Meryl Swanson
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 | 3 Sep 1970, Kurri Kurri, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| Entered parliament | 2 Jul 2016 |
| Parliaments | 45th, 46th, 47th, 48th |
| Qualification | Institution |
|---|---|
| Bachelor of Commerce | University of Newcastle |
| Bachelor of Arts | University of Newcastle |
Occupations before parliament
| Role | Organisation | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Radio Broadcaster | 2004 – 2016 | |
| Small business owner and cafe operator | 2001 – 2004 | |
| Student and mother | 1998 – 2001 | |
| Executive Director | Hunter Tourism | 1997 |
| Electorate Officer | J Fitzgibbon, MP | 1996 – 1997 |
| Business Manager | Hunter Region Organisation of Councils | 1993 – 1996 |
| Radio Presenter | 2KO | 1992 |
| Researcher, Producer and Reporter | NBN Television | 1991 – 1993 |
Positions held
| Role | Ministry | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member of the Speaker's Panel | current | ||
| Shadow Assistant Minister for Defence | Albanese Shadow Ministry | 11 Aug 2020 | 23 May 2022 |
Committee service
| Committee | Role | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture House of Representatives Standing | Chair from 22 Aug 2022 | 28 Jul 2022 | current |
| Implementation of the National Redress Scheme Joint Standing | Member | 28 Jul 2022 | current |
| Petitions House of Representatives Standing | Member | 28 Jul 2022 | current |
| Regional Australia House of Representatives Select | Deputy Chair from 19 Sep 2019 to 7 Dec 2020 | 29 Jul 2019 | 7 Dec 2020 |
| Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Joint Standing | Deputy Chair from 9 Dec 2020 to 11 Apr 2022 | 23 Jul 2019 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources House of Representatives Standing | Member | 22 Jul 2019 | 11 Apr 2022 |
| Agriculture and Water Resources House of Representatives Standing | Deputy Chair | 21 May 2018 | 11 Apr 2019 |
| Regional Development and Decentralisation House of Representatives Select | Member | 13 Jun 2017 | 28 Jun 2018 |
| Agriculture and Water Resources House of Representatives Standing | Member | 15 Sep 2016 | 15 Jun 2017 |
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 | Paterson | Labor | 37.06 | -2.99 | Elected |
| 2022 federal election | Paterson | Labor | 40.67 | -0.41 | Elected |
| 2019 federal election | Paterson | Labor | 41.08 | -4.98 | Elected |
| 2016 federal election | Paterson | Labor | 46.06 | +6.22 | 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 | $81,274 | $58,141 | $128,176 | $42,456 |
| Office Facilities | $51,249 | $41,831 | $36,777 | $32,556 |
| Employee Travel | $29,124 | $18,115 | $15,614 | $12,661 |
| Other Car Costs | $10,271 | $7,208 | $7,805 | $6,050 |
| Travel Allowance | $5,796 | $5,152 | $4,508 | $2,862 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $7,723 | $4,439 | $4,302 | $1,661 |
| International Travel | $0 | $5,858 | $4,013 | $0 |
| Telecommunications | $1,046 | $1,457 | $674 | $1,127 |
| Family or Nominee Travel | $1,168 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total | $187,651 | $142,201 | $201,869 | $99,374 |
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 | Paterson | Nil return | ||
| 2022 federal election | Paterson | Nil return | ||
| 2019 federal election | Paterson | Nil return | ||
| 2016 federal election | Paterson | 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 142 divisions
Photo: State of New South Wales (Department of Education) (CC BY 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.