Chris Crewther

Christopher John "Chris" Crewther (born 6 August 1983) is an Australian politician. He is the Member for Dunkley in the Australian House of Representatives. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, serving under the current Coalition Government led by Prime Minister the Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP. Crewther succeeded the previous member, the Hon. Bruce Billson, at the 2016 federal election.^[1] He is currently the youngest Member of Parliament in the Australian House of Representatives.

33 year-old Crewther lives in the electorate of Dunkley with his wife and daughter. Prior to entering politics Crewther worked in roles including running his own small business in agricultural exports, as CEO of an economic development corporation responsible for a region of 48,000 square kilometres with $3 billon gross regional product, and as an International Lawyer through the United Nations at the Kosovo Property Agency in Kosovo (in the former Yugoslavia), resolving property claims for those who lost possession of their property due to the 1998-99 conflict.^[2]

Crewther was born in Mitcham and spent the first few years of his life in Kilsyth/Mooroolbark, before moving to Horsham in the Wimmera when he was four. He grew up and undertook all his schooling in the country, attending Murtoa Secondary College and Horsham College. He has two Master's degrees from the Australian National University in International Law and Diplomacy, the latter in which he was awarded top student achieving the James Ingram AO Prize for Excellence in Diplomatic Studies.^[3] He also has a law degree with honours from the University of Canberra.

He is also a Non-Executive Director of Zoe Support Australia, helping young pregnant and parenting mothers get back into education, and has been a Director of Global Voices, helping engage and involve young people in international diplomacy. Crewther was previously the Liberal candidate for the rural seat of Mallee in 2013, which has been held by the National Party since its establishment in 1949.^[1]

In a speech to parliament in late 2016, Crewther revealed he lived with Tourette syndrome. He further discussed his condition during an interview on the Lateline program on 2 March 2017. He is the patron for the Tourette Syndrome Association of Australia.^[4]

Crewther is currently Chair of the Foreign and Aid Sub-Committee, under the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, which in February 2017 launched an inquiry into Australia establishing legislation to tackle modern slavery, similar to but improving upon the UK's 2015 Modern Slavery Act.

Crewther is also a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, Secretary of the Government's Backbench Committee for Immigration and Border Protection, and a member of the Government's Backbench Committee for Infrastructure and Regional Development.

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