Alison Joy Byrnes (born 5 February 1974) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and was elected as a member for the New South Wales seat of Cunningham in the House of Representatives in the 2022 election.
Alison Byrnes | |
---|---|
Member of the Australian Parliament for Cunningham | |
Assumed office 21 May 2022 | |
Preceded by | Sharon Bird |
Personal details | |
Born | Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia | 5 February 1974
Political party | Labor |
Spouse | Paul Scully |
Occupation | Politician |
Website | https://www.nswlabor.org.au/alison_byrnes |
Early life
Byrnes was born on 5 February 1974 in Wollongong, New South Wales.[1] She is the daughter of Petronella and Ron Byrnes; her mother was born in the Netherlands and arrived in Australia as a child.[2]
Byrnes grew up in the suburb of Woonona,[3] attending Woonona Public School and Woonona High School.[2] She holds the degree of Master of Management from the University of Wollongong.[1]
Politics
Byrnes has worked for the ALP since the age of 16.[4] She was a staffer to Cunningham MP Sharon Bird for 18 years,[5] including as chief of staff.[6] Following Bird's retirement, she won ALP preselection for Cunningham in February 2022.[5] She was chosen unopposed following the withdrawal of her main opponent, Misha Zelinsky.[4] At the 2022 Federal Election, she was elected to the seat of Cunningham with 65% of the vote.[7][8]
Personal life
Byrnes is married to Paul Scully, an ALP member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.[4] She has sometimes used the name "Alison Byrnes-Scully".[6][9]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Ms Alison Byrnes MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ a b "Maiden Speech". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
- ^ "Alison Byrnes". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b c "Labor candidate Alison Byrnes launches campaign for Illawarra seat of Cunningham". ABC Illawarra. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b Tullis, Ashleigh (21 February 2022). "MP Sharon Bird's staffer Alison Byrnes preselected as Labor's candidate in federal Cunningham seat". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b Pearson, Andrew (5 December 2016). "Labor staffer ditches Watson for new MP". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ McIlwain, Kate (21 May 2022). "'Alison Byrnes wins Cunningham for Labor'". Illawarra Mercury. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ "House of Representatives division information".
- ^ "Labor preselection in Cunningham heats up; Andrew Constance confirmed for Liberals in Gilmore". ABC Illawarra. 17 January 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.