Don Farrell
223 / 803 divisions voted in this parliament
0 votes against their party's majority position
18.3 years in federal parliament
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 | 6 Jun 1954, Murray Bridge, South Australia |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 1 Jul 2008 |
| Parliaments | 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Laws | University of Adelaide |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Founder | Farrell Wines, Clare Valley (SA) | 2014 – 2016 |
| Secretary | Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association | 1993 – 2008 |
| Assistant Secretary | Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association | 1980 – 1993 |
| Industrial Officer | Shop Distributive and Allied Employees' Association | 1976 – 1980 |
| Waiter | 1975 | |
| Council worker | 1974 | |
| Mail sorter | 1972 | |
| Shop assistant | Cleland National Park | 1970 – 1976 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 1 Jun 2022 | current |
| Special Minister of State | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 1 Jun 2022 | current |
| Minister for Trade and Tourism | Albanese Ministry; Albanese Ministry (2nd) | 1 Jun 2022 | current |
| Shadow Minister for Tourism | Albanese Shadow Ministry | 2 Jun 2019 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Shadow Minister Assisting the Leader of the Opposition | Albanese Shadow Ministry | 2 Jun 2019 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 11 Oct 2016 | 23 May 2022 |
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (shadow) | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 11 Oct 2016 | 30 May 2019 |
| Shadow Special Minister of State | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 11 Oct 2016 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Shadow Minister for Sport | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 11 Oct 2016 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Centenary of ANZAC | Shorten Shadow Ministry | 18 Oct 2013 | 24 Jun 2014 |
| Minister for Sport | Rudd Ministry (2nd) | 1 Jul 2013 | 18 Sep 2013 |
| Minister for Science and Research | Gillard Ministry (2nd); Rudd Ministry (2nd) | 25 Mar 2013 | 1 Jul 2013 |
| Minister Assisting for Tourism | Gillard Ministry (2nd); Rudd Ministry (2nd) | 25 Mar 2013 | 18 Sep 2013 |
| Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water | Gillard Ministry (2nd) | 14 Sep 2010 | 25 Mar 2013 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publications Senate Standing | Member | 8 Oct 2020 | 13 May 2021 |
| National Broadband Network Joint Standing | Member | 22 Jul 2019 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings (formerly Broadcasting) Joint Statutory | Member | 4 Jul 2019 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Privileges Senate Standing | Member | 4 Jul 2019 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Education and Employment: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 2 Jul 2019 | 1 Jun 2022 |
| Environment and Communications: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 5 Feb 2018 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Environment and Communications: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 5 Feb 2018 | 15 Feb 2018 |
| Education and Employment: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 23 Nov 2016 | 30 Nov 2016 |
| Law Enforcement (formerly National Crime Authority from 15.6.1984 to 1.1.2003 and Australian Crime Commission from 1.1.2003 to 24.11.2010) Joint Statutory | Member | 23 Nov 2016 | 15 Feb 2018 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Standing | Member | 12 Sep 2016 | 14 Sep 2016 |
| Community Affairs: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Community Affairs: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Finance and Public Administration: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Finance and Public Administration: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 1 Jul 2019 |
| Publications Senate Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 16 Feb 2017 |
| Treaties Joint Standing | Member | 1 Sep 2016 | 8 Nov 2016 |
| Broadcasting of Parliamentary Proceedings (formerly Broadcasting) Joint Statutory | Member | 22 Jun 2016 | 11 Apr 2019 |
| Environment, Communications and the Arts: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 24 May 2010 | 24 May 2010 |
| Privileges Senate Standing | Member | 13 Aug 2009 | 27 Sep 2010 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 14 May 2009 | 27 Sep 2010 |
| Community Affairs Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 17 Mar 2009 | 11 Nov 2009 |
| Corporations and Financial Services Joint Statutory | Member | 16 Mar 2009 | 26 Oct 2010 |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 5 Feb 2009 | 13 May 2009 |
| Agricultural and Related Industries Senate Select | Member | 15 Sep 2008 | 12 Dec 2008 |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 15 Sep 2008 | 12 Dec 2008 |
| Legal and Constitutional Affairs Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2008 | 13 May 2009 |
| Treaties Joint Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2008 | 19 Jul 2010 |
Memberships as the Parliamentary Handbook records them; current means no end date is recorded.
Election history
| Election | Electorate | Party | First pref % | Swing | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 32.26 | Elected 4th of 6 | |
| 2016 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 27.32 | Elected 5th of 12 | |
| 2013 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 22.66 | Not elected | |
| 2007 federal election | Senate, South Australia | Australian Labor Party | 35.62 | Elected 1st of 6 |
First-preference share of the formal vote at each event, matched by name within the member's state. A Senate row gives the whole group's share of the state's formal vote, since most Senate votes are cast for a group above the line.
Parliamentary expenses
| Category | Apr-Jun 2026 | Jan-Mar 2026 | Oct-Dec 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee Travel | $407,961 | $249,594 | $267,595 | $250,180 |
| Office Facilities | $90,388 | $91,829 | $100,215 | $85,981 |
| International Travel | $74,622 | $49,159 | $40,134 | $22,817 |
| Office Administration | $39,578 | $25,577 | $11,152 | $32,138 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $27,000 | $15,263 | $19,473 | $25,653 |
| Travel Allowance | $12,420 | $8,806 | $14,313 | $17,162 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $7,426 | $7,653 | $10,566 | $14,829 |
| Other Car Costs | $6,026 | $4,465 | $6,267 | $6,276 |
| Telecommunications | $1,647 | $1,406 | $1,498 | $1,528 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $0 | $0 | $100 | $11 |
| Total | $667,068 | $453,752 | $471,313 | $456,575 |
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.
Voting record 223 divisions
Photo: Gawler History (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources: Wikidata, Parliamentary Handbook, AEC (CC BY 4.0), IPEA (CC BY 3.0 AU), They Vote For You (ODbL). Errors? Request a correction.