Melissa McIntosh

McIntosh was born on 24 August 1977 in Penrith, New South Wales.^[1] Her father Edmund Grah immigrated to Australia in the late 1950s from Graz, Austria. His parents and sister had been killed in World War II.^[2]

McIntosh attended Blaxland High School but experienced bullying at the school, particularly around her performing arts and dance talent. She later switched to the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts.^[3] She then studied journalism, public relations and video production at the University of Western Sydney, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Communications.^[1]

McIntosh began working in politics after graduating university, working as an aide to arts and sport minister Jackie Kelly and later in the office of Prime Minister John Howard.^[4] From 2011 to 2015, she worked at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney as head of partnerships and director of events. She then served as chief of staff to Assistant Treasurer Alex Hawke until 2016, when she joined Wentworth Community Housing as executive manager (communications).^[1]

Prior to her election to parliament, McIntosh was a vice-president of the Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division) and a member of the state executive.^[1] She was an unsuccessful candidate for the Fourth Ward of the Blue Mountains City Council in 2016.^[5]

McIntosh is a member of the centre-right faction of the Liberal Party.^[6][7]

Member of Parliament

In November 2018, McIntosh won Liberal preselection for the Division of Lindsay. Lindsay, centred on Penrith in western Sydney, has always been considered a key marginal seat.^[8] She was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2019 federal election, defeating Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Diane Beamer, who had defeated the incumbent ALP member Emma Husar for preselection.^[9]

She was re-elected in 2022, with a swing towards her of +1.30%^[10] and 2025, where she faced a swing against her towards the Labor Party of -3.33%.^[11]

McIntosh was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability; Shadow Minister for Communications; and Shadow Minister for Western Sydney during the Dutton shadow ministry.

Following the 2025 federal election, McIntosh retained her portfolio as the Shadow Minister for Communications, and also became the Shadow Minister of Women in the Ley shadow ministry.^[1]

McIntosh is a self-described 'aspirant' for the leadership of the Liberal Party. ^[12]

McIntosh has three children with her husband Stuart McIntosh, a former Olympic canoeist. They met at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.^[4] He works for the New South Wales Government Department of Planning.^[13] She has sometimes used the name "Melissa Grah-McIntosh".^[14]

McIntosh lives in Mount Riverview in New South Wales.^[13]