Rebekha Sharkie
| Rebekha Sharkie MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Mayo | |
|
Assumed office 2 July 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jamie Briggs |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Rebekha Carina Che Sharkie ca. 1973[1] |
| Citizenship | Australian |
| Political party | Nick Xenophon Team (c. 2014–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Australian Democrats (1990s) Liberal Party of Australia (2010–2012)[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Nathan Sharkie |
| Children | 3[1] |
| Residence | Birdwood, South Australia |
| Alma mater | Flinders University |
| Occupation | politician |
Rebekha Carina Che Sharkie is an Australian politician. Representing the Division of Mayo since defeating Liberal Jamie Briggs at the 2016 federal election, she was the first Nick Xenophon Team (NXT) member to be elected to the Australian House of Representatives.
Early life and education
Sharkie moved to Australia as a two-year-old. Her parents are British and American.[1] She studied international relations and public policy at Flinders University.[2]
Career
Sharkie worked as a paralegal in Darwin and South Australia.[2]
Political life
As a university student, Sharkie had handed out how-to-vote cards for Australian Democrats Janine Haines.[1] In 2006, she worked as a researcher for then-South Australian Liberal opposition leader Isobel Redmond.[2] In 2008, she worked as an electorate officer for Briggs for six months.[3] She has also worked for South Australian state Liberal MP Rachel Sanderson.[1]
Although she had worked for Liberals for some time, Sharkie did not formally join the party until 2010. She left it in 2012 when she was appointed the national Executive Officer Youth Connections. When that program was defunded by the Liberal government at the end of 2014, she became Senior Manager and Head of Donor relations at Helping Young People Achieve (HYPA) a NFP that assists young disadvantaged people in South Australia.[2][1]
Sharkie considered running for the Liberals in the 2014 state election in the safe seat of Schubert, only to be told that she needed the blessing of federal minister Christopher Pyne and federal senator Cory Bernardi, the highest-ranking federal MPs from the moderate and conservative factions of the SA Liberals, before seeking preselection. Sharkie told The Australian that when she learned she couldn't stand without the "anointing" of Pyne and Bernardi, she was appalled. She asked, "Are you serious? A branch doesn't choose?" Combined with her anger at the "ditch the witch" campaign against Julia Gillard, she was thus very receptive when then-independent Senator Nick Xenophon announced he was forming his own party to stand candidates in the upcoming federal election. Initially serving as a volunteer for the newly-formed Nick Xenophon Team, she ultimately agreed to stand in Mayo. Although Mayo had been a very safe Liberal seat for most of its existence, polling suggested that if Labor directed its preferences to Sharkie, she could take the seat off the Liberals.[4]
In the 2 July 2016 election, Sharkie defeated Briggs 55% to 45% in the two-party-preferred vote.[5] She became the first NXT member of the Australian House of Representatives,[3] joining a cross-bench of five members not aligned to either major party.[6] She is the first woman and the first non-Liberal member to represent Mayo.[7]
Sharkie describes her politics as centrist; her policy interests include support for domestic violence victims, youth employment, and pensioner support. She said that for some time, she had felt "despondent" at the Liberals' increasingly rightward turn under Tony Abbott.[4]
Personal
Sharkie is married to Nathan and has three children.[3] They live in Birdwood.[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hyland, Anne (11 June 2016). "Rebekha Sharkie puts the election bite on Jamie Briggs". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 O'Malley, Nick (3 July 2016). "Election 2016: Meet Jamie Briggs slayer Rebekha Sharkie". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- 1 2 3 Evans, Simon (3 July 2016). "New Nick Xenophon MP Rebekha Sharkie says she no one-term wonder". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- 1 2 Puddy, Rebecca (30 May 2016). "Federal election 2016: 'ditch the witch' drove Lib to Team Xenophon". The Australian.
- 1 2 Starick, Paul (3 July 2016). "Malcolm Turnbull courting new Mayo MP, Nick Xenophon Team's Rebekha Sharkie". The Advertiser. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
- ↑ Dye, Josh (2 July 2016). "Australian federal election 2016: the crossbenchers likely to swing a hung Parliament". Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ↑ Brooks, Emily (2 July 2016). "NXT Candidate Rebekha Sharkie Wins Mayo, Knocks Off Briggs". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
External links
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jamie Briggs |
Member for Mayo 2016–present |
Incumbent |