Representative Andrew Wallace Contact information

Andrew Bruce Wallace, born on April 23, 1968, is an Australian politician known for his role as the 31st Speaker of the House of Representatives from November 2021 to April 2022. He belongs to the Liberal National Party of Queensland and has been a member of the House of Representatives since the 2016 federal election, representing the Division of Fisher.

Wallace’s early life was marked by a period of spiritual contemplation. At 19, he entered a Pallottine monastery in Victoria but was asked to leave within a year when it became clear that he wouldn’t be able to fulfill his monastic vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Wallace was dismissed by the rector, who told him that there are many ways to serve God without being a priest.

Upon returning to civilian life, Wallace’s mother helped him organize an apprenticeship as a carpenter, which eventually led to him starting his own building business. Later on, he studied law at the Queensland University of Technology and qualified as a barrister in 2000. Wallace went on to practice in construction law for 16 years before entering politics.

Wallace’s political career began in 2016 when he was elected to parliament as the Liberal National Party member for the Division of Fisher, succeeding Mal Brough. Over the years, he has chaired several standing committees, including Infrastructure, Transport and Cities; Social Policy and Legal Affairs; and Corporations and Financial Services.

In September 2019, Wallace became a member of the Speaker’s panel, and on November 23, 2021, he was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives after the resignation of Tony Smith. Wallace won the election with 70 votes to 59 against Labor Party member and Second Deputy Speaker Rob Mitchell. Like his predecessor, Wallace did not sit in the Liberal Party room while holding the Speaker position. However, on the first sitting day of the 47th parliament, he was re-nominated for the speakership but was defeated by ALP nominee Milton Dick, who received 96 votes.

Wallace is known to be a member of the center-right faction of the Liberal National Party. He was initially opposed to same-sex marriage on religious grounds but later spoke in favor of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017. He cited his daughter’s coming out and his “legal background” as influential in his change of mind.

Wallace is also an advocate for tougher regulations on big-tech companies to prevent cyber-bullying, as well as restricting children’s access to online gambling and pornography platforms through compulsory third-party identification checks. In February 2021, he called for Australian banks to create a voluntary code of conduct barring the use of credit cards for online gambling.

Wallace is married to Leonie, and the couple practices Catholicism, attending church every Sunday. They have four daughters, and their youngest daughter was born with a segment missing from her chromosome 16, living with a disability.