Andrew Charlton

Biography

Andrew Charlton is an Australian politician and economist who currently serves as the Member of Parliament for the division of Parramatta. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales in 1979. Charlton attended the University of Sydney and was awarded the university medal for economics. He later became a Rhodes Scholar and obtained a PhD in economics from the University of Oxford.

Charlton’s career began in economic advising. From December 2007 to June 2010, he served as the chief economic adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. During this time, Charlton played a significant role in Australia’s response to the global financial crisis. He gained a reputation as an innovative and gifted economist in Australia.

In 2015, Charlton founded AlphaBeta Advisors, a consulting and technology firm. He served as its director until it was acquired by Accenture in February 2020. After the acquisition, he was named Accenture’s Sustainability Services Lead for Growth Markets.

Charlton’s entry into politics began with his nomination as the Labor candidate for the division of Parramatta following the retirement of his predecessor Julie Owens. Despite controversy and anger among some local branches and multicultural communities, Labor leader Anthony Albanese supported Charlton’s candidacy. At the 2022 federal election, Charlton secured more than 25,000 first preference votes and claimed victory on the day of the election.

Charlton is also a published author. He is the author of Ozonomics and co-author of Fair Trade for All with Joseph Stiglitz. Charlton is married to barrister Phoebe Arcus and they have three children. He is a member of the Labor Right faction and moved to a house in North Parramatta in May 2022 to be more connected with his constituents. However, rumors have circulated regarding the Charlton family’s living arrangements after the election, with some claiming that his family remains in the affluent Eastern suburbs while he resides part-time in Parramatta’s luxurious Meriton apartments, choosing to rent out the North Parramatta home.