Preceded by Bob Stensholt Role Australian Politician Name Graham Watt | Website grahamwatt.com.au Education Edith Cowan University | |
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Born 18 August 1976 (age 47)
Norseman, Western Australia ( 1976-08-18 ) Political party Liberal Party of Australia Party Liberal Party of Australia Profiles | ||
Alma mater Edith Cowan University | ||
Graham Travis Watt (born 18 August 1976) is an Australian politician, who is currently (since 2010) the member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly for the Electoral district of Burwood. He is a member of the Liberal Party.
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Early life
Watt was born in Western Australia. He grew up in public housing and is one of 11 children with 10 sisters.
Before moving to Victoria, Watt graduated from Edith Cowan University, obtaining a Bachelor of Business, and majoring in Finance and Economics. He has since been the owner of a mobile phone retail store and a carpet cleaning business.
Politics
Watt unsuccessfully ran for the Liberal Party in 2002 and 2006 in the electoral district of Northcote, which was a safe seat for the ALP. He said: Those campaigns were really about learning and gaining the most experience I could.
In 2009 he was preselected as the Liberal candidate for the electorate of Burwood, which he won in at the November 2010 state election, ousting Labor's Bob Stensholt.
He was elected in the 2010 Victorian election 27 November 2010, and was formally sworn in on 2 December 2010. He was re-elected in the 2014 Victorian election.
In October 2016 Graham Watt created a petition for members of the Australian-Chinese community, opposing aspects of the Safe Schools program. It was reported that the petition raised concerns about the program's "inappropriate contents, the political agenda it promotes in schools, the lack of parental consent involved, and its failure to respect cultural and religious diversity".
Personal life
He lives in Ashburton and is engaged with multiple community organisations, such as the Eastern Lions Soccer Club in his electoral district and his children's school.