Darren Chester
Counted against the divisions held while they sat, not the whole parliament. Absence from a division is not abstention: pairing arrangements, leave and parliamentary duties are not distinguished in the official record. How these figures are computed.
Background
| Born | 13 Sep 1967, Sale, Victoria |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 28 Jun 2008 |
| Parliaments | 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of Staff | P Ryan, MLA (Vic.) | 2004 – 2008 |
| Executive Officer | Champions of the Bush | 2002 – 2004 |
| Self-employed marketing consultant | 1998 – 2002 | |
| Newspaper and television journalist | 1986 – 1998 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 16 Mar 2026 | current |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 17 Feb 2026 | current |
| Member of the Speaker's Panel | current | ||
| Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 17 Feb 2026 | 16 Mar 2026 |
| Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs | Ley Shadow Ministry | 28 May 2025 | 21 Jan 2026 |
| Shadow Minister for Regional Education | Dutton Shadow Ministry | 4 Jan 2023 | 28 May 2025 |
| Shadow Minister for Regional Development | Dutton Shadow Ministry | 4 Jan 2023 | 28 May 2025 |
| Shadow Minister for Local Government and Territories | Dutton Shadow Ministry | 4 Jan 2023 | 28 May 2025 |
| Cabinet Minister | Morrison Ministry (2nd) | 6 Feb 2020 | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Cabinet Minister | Turnbull Ministry (2nd); Morrison Ministry | 5 Mar 2018 | 28 Aug 2018 |
| Minister for Veterans' Affairs | Turnbull Ministry (2nd); Morrison Ministry; Morrison Ministry (2nd) | 5 Mar 2018 | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Minister for Defence Personnel | Turnbull Ministry (2nd); Morrison Ministry; Morrison Ministry (2nd) | 5 Mar 2018 | 2 Jul 2021 |
| Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC | Turnbull Ministry (2nd); Morrison Ministry; Morrison Ministry (2nd) | 5 Mar 2018 | 29 May 2019 |
| Cabinet Minister | Turnbull Ministry; Turnbull Ministry (2nd) | 18 Feb 2016 | 20 Dec 2017 |
| Minister for Infrastructure and Transport | Turnbull Ministry; Turnbull Ministry (2nd) | 18 Feb 2016 | 20 Dec 2017 |
| Assistant Minister for Defence | Turnbull Ministry | 21 Sep 2015 | 18 Feb 2016 |
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence | Abbott Ministry; Turnbull Ministry | 18 Sep 2013 | 21 Sep 2015 |
| Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Roads and Regional Transport | Abbott Shadow Ministry | 14 Sep 2010 | 18 Sep 2013 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electoral Matters Joint Standing | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Privileges and Members' Interests House of Representatives Standing | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Public Works Joint Statutory | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | 4 Aug 2022 |
| National Disability Insurance Scheme Joint Standing | Member | 11 Mar 2022 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Public Accounts and Audit Joint Statutory | Member | 11 Mar 2022 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Road Safety Joint Select | Chair | 26 Aug 2021 | 25 Mar 2022 |
| Communications and the Arts House of Representatives Standing | Member | 6 Feb 2018 | 11 Apr 2019 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Standing | Member | 6 Feb 2018 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Regional Development and Decentralisation House of Representatives Select | Chair from 8 Feb 2018 to 5 Mar 2018 | 6 Feb 2018 | 5 Mar 2018 |
| Electoral Matters Joint Standing | Member | 2 Jun 2011 | 9 Dec 2011 |
| Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity Joint Statutory | Member | 26 Aug 2008 | 19 Jul 2010 |
| Petitions House of Representatives Standing | Member | 26 Aug 2008 | 5 Aug 2013 |
Memberships as the Parliamentary Handbook records them; current means no end date is recorded.
Election history
| Election | Electorate | Party | First pref % | Swing | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 federal election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 52.54 | -1.60 | Elected |
| 2022 federal election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 54.14 | +0.14 | Elected |
| 2019 federal election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 54.00 | -1.84 | Elected |
| 2016 federal election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 56.34 | +2.58 | Elected |
| 2013 federal election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 53.76 | +0.76 | Elected |
| 2010 federal election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 53.00 | +4.63 | Elected |
| 2008 Gippsland by-election | Gippsland | The Nationals | 40.24 | Elected |
First-preference share of the formal vote at each event, matched by name within the member's state.
Parliamentary expenses
| Category | Apr-Jun 2026 | Jan-Mar 2026 | Oct-Dec 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Office Administration | $85,070 | $55,324 | $66,155 | $53,192 |
| Office Facilities | $36,462 | $46,483 | $41,812 | $35,519 |
| Employee Travel | $26,413 | $11,271 | $19,198 | $15,824 |
| Other Car Costs | $12,369 | $11,246 | $15,515 | $24,196 |
| Travel Allowance | $15,109 | $10,618 | $10,360 | $10,735 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $6,100 | $6,917 | $5,829 | $6,697 |
| Telecommunications | $1,354 | $1,920 | $1,468 | $1,540 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $4,347 | $0 | $0 | $67 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $249 | $42 | $0 | $89 |
| Total | $187,473 | $143,821 | $160,337 | $147,859 |
Expenditure as the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority publishes it each quarter, in its own categories, rounded to the dollar. Travel distances, office locations and roles differ, so totals do not compare between members. IPEA's reports and notes.
Funding disclosures
| Election | Electorate | Donations | Donors | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 federal election | Gippsland | Nil return | ||
| 2022 federal election | Gippsland | Nil return | ||
| 2019 federal election | Gippsland | $0 | 0 | $288 |
| 2016 federal election | Gippsland | Nil return | ||
| 2013 federal election | Gippsland | Nil return | ||
| 2010 federal election | Gippsland | Nil return | ||
Returns as lodged with the AEC: a candidate's return covers the gifts received and electoral expenditure for that election, a member's annual return the gifts received in the financial year. A nil return records no gifts or spending of the candidate's own. A party-endorsed candidate lodges one when the party or its campaign committee handled the campaign's money, and the party discloses it in its own returns. AEC Transparency Register.
Voting record 140 divisions
Sources: Wikidata, Parliamentary Handbook, AEC (CC BY 4.0), IPEA (CC BY 3.0 AU), AEC disclosures (CC BY 4.0), They Vote For You (ODbL). Errors? Request a correction.