Matthew Canavan
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 | 17 Dec 1980, Southport, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 1 Jul 2014 |
| Parliaments | 44th, 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts | University of Queensland |
| Bachelor of Economics Honours | University of Queensland |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of Staff | Senator B Joyce | 2010 – 2013 |
| Director | Productivity Commission | 2009 – 2010 |
| Senior Executive | KPMG | 2008 – 2009 |
| Senior Research Economist | Productivity Commission | 2003 – 2008 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shadow Minister for Trade, Investment and Tourism | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 16 Mar 2026 | current |
| Shadow Cabinet Minister | Taylor Shadow Ministry | 16 Mar 2026 | current |
| Cabinet Minister | Turnbull Ministry (2nd); Morrison Ministry; Morrison Ministry (2nd) | 27 Oct 2017 | 3 Feb 2020 |
| Minister for Resources and Northern Australia | Turnbull Ministry (2nd); Morrison Ministry; Morrison Ministry (2nd) | 27 Oct 2017 | 3 Feb 2020 |
| Minister for Resources and Northern Australia | Turnbull Ministry (2nd) | 19 Jul 2016 | 25 Jul 2017 |
| Cabinet Minister | Turnbull Ministry (2nd) | 19 Jul 2016 | 25 Jul 2017 |
| Minister for Northern Australia | Turnbull Ministry; Turnbull Ministry (2nd) | 18 Feb 2016 | 19 Jul 2016 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economics: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Public Accounts and Audit Joint Statutory | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Deputy Chair from 2 Aug 2022 | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Chair from 2 Aug 2022 | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Trade and Investment Growth Joint Standing | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Treaties Joint Standing | Member | 1 Aug 2022 | current |
| Education and Employment: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Chair | 2 Sep 2021 | 1 Aug 2022 |
| Education and Employment: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Deputy Chair | 2 Sep 2021 | 1 Aug 2022 |
| Job Security Senate Select | Deputy Chair from 17 Dec 2020 to 30 Mar 2022 | 10 Dec 2020 | 30 Mar 2022 |
| Tobacco Harm Reduction Senate Select | Member | 7 Oct 2020 | 18 Dec 2020 |
| Northern Australia Joint Standing | Member | 18 Jun 2020 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Administration of Sports Grants Senate Select | Member | 5 Feb 2020 | 18 Mar 2021 |
| Unconventional Gas Mining Senate Select | Member | 12 Nov 2015 | 23 Feb 2016 |
| Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Substitute member | 19 Oct 2015 | 20 Oct 2015 |
| Selection of Bills Senate Standing | Member | 10 Sep 2015 | 24 Feb 2016 |
| Murray-Darling Basin Plan Senate Select | Member | 25 Jun 2015 | 23 Feb 2016 |
| Public Works Joint Statutory | Member | 4 Mar 2015 | 4 Feb 2016 |
| Wind Turbines Senate Select | Member | 27 Nov 2014 | 3 Aug 2015 |
| Scrutiny of Government Budget Measures (formerly Abbott Government's Budget Cuts) Senate Select | Member | 17 Jul 2014 | 23 Feb 2016 |
| Economics: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 23 Feb 2016 |
| Economics: References Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 23 Feb 2016 |
| Electoral Matters Joint Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 4 Feb 2016 |
| Environment and Communications: Legislation Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 3 Mar 2015 |
| Human Rights Joint Statutory | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 9 May 2016 |
| National Disability Insurance Scheme Joint Standing | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 15 Jun 2015 |
| Northern Australia Joint Select | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 23 Feb 2016 |
| Public Works Joint Statutory | Member | 1 Jul 2014 | 2 Mar 2015 |
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, Queensland | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 35.23 | Elected 3rd of 6 | |
| 2016 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 35.27 | Elected 4th of 12 | |
| 2013 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Liberal National Party of Queensland | 41.39 | Elected 6th 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 | $156,676 | $35,803 | $20,359 | $21,922 |
| Office Facilities | $34,881 | $37,107 | $38,701 | $26,835 |
| Office Administration | $21,475 | $12,647 | $18,573 | $80,060 |
| Other Car Costs | $18,964 | $21,629 | $22,281 | $18,161 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $25,992 | $22,219 | $10,859 | $15,897 |
| Travel Allowance | $21,254 | $10,304 | $12,192 | $10,070 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $7,639 | $2,266 | $4,685 | $7,742 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $10,318 | $837 | $82 | $2,715 |
| Telecommunications | $820 | $795 | $576 | $689 |
| Total | $298,020 | $143,606 | $128,310 | $184,091 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Nil return | ||
| 2016 federal election | Senate, Queensland | Nil return | ||
| 2013 federal election | Senate, Queensland | 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.
Bills raised
| Bill | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Digital ID Repeal Bill 2024 | Sponsor | Before Senate |
| Environment and Other Legislation Amendment (Removing Nuclear Energy Prohibitions) Bill 2026 | Sponsor | Before Senate |
| Prime Agricultural Land Protection Bill 2026 (No. 2) | Sponsor | Before Senate |
| Repeal Net Zero Bill 2025 [No. 2] | Sponsor | Before Senate |
| Sex Discrimination Amendment (Restoring Biological Definitions) Bill 2025 | Sponsor | Not Proceeding |
| Social Media Minimum Age Repeal Bill 2025 | Sponsor | Before Senate |
| Treasury Laws Amendment (Removing the Widows and Spouses Tax) Bill 2026 | Sponsor | Before Senate |
| Water Amendment (Ending Further Murray-Darling Basin Water Buybacks) Bill 2026 | Sponsor | Before Senate |
Sponsor marks the member's own bill; Introduced marks bills they moved, typically as the responsible minister.
Voting record 440 divisions
Photo: Pellowe Talk (CC BY 3.0), 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.