.[11]
In July 2024 she was appointed Assistant Minister for Ageing, for Social Security and for Women.
Personal life
Thwaites has two young children.[12] She has a residential property in Rosanna in Victoria and in Kingston in ACT.[13] She has an investment property in Collingwood.[13]
She is a member of the Community and Public Sector Union and is a member of Emily's List.[13]
References
- ^ "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Ms Kate Thwaites MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
- ^ a b "First speech". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ "Kate Thwaites". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ a b "Jagajaga". ABC News. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Jagajaga". The Poll Bludger. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Victorian Labor senator's dumping could have ramifications in Queensland". The Guardian Australia. 23 July 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2019.
- ^ "Jagajaga - Federal Electorate, Candidates, Results". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
- ^ Thwaites, Kate (30 November 2021). "'Today must mark the end of impunity in this place': Kate Thwaites MP appeals for the government to #SettheStandard". Women's Agenda. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "Labor backbenchers agitate for JobSeeker increase ahead of federal budget". ABC News. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ "Labor MP joins calls for expansion of single parenting payment to more mothers". ABC News. 24 April 2023. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ "About Kate". Kate Thwaites MP. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "The private interests of Kate Thwaites MP". openpolitics.au. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
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