Sam Birrell

Australian politician
Sam Birrell
MP
Member of the Australian Parliament for Nicholls
Incumbent
Assumed office
21 May 2022
Preceded byDamian Drum
Personal details
Born (1975-04-05) 5 April 1975 (age 49)
Shepparton, Victoria, Australia
Political partyNational
Alma materUniversity of Melbourne
La Trobe University
OccupationAgronomist

Samuel Birrell (born 5 April 1975)[1] is a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the division of Nicholls in northern Victoria and a member of the National Party. In the 2022 Australian federal election, Birrell won a race between a Liberal Party candidate and independent candidate Rob Priestly. [2][3]

Early life

Birrell grew up on a property on Victoria's Goulburn River between the towns of Murchison and Toolamba. His father was a lawyer and his mother was a schoolteacher. He attended Shepparton High School for two years then completed his secondary education as a boarder at Assumption College, Kilmore. After leaving high school, Birrell worked on a farm in Ardmona for two years before completing a degree in agricultural science at the University of Melbourne's Dookie campus.[4] He later completed an MBA at La Trobe University's Shepparton campus in 2017.[5]

Career

After graduating university, Birrell worked as an agronomist for a rural supplies business, specialising in pest identification and soil and leaf analysis. He later worked for irrigation supplier Netafim.[4]

Birrell was appointed CEO of the Committee for Greater Shepparton in 2016. He resigned the position in 2021 to run for parliament.[6]

Politics

In January 2022, Birrell won Nationals preselection for the seat of Nicholls at the 2022 federal election, following the retirement of incumbent Nationals MP Damian Drum.[7] He retained Nicholls for the Nationals on a substantially reduced primary vote, with significant swings to the Liberal candidate Steve Brooks and independent candidate Rob Priestly.[8]

Political views

Birrell supported a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) for the Goulburn Valley.[9] In 2021 he appeared before a parliamentary inquiry into skilled migration, advocating for "an immediate global recruitment campaign to attract migrants with in-demand skills" to help fill job shortages in regional areas.[10]

References

  1. ^ "QUALIFICATION CHECKLIST" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
  2. ^ "Shepparton's Sam Birrell puts his hand up for Nationals". North Central Review. North Central Review Pty.Ltd. 21 December 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Nicholls was the safest Coalition seat in Victoria. But the Nationals just learnt a hard lesson". ABC News. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Sam Birrell". The Nationals. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  5. ^ "Have you met Sam Birrell?". Shepparton Adviser. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Birrell seeks Nats seat as pre-selection looms". Shepparton Adviser. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  7. ^ "Fresh look for the Nats: Birrell locked in for federal election". Shepparton Adviser. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  8. ^ Allison, Charmayne; Howe, Courtney. "Nicholls election result sees Coalition stronghold collapse in northern Victorian seat". ABC News. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  9. ^ Grant, Gemma (16 May 2022). "Coalition partners battle to control Nicholls". The Junction. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  10. ^ Howe, Courtney (24 April 2021). "Shepparton business, industry leaders urge global campaign for skilled migrants". Retrieved 26 June 2022.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Nicholls
2022–present 		Incumbent