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Michelle Rowland

Michelle Rowland
MP
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Greenway
Assumed office
21 August 2010
Preceded by Louise Markus
Personal details
Born (1971-11-16) 16 November 1971 (age 45)
Sydney, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s) Michael Chaaya
Children 2
Residence Glenwood, Sydney
Alma mater University of Sydney
Profession Lawyer
Website ALP profile, [5]

Michelle Anne Rowland (born 16 November 1971), an Australian politician, is a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the seat of Greenway representing the Australian Labor Party. At the 2010 Australian federal election, Rowland won the seat for Labor following the 2009 electoral distribution, making Greenway notionally Labor, on a margin of 5.7%. The seat was previously held by Liberal Louise Markus, who contested the more marginal seat of Macquarie at the 2010 federal election.

Rowland suffered a swing of 4.79 points against her, making Greenway one of the most marginal seats in the country. Rowland was re-elected to the seat at the 2013 federal election with an increased majority, and was also subsequently appointed to the Labor opposition's frontbench as Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications as well as Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism. In October 2015, Rowland was elevated to Shadow Minister for Small Business as well as continuing as Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

In the lead-up to the 2013 election campaign opinion polls had shown that she would lose Greenway, but her subsequent victory was helped during the campaign by the blunder of her Liberal opponent Jaymes Diaz in not stating clearly the Coalition's policy on asylum seekers.

Since September 2016, Rowland supports same-sex marriage. In 2012, Rowland was one of the 98 MPs that did vote against same-sex marriage.

Born in Blacktown and raised in Seven Hills. She was educated at Our Lady of Mercy College, Parramatta and the University of Sydney. Rowland was a senior telecommunications lawyer with law firm Gilbert and Tobin in Sydney. She lives in the electorate at Glenwood. Rowland was a Director of the Western Sydney Area Health Service from 2000 to 2004 and is a former local councillor and deputy mayor of Blacktown.


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