Cassandra Fernando
Cassandra Fernando | |
|---|---|
.png) Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Holt | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Anthony Byrne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 18 September 1987 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Party | Labor |
| Alma mater | Box Hill Institute |
| Occupation | Pastry cook Trade unionist |
Cassandra Fernando (born 18 September 1987) is a Sri Lankan-born Australian politician and trade unionist who has served as the member of parliament (MP) for the Victorian division of Holt since 2022. She is a member of the Labor Party and the first Sri Lankan-born woman to be seated in the Australian parliament.[1]
Early life
[edit]Fernando was born in Sri Lanka and came to Australia with her parents in 1999 at the age of 11. She grew up in Dandenong North, Victoria, and holds a diploma in hospitality and a certificate in education support.[2]
Fernando worked at Woolworths in Dandenong Plaza for almost 15 years, including as a pastry chef.[3] She became a delegate to the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) and subsequently worked as an SDA organiser for five years.[2]
Politics
[edit]In March 2022, Fernando won ALP preselection for the seat of Holt at the 2022 federal election, following the retirement of incumbent MP Anthony Byrne.
She is a member of the SDA faction of Victorian Labor, which was granted the right, under the federal intervention into the Victorian branch which has led to a suspension of democratic processes in the Branch, to preselect the candidate in Holt despite the left faction having larger membership numbers.[4]
Since July 2022 Fernando has served on the House of Representatives Standing Committee for Employment, Education and Training, the Standing Committee for Migration and the Parliamentary Library Committee.
Personal life
[edit]Fernando lives in Narre Warren South.[5] She is a member of the SDA, the Cranbourne Chamber of Commerce and the Cranbourne Historical Society.[5]
References
[edit]- ^ "Sri Lanka born Cassandra Fernando wins seat at Australia election". Daily News. 23 May 2022. Archived from the original on 2 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
- ^ a b "ALP's Byrne replacement chosen". Star Journal. 7 April 2022. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ "Cassandra Fernando". Australian Labor Party. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ Karp, Paul (28 March 2022). "Labor finalises candidates in crucial seats ahead of election". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 30 April 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
- ^ a b "The private interests of Cassandra Fernando MP". openpolitics.au. Archived from the original on 16 September 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
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