Senator The Honourable
Michaelia Cash
Cash, 2018
Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Assumed office
23 May 2022
LeaderSimon Birmingham
Preceded byKristina Keneally
Shadow Attorney-General
Assumed office
18 April 2023
MinisterMark Dreyfus
LeaderPeter Dutton
Preceded byJulian Leeser
Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Assumed office
5 June 2022
MinisterTony Burke
LeaderPeter Dutton
Preceded byMark Dreyfus
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
In office
30 October 2020 – 23 May 2022
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded bySimon Birmingham
Succeeded byDon Farrell
Attorney-General of Australia
In office
30 March 2021 – 23 May 2022
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byChristian Porter
Succeeded byMark Dreyfus
Minister for Industrial Relations
In office
30 March 2021 – 23 May 2022
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byChristian Porter
Succeeded byTony Burke
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
In office
29 May 2019 – 30 March 2021
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byHerself (as Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education)
Succeeded byStuart Robert (as Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business)
Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education
In office
28 August 2018 – 29 May 2019
Prime MinisterScott Morrison
Preceded byCraig Laundy
Succeeded byHerself (as Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business)
Minister for Jobs and Innovation
In office
20 December 2017 – 23 August 2018
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Preceded byHerself (as Minister for Employment)
Succeeded byKelly O'Dwyer (as Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations)
Minister for Employment
In office
21 September 2015 – 20 December 2017
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Preceded byEric Abetz
Succeeded byHerself (as Minister for Jobs and Innovation)
Minister for Women
In office
21 September 2015 – 20 December 2017
Prime MinisterMalcolm Turnbull
Preceded byTony Abbott
Succeeded byKelly O'Dwyer
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women
In office
18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015
Prime MinisterTony Abbott
Preceded byJulie Collins
Succeeded byHerself (as Minister for Women)
Senator for Western Australia
Assumed office
1 July 2008
Preceded byRoss Lightfoot
Personal details
Born
Michaelia Clare Cash

(1970-07-19) 19 July 1970
Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Political partyLiberal
ParentGeorge Cash
Alma mater

Michaelia Clare Cash (born 19 July 1970) is an Australian politician who served as the 38th Attorney-General of Australia from 2021 to 2022 in the Morrison government. She has been a Senator for Western Australia since 2008 and is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia.

As well as being Attorney-General in the Morrison government, Cash also served as Minister for Industrial Relations from 2021 to 2022, and Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business and Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education from 2018 to 2021. Previously, she served in the Turnbull government as the Minister for Jobs and Innovation from 2017 to 2018 and Minister for Employment and Minister for Women from 2015 to 2017.

Early life

Cash was born on 19 July 1970 in Subiaco, Western Australia.[1] She is one of four children born to Ursula Clare Yelland and Samuel Ernest "George" Cash. Her father, the owner of a construction company, was elected to state parliament in 1984 and served as President of the Western Australian Legislative Council.[2][3] Cash grew up in the Perth suburb of Mount Lawley.[4] She was educated at Iona Presentation College, a Catholic school in Mosman Park.[5]

Cash graduated from Curtin University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts with a triple major in public relations, politics, and journalism.[6] She also holds an Honours Degree in Law from the University of London and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Western Australia.[7] After graduating from Curtin she spent three years backpacking overseas, travelling mostly through Israel, Egypt and Turkey.[4]

Cash joined the Liberal Party in 1988.[4] She was an executive member of the Curtin University Young Liberals from 1988 to 1990 and then the Western Australian Young Liberal Movement where she held numerous positions including State Vice-President. She was a long-time member of the Liberal Party of Western Australia's State Council and was the President of the Moore Division. She has also served on the Party's state executive.

Prior to her political career, Cash was a solicitor with the law firm Freehills where she worked from 1999 to 2008. She practised in all areas of employment and industrial law including industrial relations, employee relations, occupational health and safety, equal opportunity, executive employment and unfair dismissal.[8]

Political career

Cash won preselection for the Liberal Party Senate ticket in 2007 and went on to be elected to the Federal Parliament at the 2007 federal election. She contested the election as the number three candidate of the Liberal Senate ticket in Western Australia.

Since entering Federal Parliament Cash has served on many Senate Committees and was also a Temporary Chair of Committees between February and September 2010. In September 2010, while in opposition, Cash was promoted to the positions of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women and the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration. At this time Cash was also appointed Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate.

After the election of the Abbott government in September 2013, Cash was sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, as well as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women. Following a leadership change that led to the formation of the Turnbull government, Cash was sworn in on 21 September 2015 as the Minister for Employment, the Minister for Women, and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Public Service.[9][10]

In October 2017, the Australian Workers' Union offices were raided by the Australian Federal Police, and media were tipped off prior to the event. Cash advised the Senate Estimates that a staffer of hers found out about the raid from "a media source" and then spread the word to more journalists, having previously denied to an Estimates hearing on the previous day that her office had any involvement.[11][12] The staffer in question resigned.[13] Cash was ordered to turn over documents in her department relating to the raid.[14] Cash's legal fees for her response to a federal court subpoena were paid for through taxpayer funding.[15] The raids were eventually held to be valid by the Full Federal Court in November 2020.[16]

In a December 2017 ministerial reshuffle, Cash was appointed to the new position of Minister for Jobs and Innovation.[17] The employment portfolio was abolished, while Kelly O'Dwyer assumed responsibility for both the Women and Public Service portfolios.[18]

Cash has been criticised for refusing to release a report into an 18-year-old who died while on a Work for the Dole assignment in April 2016. At the time, Cash promised to release the report within a month, as of April 2018 the final report was not completed, and an internal report to Cash completed in September 2016 had not been released.[19]

Cash offered her resignation from the frontbench on 22 August 2018, during the events of the Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 2018.[20] Scott Morrison replaced Turnbull as Prime Minister two days later on 24 August 2018. Cash was then appointed the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education in the First Morrison Ministry.

