Michaelia Cash

Michaelia Clare Cash (born 19 July 1970) is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Western Australia since July 2008, representing the Liberal Party. She is the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business and was previously the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education in the Morrison Government, having previously been the Minister for Jobs and Innovation in the Turnbull Government, and before that Minister for Employment and Minister for Women from September 2015 to December 2017.

Senator The Honourable Michaelia Cash
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
Incumbent
Assumed office 30 October 2020
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Simon Birmingham
Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Herself (as Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education)
Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education
In office 28 August 2018 – 29 May 2019
Prime Minister	Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Craig Laundy (as Minister for Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation)
Succeeded by	Herself (as Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business)
Minister for Jobs and Innovation
In office 20 December 2017 – 23 August 2018
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Herself (as Minister for Employment) Arthur Sinodinos (as Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science)
Succeeded by	Kelly O'Dwyer (as Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations)
Minister for Employment & Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Public Service
In office 21 September 2015 – 20 December 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Eric Abetz
Succeeded by	Herself (as Minister for Jobs and Innovation)
Minister for Women
In office 21 September 2015 – 20 December 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Tony Abbott
Succeeded by	Kelly O'Dwyer
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women
In office 18 September 2013[lower-alpha 1] – 21 September 2015
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Julie Collins (as Minister for Women)
Succeeded by	Herself (as Minister for Women)
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
In office 18 September 2013 – 21 September 2015
Prime Minister	Tony Abbott Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Kate Lundy
Succeeded by	James McGrath
Senator for Western Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2008
Preceded by	Ross Lightfoot
Personal details
Born	Michaelia Clare Cash 19 July 1970 Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia
Political party	Liberal
Parents	George Cash
Alma mater	Curtin University University of London University of Western Australia

Background and early career

Cash is the daughter of Samuel Ernest "George" Cash and was born in the Perth suburb of Subiaco in Western Australia. She was educated at Iona Presentation College in Mosman Park.[1]

Cash graduated from Curtin University in 1990 with a Bachelor of Arts with a triple major in public relations, politics, and journalism.[2] She also holds an Honours Degree in Law from the University of London and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the University of Western Australia.[3]

Cash is a long-standing member of the Liberal Party of WA. She was an executive member of the Curtin University Young Liberals from 1988 to 1990 and then the Western Australian Young Liberal Movement where she held numerous positions including State Vice-President. She was a long-time member of the Liberal Party of Western Australia's State Council and was the President of the Moore Division. She has also served on the Party's state executive.

Prior to her political career, Cash was a solicitor with the law firm Freehills where she worked from 1999 to 2008. She practised in all areas of employment and industrial law including industrial relations, employee relations, occupational health and safety, equal opportunity, executive employment and unfair dismissal.[4]

Political career

Cash won preselection for the Liberal Party Senate ticket in 2007 and went on to be elected to the Federal Parliament at the 2007 federal election. She contested the election as the number three candidate of the Liberal Senate ticket in Western Australia.

Since entering Federal Parliament Cash has served on many Senate Committees and was also a Temporary Chair of Committees between February and September 2010. In September 2010, while in opposition, Cash was promoted to the positions of Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Status of Women and the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration. At this time Cash was also appointed Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate.

After the election of the Abbott Government in September 2013, Cash was sworn in as the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, as well as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women. Following a leadership change that led to the formation of the Turnbull Government, Cash was sworn in on 21 September 2015 as the Minister for Employment, the Minister for Women, and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on the Public Service.[5][6]

In October 2017, the Australian Workers' Union offices were raided by the Australian Federal Police, and media were tipped off prior to the event. Cash advised the Senate Estimates that a staffer of hers found out about the raid from "a media source" and then spread the word to more journalists, having previously denied that her office had any involvement.[7] The staffer in question resigned, but his phone was still active after his resignation.[8] Cash has been ordered to turn over any documents in her department relating to the raid.[9] Cash misled Senate Estimates previously by saying her office had no role in alerting the media about the AWU raids which was shown to be false the following day at Senate Estimates.[10] Cash's legal fees for her response to a federal court subpoena will be paid for through taxpayer funding.[11]

