Indian-origin Pallavi Sinha may join race for Australia senate

Speculation is rife that Sinha could be in fray for the Liberal spot after Australia’s longest-serving woman senator Marisa Payne decided to step down later this month.

• Shubham
• 15 September, 2023

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By: Shubham Ghosh

SPECULATION is rife over Indian-origin politician Pallavi Sinha may join the race to succeed long-serving Australian senator Marisa Payne after she recently announced her decision to resign from the house of the parliament later this month, The Australia Today reported.

The 59-year-old has been Australia’s longest-serving woman senator who has been in the senate since 1997. She has also held some of the top government portfolios such as foreign affairs, women, defence and human services between 2013 and 2022.

According to The Australia Today report, “It is understood that Indian origin Liberal politician Pallavi Sinha will throw her hat in the ring for the position. Currently there is not a single person of Indian origin from the Liberal party in the Federal Parliament. The ruling Labour Government has two Indian-origin MPs.”

Sinha is an award-winning lawyer and notary public and was picked for the prestigious AFR and Westpac 100 Women of Influence. She is actively involved in work in areas such as gender, social cohesion, small business, among others, the report added.

It also said that Sinha, a long-time member of the Liberal Party, got number 12 spot in the New South Wales parliament’s upper house elections four years ago. She received the second-highest number of personal votes in the Liberal Party in the upper chamber elections in that position, The Australia Today report added.

As per Sinha’s website, “She completed Economics (Social Sciences) & Law degrees with honours from Sydney University. Pallavi has worked for the private, public and community sector. She formerly worked as a Solicitor at King & Wood Mallesons, and as a Legal Mediator at Catholic Care in the area of family law. She is currently Principal of Lawyers with Solutions & lectures at the University of Sydney Law School.

“Pallavi was the first Indian Australian woman to be invited to join Saxton Speakers Bureau, and has spoken at Global and National Conferences. She participated in the Ethics Centre Intelligence Squared Debate with Stan Grant, Rita Panahi & Jack Thompson.”