Mike Freelander

Biography

Michael Randolph Freelander FRACP, born on April 23, 1953, is a paediatrician and Australian Labor Party (ALP) politician who currently serves as a member of the House of Representatives for the Division of Macarthur, a position he has held since the 2016 federal election.

Freelander was born in Sydney and grew up in a family with a strong history in dentistry and sports. His grandfather, William Freelander, was a cabin boy who later became the mayor of Katoomba. Freelander attended Trinity Grammar School, where he played cricket and rugby and was appointed a school prefect. He then went on to study medicine at the University of Sydney and became a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (FRACP). He trained as a paediatrician at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children.

After completing his medical training, Freelander moved to the Macarthur region of Sydney in 1984, where he established his own practice and worked at Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals for several decades. He also lectured at the University of Western Sydney.

In 2016, Freelander successfully contested the Division of Macarthur seat in the House of Representatives, defeating the incumbent Liberal member, Russell Matheson. He became the first Labor MP to hold Macarthur since the Keating government lost the 1996 election. Freelander has since gained increased majorities, after preference distribution, at the 2019 and 2022 elections.

In parliament, Freelander has served on several committees, including the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport since 2016, and the standing committee for Social Policy and Legal Affairs since 2016. He has also been the Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport.

Freelander is married to Sharon and has six children and five grandchildren as of 2016. He identifies as Jewish but describes himself as not particularly religious.