Family
Western Australia has been home to six generations of my family. My great-grandparents, Michael and Kathleen Kilrain, migrated to Australia and embraced the opportunity offered by the Group Settlement Scheme in Manjimup. With a small loan, they bought a cow, a bucket and an axe and set to work alongside other settlers to build a community and a future. The farm they established remains in the family to this day.
On the other side of the family, my great-grandparents Mick and Sarah O’Sullivan also lived and raised their children in Manjimup. Mick was one of the first government-appointed foresters under the Forests Act. He believed in development but also understood the need to do it sustainably.
They believed in hard work, personal responsibility, reward for effort, service to the community, and the central importance of family. These virtues have been passed down through the generations and continue to guide my life and my work.
My wife Montanique and I are raising our two children in Perth’s southern suburbs. Her selfless love and unwavering commitment to our family are a constant source of strength.
Career
My working career has taken me all over Western Australia.
I began my career as a tradesman, completing an electronics and communications apprenticeship. While doing this, I was also with a youth service connected to my church.
The community needs I was exposed to as a volunteer inspired me to pursue a career as a youth worker. Over the following eight years, I worked extensively with at-risk youth and their families.
Before entering Parliament, I was fortunate to have held senior leadership roles in employment and social policy. I worked to strengthen workforce participation, improve opportunity and helped create practical initiatives that delivered measurable outcomes for Australian families and communities.
Parliament
On 2 July 2019, I was sworn in as a Senator for Western Australia.
I have the privilege of serving as the Shadow Minister for Choice in Childcare and Early Learning; Shadow Minister for Child Protection and the Prevention of Family Violence; and Deputy Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate within the Hon Angus Taylor’s shadow ministry.
I believe strong families are the foundation of a strong nation, that public policy should empower not control, and that the dignity of meaningful work remains central both to individual fulfilment and community success.
The principles formed through my experience continue to guide my life and my work in the Senate, particularly in my commitment to policies that promote resilience and opportunity from the earliest years of life.