The Honourable Tony Smith MP has served as the Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives since August 2015. First elected as the Federal Member for Casey (Victoria) in 2001, Mr Smith has previously served as a Parliamentary Secretary to Prime Minister Howard and in a range of Shadow Ministerial and committee positions. Most recently he was the Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in the 44th Parliament.

Tony Smith graduated from Carey Baptist Grammar School and went on to complete a Commerce and Arts degree with honors at The University of Melbourne. Before being elected to the House of Representatives, he worked as a Research Assistant at the Institute of Public Affairs and as a Media Adviser and then Senior Political Adviser to former federal Member and Treasurer, the Honourable Peter Costello AC.

The Speaker has lived his whole life in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs and now lives in the heart of the Casey electorate with his wife Pam and their two sons. He is a lifelong supporter of the Carlton Football Club and enjoys restoring classic cars.

Here's an extract of his first speech, which you can read from the Speaker's home page:

“To me, the first principle of government should be a recognition and essential honesty about its true capacity and its limitations. This does not mean that governments do not always have a role; sometimes it is just important to recognise that government does not always possess the only solution to every problem. Governments can provide assistance and support to families and communities—and they should—but this does not mean that governments hold the solution to their every problem or difficulty. Families and local communities will always have a greater capacity to affect their own future than any government alone.”

Chris lives in Dunkley with his wife Grace and daughter Yasmin. He believes that people want the best opportunities for their kids, grandkids, parents and family members, no matter their upbringing, background or postcode. This is why education, community connectivity and hard work are so important.

This is what he experienced growing up, working as a paperboy from age 11, on farms, at the supermarket and at the local servo. After school, Chris completed a law degree and two masters' degrees in international law and diplomacy. He has since run his own small business in agriculture, managed a regional economic development corporation and resolved property claims for war victims in Kosovo.

In Parliament, Chris is Chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-committee. As a Federal Government representative, he is passionate about making a real difference for you and your family, as well as our local young people, seniors, parents and the wider community.

Here's an extract of his first speech, which you can read from the Member's home page:

“As the youngest member of the House, I will seek to encourage young people to get involved in politics and in their communities. My own interest in politics was sparked at school through the YMCA's youth parliament at Camp Manyung in Dunkley. What excited me was the youthful exuberance and passion and the idea that young people could make a difference. Activating young people is why I have supported sporting investment in Dunkley, such as Mornington Little Aths and Frankston Dolphins Junior Football Club.”

Kate Ellis is currently the Federal Member for Adelaide. Kate recently stepped down from the Shadow Ministry after announcing that she will not run for the seat of Adelaide at the next Federal Election, although she continues to represent the people of Adelaide and maintain her role as the Federal Member for Adelaide until then.  

On 9 October 2004, Kate made history as the youngest woman ever elected to the Australian House of Representatives, after winning the seat of Adelaide.

When the Labor Government was elected in 2007, Kate became Australia’s youngest ever Federal Minister.  Kate held various positions, including Minister for Sport, Minister for the Status of Women and Minister for Employment Participation and Early Childhood.  In 2013 Kate became Shadow Minister for Education and later the Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Development and Shadow Minister for TAFE and Vocational Education.

As Minister for Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Kate introduced the National Quality Framework – quality standards for early childhood education and care services - in recognition of the critical role early education plays in supporting children’s development.  As Minister for the Status of Women, Kate released Australia’s first ever National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children (2010-2022).

In 2017 Kate was appointed to the Adelaide Football Club Board and in 2018 she became an Ambassador for the Childhood Cancer Association.

Here's an extract of her first speech, which you can read from the Member's home page:

“I have been accused of being young and idealistic. To this, I plead guilty as charged. My only hope is that one day I will be old and idealistic and be able to look back on my time in this place and think that, through hard work for the people of Adelaide, I managed to make a contribution that went some way towards seeing a long-term vision for our nation become closer to a reality.”

Adam Bandt is the Greens Co-Deputy Leader and Federal Member for Melbourne, with portfolio responsibilities for climate change, energy, employment & industrial relations and science, research and innovation.

Before becoming an MP, Adam worked as a public interest lawyer representing some of Melbourne's lowest paid workers, including outworkers in the clothing industry.

Adam has also represented many unions and worked on cases involving freedom of speech and implementation of international covenants into Australian law.

Adam completed undergraduate degrees in Arts (Politics, Philosophy & Sociology) and Law at Murdoch University before completing a PhD in the Arts Faculty at Monash University in 2008, which looked at the recent trend of governments suspending basic human rights in areas such as migration, workplace relations and criminal law.

Adam lives in Flemington with his partner Claudia, his two children Wren and Elke and their dog Max.

Here's an extract of his first speech, which you can read from the Member's home page:

“We are all in this together but we should never forget the amazing things humans are capable of when our creative labours are unleashed. We chose to go to the moon—and we made it. To quote Jodi Dean, the Apollo project boldly predicted the ‘we’ of a common humanity aspiring to break the bonds of particularity and reach beyond our imaginations.”