Kate Thwaites
Kate Lynne Thwaites (born 19 January 1980) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the House of Representatives since the 2019 federal election. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and represents the Division of Jagajaga in Victoria. Thwaites grew up in the Melbourne suburb of Rosanna. Prior to entering politics, she was a television and radio news reporter with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). She later worked as a senior adviser to Labor MP Jenny Macklin and as communications director at the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. In July  2018, Thwaites won Labor preselection for the Division of Jagajaga, following Macklin's retirement. According to "The Guardian", her victory was "almost a direct result of [Josh] Burns' win in Macnamara, with the Labor left concerned about its female representation". She retained Jagajaga for the ALP at the 2019 federal election with a small positive swing.