Member for Fraser
Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Andrew grew up in Malaysia, Indonesia, Melbourne and Sydney. He studied Arts/Law at the University of Sydney and gained a PhD in Public Policy from Harvard University.
His early life gave him a profound sense of how important inclusive communities are. His grandparents took the view that if there was a spare room in the house, it should be used by someone who needed the space. Andrew’s experience at his grandparents’ home with Indigenous families and newly arrived refugees helped inform his life-long passion for Australia’s multiculturalism.
A former associate to Justice Michael Kirby, Andrew’s last job before entering parliament in 2010 was as an economics professor at the Australian National University. He was awarded the Young Economist Award, a prize given every two years by the Economics Society of Australia to the best Australian economist under 40.
“I will strive to strengthen community life, not only in Canberra, but across Australia. In doing so, I hope to follow in the footsteps of my grandparents – people of modest means who believed that a life of serving others was a life well lived.”
Much of Andrew's economic research has been devoted to the vast challenges of reducing poverty and disadvantage. He believes that rising inequality strains the social fabric and that too much inequality splits our society, leaving people from different backgrounds occupying different suburbs, using different services, and the community losing its sense of shared purpose.
Andrew believes that reform will only succeed if there is a will for action; if we believe in our hearts that we cannot enjoy the good life without a healthy planet.
Andrew is a fan of the Brumbies, Canberra Raiders and Canberra Capitals. He was recently sworn in as Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and he enjoys spending time with his wife Gweneth and their three young sons, Sebastian, Theodore and Zachary.