Lisa Chesters
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 | 11 Feb 1980, Wentworthville, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 7 Sep 2013 |
| Parliaments | 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts | University of Queensland |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Women's Officer | National Union of Students | 2003 |
| Lead Organiser | United Voice | 2003 – 2013 |
| Union Secretary | University of Queensland | 2002 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member of the Speaker's Panel | current | ||
| Shadow Assistant Minister for Workplace Relations | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 23 Jul 2016 | 2 Jun 2019 |
| Shadow Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Australia | Shorten Shadow Ministry; Albanese Shadow Ministry | 23 Jul 2016 | 2 Jun 2019 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treaties Joint Standing | Member | 4 Aug 2022 | current |
| Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport House of Representatives Standing | Member | 28 Jul 2022 | current |
| Employment, Education and Training House of Representatives Standing | Chair from 11 Aug 2022 | 22 Jul 2019 | current |
| Employment, Education and Training House of Representatives Standing | Deputy Chair from 31 Jul 2019 to 11 Apr 2022 | 22 Jul 2019 | current |
| Petitions House of Representatives Standing | Member | 22 Jul 2019 | current |
| Regional Australia House of Representatives Select | Member | 11 Jun 2020 | 18 Mar 2021 |
| Regional Australia House of Representatives Select | Member | 29 Jul 2019 | 4 Dec 2019 |
| Public Works Joint Statutory | Member | 23 Jul 2019 | 25 Feb 2021 |
| Regional Development and Decentralisation House of Representatives Select | Member | 13 Jun 2017 | 28 Jun 2018 |
| Health House of Representatives Standing | Member | 4 Dec 2013 | 9 May 2016 |
| Petitions House of Representatives Standing | Member | 4 Dec 2013 | 9 May 2016 |
| Public Accounts and Audit Joint Statutory | Member | 4 Dec 2013 | 18 Mar 2014 |
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 | Bendigo | Australian Labor Party | 33.55 | -8.56 | Elected |
| 2022 federal election | Bendigo | Australian Labor Party | 42.98 | -0.63 | Elected |
| 2019 federal election | Bendigo | Australian Labor Party | 43.62 | +5.06 | Elected |
| 2016 federal election | Bendigo | Australian Labor Party | 38.35 | +1.79 | Elected |
| 2013 federal election | Bendigo | Australian Labor Party | 36.56 | -10.38 | 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 | $61,987 | $47,572 | $89,956 | $25,732 |
| Office Facilities | $32,086 | $34,528 | $32,254 | $24,808 |
| Employee Travel | $19,170 | $14,341 | $11,782 | $7,910 |
| Other Car Costs | $7,165 | $10,196 | $9,044 | $8,239 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $7,080 | $5,842 | $7,247 | $5,574 |
| Travel Allowance | $5,796 | $2,254 | $4,830 | $7,852 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $1,304 | $688 | $3,345 | $2,524 |
| Telecommunications | $500 | $999 | $751 | $749 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $0 | $427 | $0 | $842 |
| Total | $135,087 | $116,846 | $159,208 | $84,230 |
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 | Bendigo | Nil return | ||
| 2022 federal election | Bendigo | Nil return | ||
| 2019 federal election | Bendigo | Nil return | ||
| 2016 federal election | Bendigo | Nil return | ||
| 2013 federal election | Bendigo | $3,606 | 1 | $0 |
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 210 divisions
Photo: Thescrubbythug (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
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.