Zed Seselja

Early life and education

Seselja was born in Canberra Hospital, then called the Woden Valley Hospital, to Ljudevit and Katica Seselja, both immigrants from Croatia (when it was part of Yugoslavia). His mother arrived alone in late 1970, and five months later she married Ljudevit, who had arrived three years earlier. Both held two jobs each.

Seselja attended St Mary MacKillop College. He graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1997, a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1999 and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice in 2002. He received a Graduate Certificate in Public Administration in 2000 from the University of Canberra. He was admitted as a legal practitioner in 2002.

While attending university, he worked at Woolworths Supermarkets from 1995–98; at MacKillop Catholic College (now St Mary MacKillop College) in 1998 as a cleaner; at the Australian Fisheries Management Authority from 1998–99 as a legal assistant; and at the Commonwealth Department of Transport and Regional Services from 2000–04 as a policy officer, lawyer, and then a senior lawyer.

Australian Capital Territory

At the 2008 election, Seselja received a quota of 1.49 and was elected first in the seven-member Molonglo electorate. There was a decrease in the vote for both major parties, with a swing to the Greens. Labor won 7 seats, the Liberals won 6 seats, while the Greens won 4 seats, giving them the balance of power. Negotiations ensued between the Greens and both major parties over the formation of a government. After almost two weeks of deliberations, the Greens chose to support a minority Labor government, thereby consigning Seselja's party to the opposition benches.

At the 2012 election, Seselja moved to the five member Brindabella electorate where he received a quota of 1.8. He led the Canberra Liberals to their highest-ever number of seats, claiming eight in the seventeen-member ACT Legislative Assembly.

Federal politics

On 4 February 2013, Seselja stated he would challenge incumbent Senator Gary Humphries (who is himself a former ACT Liberal leader) for Liberal Party pre-selection for the Senate in the Australian federal election, 2013. Seselja stated he would stand down from leadership of the party in the Legislative Assembly as of Monday 11 February. On 23 February 2013, Seselja won his pre-selection bid, and thus became one of the two official Liberal Party Senate candidates for the ACT.

Seselja was elected to the Australian Senate as Senator for the Australian Capital Territory in the Australian federal election, 2013.

In 2014, Seselja's former territory foe Katy Gallagher resigned as ACT Chief Minister to become the ALP Senator from the ACT. With the ACT having two Senate seats, the ACT is represented in the Senate by the two former territory foes.

During the 2016 Turnbull government second ministerial reshuffle Seselja was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs.

Political views

Seselja's political views have been described as conservative and aligned with the views of former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Seselja opposes same-sex marriage.

Personal life

Seselja is a Roman Catholic. He and his wife Roslyn have five children.

In the community, Seselja is currently a supporter of both Karinya House and the Create Foundation, a member of the Australian Republican Movement and the Australian Red Cross, a volunteer for St. Vincent de Paul, an ambassador for Focus ACT since 2008, and a KeepWatch Ambassador with the Royal Lifesaving Society (since 2008); he was formerly a mentor for Menslink from 2001 to 2004.