Sharon Claydon has been the Federal Member for Newcastle since 2013. She is a fifth generation Novocastrian with strong connections to her local community.

Sharon is an Honours graduate in Social Anthropology and, before entering Parliament, worked in remote Aboriginal communities and the community-based disability services sector.

In the Federal Parliament, Sharon is Deputy Chair of the House of Representatives Social Policy and Legal Affairs Standing Committee, and the Joint Select Committee on the Implementation of the National Redress Scheme. She is also serves on the House Indigenous Affairs Committee, the Social Media and Online Safety Committee, and the Joint Select Committee on Parliamentary Standards.

In March 2015, she became a Member of the Speaker’s Panel, deputising for the Speaker in the House of Representatives. Sharon chairs the Federal Labor Caucus and Labor’s Status of Women Caucus Committee.

Sharon is committed to social justice and throughout her career has worked to improve the lives of working people. She is passionate about fighting discrimination and ensuring we leave a better world for the next generation.