Michael Sukkar

Michael Sven Sukkar (born 11 September 1981) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives since September 2013, representing the Division of Deakin in Victoria for the Liberal Party.

Michael Sukkar was born in Ringwood, Victoria. His father was a Lebanese migrant; his mother's father was a Norwegian migrant. They were small business owners. Michael Sukkar grew up in Ringwood and attended primary school at Sacred Heart in Croydon and then secondary school at Aquinas College in Ringwood. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin University and later a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne.

Prior to entering the Parliament, Michael Sukkar spent seven years working as a lawyer with the firm, Ashurst Australia (then known as Blake Dawson Waldron) where he was a Senior Associate. In this role, he advised many of Australia's most successful individuals and largest corporate groups. Before this role, he worked as a Senior Consultant with accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers where he specialised in taxation.

2013 political candidacy

The seat of Deakin was held by the Liberal Party from 1984-2007 but was lost by Phil Barresi to Labor's Mike Symon in 2007. In 2012, Michael Sukkar stood for Liberal preselection in Deakin and won.

Parliamentary career

Michael Sukkar won the seat of Deakin, then the second most marginal seat in Australia, at the 2013 election with a swing to the Liberal Party of 3.8% and was considered critical to Tony Abbott's election victory. "It's the culmination of a 15-month campaign and I’ve had the support of so many crucial people," Mr Sukkar said. He unseated Labor's Mike Symon, who admitted he was out gunned by the Liberal.

In his maiden speech, Michael Sukkar acknowledged the hard work and dedication of his parents and the important role they played in shaping his character. He also spoke of his love for the community in which he grew up, saying "strength in our local community is not achieved through government mandate, regulation or handouts, but from the principles of looking after your neighbour and doing unto others as you would have them do unto you."

At the 2016 federal election, Michael Sukkar increased his margin by 2.5% and had the Liberal Party's best result in Victoria. "The Labor Party poured a fortune into their campaign to win Deakin back but, owing to his consistent hard work for the community, Michael Sukkar achieved a positive swing of [2.5] per cent," Michael Kroger, State President of the Victorian Liberal Party said.

Michael Sukkar currently sits on two parliamentary committees and is the Chairman of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.