Representative David Smith Contact information

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About David Philip Benedict Smith

I am honored to have been elected as the first Federal Member for the newly established seat of Bean in the House of Representatives in 2019, following a brief tenure in the Senate. Prior to my entry into Parliament, I have held various roles in the public and community sectors, including my work with Professionals Australia and the Australian Federal Police Association, where I have advocated for fairness, safety, equal pay, and improved conditions for all workers. I have also been a vocal advocate for the value of community and public service, as well as greater integrity in government, issues that I have been passionate about throughout my entire career and continue to prioritize in my role in Parliament.

During the last Parliament, I served as the Secretary of Labor’s Caucus Committee on Education, Science Research, and the Arts, as well as the Co-Chair of Parliamentary Friends of the Capital Region and Parliamentary Friends of Pain Management. Additionally, I was a Member of the Joint Parliamentary Committees on Public Works, the National Capital and External Territories, and the Parliamentary Library.

In the recently elected 47th Parliament, I am honored to take on the role of Government Whip. I am fortunate to still reside in Farrer with my wife and three children, in the same community where I grew up. I attended local schools and graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors). Ensuring access to quality education in our region remains available to all young people growing up in Bean is a cause I will continue to champion.

who is David Philip Benedict Smith ?

David Philip Benedict Smith, born on 25 March 1970, is an Australian politician who currently serves as a Member of Parliament in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. Smith’s political career began when he was declared elected as a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory by the High Court of Australia on 23 May 2018, following the ineligibility of Labor senator Katy Gallagher. He was sworn in as a Senator on 18 June 2018, and later resigned from the Senate on 11 April 2019 to contest the House of Representatives seat of Bean, where he was elected in the 2019 federal election with a margin of 13,971 votes. He was re-elected in the 2022 federal election, now as part of the Government, with a significant margin of 62.9% in the two-party preferred count.

Prior to his political career, Smith had a background in public service and trade union. He served in various roles, including as an advisor in the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, an industrial relations manager for the Australian Federal Police Association, and a policy advisor in the Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister’s Department under Jon Stanhope. He also worked as the Director of the ACT branch of Professionals Australia, a union that represents technical workers such as scientists, engineers, architects, IT professionals, and pharmacists.

Smith has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 1992 and has been involved in party activities, including being elected Senior Vice-President of the ACT Branch of the Australian Labor Party at the 2016 ACT Labor Annual Conference. He has been an advocate for issues such as workers’ rights, social justice, and representing the interests of the Australian Capital Territory in federal parliament.

In addition to his political roles, Smith is also known for his Catholic Christian faith and his personal life. He is married to Liesl Centenera, and they have three children named Marcus, Eamonn, and Stella. Smith’s career in politics has been marked by his contributions to policy debates, representation of his constituents, and his involvement in various parliamentary committees and roles, including serving as the Government Whip in the lower house for the Albanese government and co-chairing the Parliamentary Christian Fellowship with Senator Matt O’Sullivan.