Representative Peter Khalil Contact information

Peter Khalil is an Australian politician who currently serves as the Labor Member for Wills in the Australian House of Representatives. He was born on March 23, 1973, and grew up in public housing in Australia. Khalil’s parents migrated to Australia from Egypt in 1970, seeking a better life and greater opportunities. His parents’ experiences greatly influenced his political outlook and values.

After finishing school, Khalil pursued a career in tennis and competed on the international circuit. He was ranked No. 25 domestically for singles during his career. However, he eventually decided to pursue higher education and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne in 1996. He later obtained a Master of Laws in international law from the Australian National University in 2001.

Khalil worked in various government positions before entering politics. He served as a policy analyst in the Strategic Policy and Intelligence Group of the Department of Defence, Director of National Security Policy of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, and Assistant Director of the Iraq Task Force of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He also worked as a national security policy adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and as a senior adviser to Minister for Defence Joel Fitzgibbon.

Outside of the government service, Khalil worked as a political risk and strategy consultant to government agencies and the corporate sector. He was a visiting fellow at the Centrist think tank, the Brookings Institution, and an Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Sydney Centre for International Security. While working at the Brookings Institution, he was an informant for the Embassy of the United States about internal Labor Party disputes surrounding refugee policy.

After leaving the private sector, Khalil worked as the Executive Director for Corporate Affairs, Strategy and Communications for the Special Broadcasting Service and as the Victorian Multicultural Commissioner.

Khalil was preselected as the Australian Labor Party candidate for the federal Division of Wills at the 2016 federal election. He assumed office as the new member for the seat in the 2016 Australian federal election and succeeded the previous member, Kelvin Thomson, becoming the first Coptic Christian to be elected to Federal Parliament in Australia. He was re-elected to his seat in the 2019 Australian federal election.

Throughout his political career, Khalil has advocated for issues such as affordable housing, wage growth, and welcoming immigrants. He has been critical of the government’s approach to public housing and its handling of the coronavirus outbreak in detention centers. He has also withdrawn support from Adani’s Carmichael coal mine due to environmental concerns and believes that gas is a good transitional source as Australia moves towards a less carbon-intensive future.

Khalil’s parents’ experience of seeking a better life in Australia has greatly influenced his political values and outlook. He continues to work towards creating a better future for all Australians through his role in Parliament.