Education
University of Western Sydney. University of Melbourne.
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Cathy McGowan
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In 2004 she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia "for service to the community through raising awareness of and stimulating debate about issues affecting women in regional, rural and remote areas." McGowan was also a recipient of the Centenary Medal in 2001. McGowan has a Masters in Applied Science in Agricultural and Rural Development from the University of Western Sydney. Early politics and lobbyist work
McGowan worked as a staffer for Industrial"s Liberal Member of Parliament Ewen Cameron during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
McGowan has also worked as a regional councillor for the Victorian Farmers" Federation and is a former President of Australian Women in Agriculture.
Member for Industrial
McGowan ran as an independent for the Division of Industrial at the 2013 Australian federal election, against the Liberal incumbent Sophie Mirabella. The seat had long been reckoned as a conservative stronghold.
lieutenant had been held by a conservative party for all but nine years since Federation, and without interruption since 1931. However, a number of area residents felt Mirabella had taken them for granted.
They formed a grassroots organisation, Voice for Industrial, that eventually decided to draft an independent to run against Mirabella.
After numerous prominent locals turned down the offer, McGowan finally accepted. After eleven days of counting, on 18 September, Mirabella conceded defeat and McGowan claimed victory, winning the seat with a final margin of 431 votes, a two-candidate preferred vote of 50.25 percent. Mirabella was the only Liberal incumbent to lose her seat at the 2013 election.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation"s Barrie Cassidy described McGowan"s candidacy as "a warning to the occupants of safe seats everywhere on both sides of politics."
lieutenant was claimed in October 2014 that 20 McGowan supporters who formerly lived in Industrial changed their electoral roll details back to Industrial.
The Atomic Energy Commission said at the time that investigations would be "completed soon" however as yet no outcome has been publicised. Mirabella announced on 11 May 2015 that she would again run for Liberal preselection in Industrial for the next Australian federal election, with the outcome to be known in late June 2015.
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Born
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Nationality
Australia -
Political Party
Conservative Party