Representative Rebecca White Contact information

Rebecca Peta White (born 4 February 1983) is an Australian politician. She was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2025 federal election, representing the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the Tasmanian seat of Lyons. She was previously leader of the Tasmanian Labor Party from 2017 to 2021 and 2021 to 2024, leading the party to three state elections. She is an assistant minister of Australia in 3 portfolios of the second Albanese ministry.

White was raised in Nugent, Tasmania, and completed arts and commerce degrees at the University of Tasmania. She joined the ALP at a young age and subsequently worked as a political adviser until her own election to parliament at the 2010 state election.

White was elected unopposed as state leader of the ALP in March 2017. She led the party to defeat at the 2018 election, although increasing the party’s vote and number of seats. At the 2021 election, the party’s vote went backwards and she subsequently resigned as party leader. White was succeeded in the role by David O’Byrne, who resigned after less than a month due to sexual harassment allegations. She subsequently returned as party leader, remaining in the role until her resignation after the 2024 election, which resulted in a hung Parliament with Labor declining to seek to form an administration.

White resigned from the Tasmanian House of Assembly in February 2025 to stand for federal parliament. She was elected to the federal seat of Lyons at the 2025 election and was subsequently appointed as an assistant minister in the Albanese government.

White grew up in Nugent, Tasmania, northeast of Hobart as a sixth generation Tasmanian. She attended Sorell School, Rosny College and the University of Tasmania, where she studied journalism, political science, and international business management and marketing. She graduated with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Commerce degrees in 2004. She then worked as a political adviser for Labor MP for Denison Duncan Kerr and later Senator Carol Brown, and was Vice President of Tasmanian Young Labor.

For the 2010 Tasmanian state election, White was endorsed as one of the Labor candidates for Lyons. Her campaign focused on “renewal”, pointing out that sitting MPs Michael Polley and David Llewellyn had both been in the parliament for over twenty years. Her advertising made use of Polly Waffle wrappers, “Pollywaffle” being a disparaging nickname for Polley. At the election, White narrowly defeated Llewellyn for the second Labor seat (also defeating the third sitting MP, Heather Butler).

On 12 February 2025, White resigned from state parliament to focus on her federal election campaign. White was succeeded in the House of Assembly by Casey Farrell.