Federal Opposition Address

Madeleine grew up locally at her parents’ home in Shoalwater. Her father worked for 30 years at BP Kwinana, and her mother and grandmother ran the popular drapery and women’s fashion store – The Family Traders – in Railway Terrace, Rockingham. After graduating from Safety Bay Senior High School, Madeleine moved to Perth to attend university, where her passion for the importance of education began. Madeleine has continued to work to promote the value of higher education and training to the individual and to the wider community. Through her leadership of the Perth USAsia Centre, she has helped to bring a unique Western Australian perspective to the international discussion on Australia’s role in the emerging Indo-Pacific region. Madeleine believes in the importance of creating opportunities for people to improve their lives and the lives of their families and communities. We can build these opportunities through job security, education, vocational training, and support for small business. The people of Brand are rightly concerned about local jobs and the increasing cost of living in our area, including the cost of childcare and health services. These costs on wellbeing have placed extraordinary pressure on young families and workers of all ages. Madeleine is building on the work of previous MPs for Brand Gary Gray, Kim Beazley and Wendy Fatin to increase local opportunities and enable young people to access further education, and vocational and trades training. She is a passionate advocate for the communities of Brand and works to protect the pensions of the elderly and the vulnerable, and to maintain the integrity of our world-leading Medicare health system.