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Brad RowswellMP
Rowswell in 2023
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Sandringham
Incumbent
Assumed office 24 November 2018
Preceded by	Murray Thompson
Personal details
Born	1986 (age 38–39) Sandringham, Victoria
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal

Brad Rowswell (born 1986) is an Australian politician and the current Shadow Treasurer of Victoria. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2018, representing the seat of Sandringham.

He was for a time the Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader of the Opposition and Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet; however, he was removed from this role on Matthew Guy's return to the Liberal Party leadership in September 2021.

Rowswell was Shadow Treasurer from December 2022 to January 2025 and was appointed Shadow Environment Minister.

Early life and career

Rowswell was born at the Sandringham Hospital and grew up in the suburb of Beaumaris. He was educated at St Bede's College in Mentone. Rowswell once studied to be a Catholic priest.

Prior to his election to parliament, Rowswell worked as a political advisor and a communications manager for the defense contractor Raytheon.

Political career and controversies

Rowswell was preselected as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Sandringham in 2018 over former councillor Felicity Frederico. He suffered a 9.5% swing against him, but won the election by slightly over 500 votes. While campaigning in 2017, a fundraiser for his campaign included former tennis player and apartheid supporter and anti-LGBT campaigner Margaret Court.

Rowswell was appointed Shadow Minister for Energy in March 2021 by Michael O'Brien. When O'Brien was subject to a leadership spill and replaced by Matthew Guy in September 2021 Rowswell was removed from the shadow cabinet.

Rowswell was re-elected at the 2022 Victorian state election. After the election he ran in the 2022 Victorian Liberal Party deputy leadership election, losing to David Southwick, and was subsequently appointed Shadow Treasurer. Rowswell voted to expel Moira Deeming from the parliamentary Liberal Party in May 2023 because she attended a women's rights rally which was gatecrashed by neo nazi members. Rowswell is considered a conservative MP, who in his time working as a federal political adviser was close to Tony Abbott. Rowswell admitted to taking cannabis. https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/victorian-mps-asked-whether-theyve-tried-cannabis/news-story/7500bf9d4034f186567471794126a96a

Rowswell was accused of mocking those part of LGBT.

Rowswell voted against Moira Deeming being reinstated to the Victorian Parliamentary Liberal Party. Rowswell lost his position as Shadow Treasurer to James Newbury following John Pessuto's removal as Liberal leader Rowswell went to England to examine freeports.

References

1. Preiss, Benjamin (9 March 2020). "First-term MPs on frontbench as Libs aim to be 'a better alternative'". The Age. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
2. Taylor, Josh (11 September 2021). "Australia has more than 2,000 new cases; Tony Abbott attacks mask 'snitching' – as it happened". The Guardian.
3. "Victoria's new opposition leader unveils shadow ministry". ABC News. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
4. "Rivals swept aside as leader reveals fresh Battin order". Yahoo News. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
5. "Brad Rowswell MP". Brad Rowswell. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
6. "TRANSCRIPT - LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE" (PDF). Retrieved 18 August 2023.
7. ^ Green, Antony (2018). "Sandringham". Victorian State Election 2018. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
8. ACT 2609, Raytheon Australia 4 Brindabella Circuit Canberra Airport. "Combat system dominance: 10 million hours, delivering for world-class defence programs". Raytheon Australia - News Release Archive. Retrieved 31 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
9. Dunlan, Joseph (3 December 2018). "Victorian election 'catastrophe' spurs Liberal women to push for female MP quotas". ABC News. Retrieved 23 January 2020.
10. Willingham, Richard (4 June 2017). "Margaret Court the guest speaker at Liberal Party fundraiser in Melbourne". The Age. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
11. Jones, Jesse (20 June 2017). "Margaret Court protest planned for Liberal fundraiser". Star Observer. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
12. "Victorian Liberals: 'Factional stitch-up' or generational change? Michael O'Brien loyalists dumped from Matthew Guy frontbench". The Age. 11 September 2021.
13. "Sandringham (Key Seat) - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
14. "Victorian Liberals expel controversial MP Moira Deeming for 'bringing discredit' to party". SBS News. Australian Associated Press. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
15. "Victorian Liberal leader labels expulsion of MP Moira Deeming a 'turning point' in party's reform". ABC News. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
16. https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/a-fleeting-moment-of-calm-before-an-unreturned-phone-call-reignited-liberal-loathing-20241226-p5l0s8.html
17. Sakkal, Paul (18 March 2021). "MP accuses Liberal members of mocking transgender issues". The Age. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
18. Godde, Callum (20 December 2024). "'Massive divide': Liberals split on MP's bid to rejoin". www.canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
19. "Rivals swept aside as leader reveals fresh Battin order". Yahoo News. 7 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
20. "'Darn sensible' Labor states outcompete Victoria, says top Liberal". Australian Financial Review. 7 December 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2025.

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