Sam Birrell
Australian politician (born 1975)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Samuel Birrell (born 5 April 1975)[1] is a member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the division of Nicholls in northern Victoria for the National Party since the 2022 Australian federal election.
Sam Birrell | |
|---|---|
| |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Nicholls | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Damian Drum |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 April 1975 Shepparton, Victoria, Australia |
| Party | National |
| Education | Shepparton High School, Assumption College, Kilmore |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne, (BAppSc), La Trobe University (MBA) |
| Occupation | Politician Agronomist |
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.[2] He later completed an MBA at La Trobe University's Shepparton campus in 2017.[3]
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.[2]
Birrell was appointed CEO of the Committee for Greater Shepparton in 2016. He resigned the position in 2021 to run for parliament.[4]
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.[5] 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.[6]
Political views
Birrell supported a Designated Area Migration Agreement (DAMA) for the Goulburn Valley.[7] 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.[8]