In a December 2017 ministerial reshuffle, Cash was appointed to the new position of Minister for Jobs and Innovation.[12] The employment portfolio was abolished, while Kelly O'Dwyer assumed responsibility for both the Women and Public Service portfolios.[13]

Cash has been criticised for refusing to release a report into an 18-year-old who died while on a Work for the Dole assignment in April 2016. At the time, Cash promised to release the report within a month, as of April 2018 the final report was not completed, and an internal report to Cash completed in September 2016 had not been released.[14]

Cash offered her resignation from the frontbench on 22 August 2018, during the events of the Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 2018.[15] Scott Morrison replaced Turnbull as Prime Minister two days later on 24 August 2018. Cash was then appointed the Minister for Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education in the First Morrison Ministry.

In the Second Morrison Ministry, Cash was appointed the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business in May 2019. In October 2020, she was additionally appointed the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate.[16][17]

Personal

Cash is married to Richard Price, a barrister and the brother of late political journalist Matt Price. She is the daughter of former Western Australian state MP, Minister and President of the Legislative Council, George Cash AM.

See also

• Abbott Ministry
• First Turnbull Ministry
• Second Turnbull Ministry
• First Morrison Ministry
• Second Morrison Ministry

Notes

1. Cash served as the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women, while Prime Minister Abbott held the portfolio of Minister for Women, until 21 September 2015 following a leadership spill, when Prime Minister Turnbull appointed Cash as Minister for Women.

References

1. Clark, Andrew (8 January 2016). "It will take the strength of a Margaret Thatcher-like figure to reform IR". The Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
2. Jauk, Daniel (6 October 2015). "Curtin graduate appointed Minister for Women and Minister for Employment". Curtin University. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
3. Williams, Azadeh (5 April 2016). "Smashing the Glass Ceiling: Senator Michaelia Cash's Journey From Lawyer to Workplace Reformer". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
4. "Senator Michaelia Cash's Journey From Lawyer to Workplace Reformer". Legal Insight. 5 April 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
5. "Malcolm Turnbull announces new Cabinet in 'process of renewal', drops Joe Hockey, Eric Abetz". ABC. Australia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
6. "Malcolm Turnbull's Cabinet reshuffle:Who's going where?". ABC. Australia. 21 September 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
7. "Michaelia Cash's Office Tipped-Off Media About AFP Raids, And A Staffer Has Now Resigned". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
8. "Rebel Wilson's Lawyer Is Part Of The Court Case About Michaelia Cash's Office And The Union Raids". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
9. "Michaelia Cash Will Be Forced To Hand Over Any Documents About Leaks Of AWU Police Raids". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
10. "Michaelia Cash admits staffer told media about federal police raids on AWU offices; Labor calls for her head". Retrieved 5 March 2018.
11. Karp, Paul (19 June 2018). "Taxpayers to foot legal bill for Michaelia Cash's union raid court case". the Guardian. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
12. Turnbull, Malcolm (19 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018. Senator Michaelia Cash will become Minister for Jobs and Innovation, charged with harnessing the policies of the government to create more jobs and job opportunities. Senator Cash will be a key part of the Government’s economic team working to deliver on our commitment of more jobs, more investment, and stronger economic growth.
13. "Jobs and innovation a good fit for Cash". The Australian. 20 December 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
14. "Michaelia Cash Could Be Forced To Release Report Into Work For The Dole Death". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
15. Sweeney, Lucy; Belot, Henry (23 August 2018). "Malcolm Turnbull faces fresh leadership challenge from Peter Dutton". ABC News (Australia).
16. "Appointment as Minister for Finance". Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. 30 October 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
17. "Minister for Finance and Senate leadership". Prime Minister of Australia. 8 October 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2020.

External links

• Parliamentary biography
• Senator Cash's first speech
• Summary of parliamentary voting for Senator Michaelia Cash on TheyVoteForYou.org.au