In the Second Morrison Ministry, Cash was appointed the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business in May 2019. In October 2020, she was additionally appointed the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.[21][22]

On 29 March 2021, it was announced that Cash would be appointed as Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations in a cabinet reshuffle replacing Christian Porter, following advice from the solicitor-general that Porter could not remain Attorney General while taking legal action against the ABC and their reporting on allegations of historic sexual assault.[23][24] She was sworn in the following day.[25]

Cash would become caught up in the controversy of the 2021 Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct allegations. Having employed Ms Higgins’ after she left Linda Reynolds’ office, Cash has been accused of aiding the coverup, following allegations she was aware of incident and may have mistreated the young staffer.[26] Cash rejects claims she knew of rape allegation while the ex-staffer worked for her, calling for the five hour recording of her conversations with Higgins be released to the National Anti Corruption Commission in order for "the public to listen to themselves that five hour recording."[27]

In October 2023, Cash spoke on an unsuccessful motion to overturn ACT legislative rights to decriminalise possession laws for some drugs, claiming that tourists will come down the Hume Highway for the “ACT party lifestyle” and can do “about 15 lines” in the ACT because of its laws.[28] Cash’s comments were widely ridiculed and followed comments from her ACT Liberal counterparts that the federal government shouldn’t interfere with ACT’s laws.[29]

Cash is a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party.[30][31]

Personal life

Cash is married to Richard Price, a barrister. They met while working together at the same law firm. Price is the brother of late political journalist Matt Price.[4]

Cash was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 25, which progressed into psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. She was unable to have children due to the associated medication, and "also never wanted to risk passing on a chronic illness to another person".[4]

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ "Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
    2. ↑ "Hon Samuel (George) Ernest Cash". Members’ biographical register. Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
    3. ↑ Spagnolo, Joe (20 December 2015). "WA MP Michaelia Cash inspired by sister Joanna who lost battle with cancer". PerthNow. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 Cadzow, Jane (31 July 2021). "Cat-loving, coffee-swilling, karaoke-singing Thatcher fan: meet Attorney-General Michaelia Cash". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
    5. ↑ Clark, Andrew (8 January 2016). "It will take the strength of a Margaret Thatcher-like figure to reform IR". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
    6. ↑ Jauk, Daniel (6 October 2015). "Curtin graduate appointed Minister for Women and Minister for Employment". Curtin University. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
    7. ↑ Williams, Azadeh (5 April 2016). "Smashing the Glass Ceiling: Senator Michaelia Cash's Journey From Lawyer to Workplace Reformer". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
    8. ↑ "Senator Michaelia Cash's Journey From Lawyer to Workplace Reformer". Legal Insight. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
    9. ↑ "Malcolm Turnbull announces new Cabinet in 'process of renewal', drops Joe Hockey, Eric Abetz". ABC. Australia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
    10. ↑ "Malcolm Turnbull's Cabinet reshuffle:Who's going where?". ABC. Australia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
    11. ↑ "Michaelia Cash's Office Tipped-Off Media About AFP Raids, And A Staffer Has Now Resigned". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
    12. ↑ "Michaelia Cash admits staffer told media about federal police raids on AWU offices; Labor calls for her head". Retrieved 5 March 2018.
    13. ↑ "Rebel Wilson's Lawyer Is Part Of The Court Case About Michaelia Cash's Office And The Union Raids". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
    14. ↑ "Michaelia Cash Will Be Forced To Hand Over Any Documents About Leaks Of AWU Police Raids". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
    15. ↑ Karp, Paul (19 June 2018). "Taxpayers to foot legal bill for Michaelia Cash's union raid court case". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
    16. ↑ Hannan, Ewin (21 November 2020). "ROC vows to kickstart AWU probe after court win". The Australian. Nationwide News Pty Ltd. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
    17. ↑ Turnbull, Malcolm (19 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018. Senator Michaelia Cash will become Minister for Jobs and Innovation, charged with harnessing the policies of the government to create more jobs and job opportunities. Senator Cash will be a key part of the Government's economic team working to deliver on our commitment of more jobs, more investment, and stronger economic growth.
    18. ↑ "Jobs and innovation a good fit for Cash". The Australian. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
    19. ↑ "Michaelia Cash Could Be Forced To Release Report Into Work For The Dole Death". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
    20. ↑ Sweeney, Lucy; Belot, Henry (23 August 2018). "Malcolm Turnbull faces fresh leadership challenge from Peter Dutton". ABC News (Australia).
    21. ↑ "Appointment as Minister for Finance". Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
    22. ↑ "Minister for Finance and Senate leadership". Prime Minister of Australia. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
    23. ↑ "Christian Porter sues ABC and reporter Louise Milligan for defamation". 15 March 2021.
    24. ↑ "Scott Morrison moves Christian Porter, Linda Reynolds and Peter Dutton in Cabinet reshuffle". ABC News. 29 March 2021.
    25. ↑ "Second Morrison Ministry" (PDF). 30 March 2021.
    26. ↑ "Brittany Higgins: Michaelia Cash rejects claims she knew of rape allegation while ex-staffer worked for her". 17 October 2022.
    27. ↑ "Michaelia Cash denies mistreatment of Brittany Higgins". 6 June 2023.
    28. ↑ https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102995412
    29. ↑ https://the-riotact.com/clear-unmistakable-breach-of-our-territory-rights-federal-senate-rejects-cashs-attempt-to-stop-acts-drug-decriminalisation-law/713470
    30. ↑ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
    31. ↑ Massola, James. "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
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