Courtney Houssos
Australian politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Courtney Houssos (born 1981 or 1982) is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since the 2015 state election.[2] She is currently the Minister for Finance, Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement and Natural Resources in the Minns government.
Courtney Houssos | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Finance | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2023 | |
| Premier | Chris Minns |
| Preceded by | Dominic Perrottet |
| Minister for Natural Resources | |
| Assumed office 5 April 2023 | |
| Premier | Chris Minns |
| Preceded by | Kevin Anderson (as Minister for Lands and Water) |
| Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement | |
| Assumed office 28 September 2023 | |
| Premier | Chris Minns |
| Preceded by | new portfolio |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
| Assumed office 28 March 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Amanda Fazio |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Courtney Roche 1981 or 1982 (age 43–44)[1] Forster, New South Wales, Australia |
| Party | Labor Party |
| Spouse | George Houssos |
| Children | One daughter and one son |
| Education | Forster High School |
| Alma mater | University of New South Wales |
Houssos was born Courtney Roche in Forster, New South Wales. She was educated at Forster High School. She later studied for a Bachelor of Arts in international relations at the University of New South Wales, where she met her future husband, George Houssos. At university, she entered student politics as a member of the student representative council protesting against university fee reform, and continued in politics as the first female Labor Party organiser for country New South Wales.[3][1]
In 2014, the New South Wales Labor Party removed Amanda Fazio from the party's upper house ticket at the 2015 state election, and Houssos was preselected to replace her.[4] She was elected as the youngest Labor member of the Legislative Council.[3] In 2021, she was appointed as Shadow Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation in the NSW Minns Shadow Cabinet.[5]
In June 2023, The Daily Telegraph raised concerns over claims of a conflict of interest for Houssos involving her husband, George Houssos, who is employed as a lobbyist for the insurance industry. Houssos and Premier Chris Minns denied that there was a conflict of interest.[6] She was appointed as Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement in September 2023.