David Michael (politician)

David Michael
MLA
Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
for Balcatta
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 March 2017
Preceded byChris Hatton
Personal details
Born (1980-01-25) 25 January 1980 (age 44)
Mount Lawley, Western Australia
Political partyLabor
Websitewww.davidmichael.com.au

David Robert Michael (born 25 January 1980) is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since the 2017 state election, representing Balcatta. Michael is the WA Parliament's first MP of Finnish descent, his mother emigrated to Australia from Finland with her family in 1969.

Michael worked for several state Labor MPs, and ran unsuccessfully for Churchlands in 2001. In 2005 he was elected to City of Stirling council, becoming its youngest ever member, aged 25. He served as deputy mayor from 2011 to 2013.[1]

Michael's current priorities as MP are upgrades to Balcatta Senior High School and Osborne Park Hospital and for the McGowan Government as is the Stephenson Avenue Extension.[2]

In March 2021, he was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary to the returned McGowan Labor Government, after having served as Government Whip since the 2017 election.[3]

Michael also acts in the following roles for various organizations:[4]

  • Minister for Police’s representative on the State Graffiti Taskforce
  • Chair of the Local Government Act Review Panel
  • Chair of the Stephenson Avenue Project Steering Group; and
  • WA Labor's state returning officer

Michael is aligned with the Right faction of WA Labor (Progressive Labor).[5]

As part of the Cook ministry following the appointment of Roger Cook as Premier of Western Australia, Michael was appointed to Cabinet and became Minister for Ports, Local Government, Road Safety, and the Minister assisting the Minister for Transport.[6][7]

  1. ^ Green, Antony (2017). "Balcatta". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  2. ^ "About David". balcatta.walabor.org.au. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  3. ^ "Member List". www.parliament.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  4. ^ "About David". balcatta.walabor.org.au. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  5. ^ Hastie, Hamish (12 December 2022). "Fandom before factions: McGowan's power over WA Labor absolute as shuffle takes shape". WAtoday. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
  6. ^ Hastie, Hamish (7 June 2023). "Cook hopes new-look WA cabinet will be 'grand final' contenders". WAtoday. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  7. ^ Bourke, Keane (7 June 2023). "Rita Saffioti becomes treasurer, Bill Johnston loses corrective services in WA cabinet reshuffle". ABC News. Retrieved 7 June 2023.