Karina Okotel is a former federal vice president of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

. She was an unsuccessful

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candidate for

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in the

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. She was one of the leaders of the unsuccessful "No" campaign in the

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Early life and education

Karina Okotel was born in 1980. She is of Sri Lankan descent and a daughter of Sri Lankan immigrants who worked menial jobs before becoming owners of a liquor store. She studied arts/law at

Melbourne University The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb nor ...

and then worked at an orphanage on the Thai/Myanmar border. She completed her articles as a solicitor and then travelled to Uganda with Baptist World Aid. Her other roles included working for the Tenants' Union, the Mental Health Legal Centre and the Barwon Community Legal Centre.

Career and political activities

Okotel joined the Liberal Party in 2010 after the party's success at the Victorian state election. In 2012, she was elected as councillor for the Rosstown ward of the Glen Eira City Council, and later became deputy mayor. During 2016, she resigned from the Glen Eira Council to run for the Australian Senate. She was in the sixth place on the Liberal Party ticket and was unsuccessful. She was elected as federal Liberal Party vice-president in June 2017. Since 2015, Okotel has been a leading opponent of legalising gay marriage in Australia. In September 2017, she decided to come out of maternity leave to support the

Coalition for Marriage The Coalition for Marriage, often abbreviated to C4M, is a Christian campaign group in the United Kingdom that opposes same-sex marriage. Founded in February 2012, the Coalition for Marriage is the main campaign group against same-sex marriage ...

. She wrote an opinion piece for ''

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'' describing her fears for the freedom of speech, religion and association if same-sex marriage was legalised. O n 12 September, she debated

Christine Forster Christine Forster is a former Australian local government politician who was a Liberal councillor in the City of Sydney (2012–2021) and the younger sister of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Forster attended the University of S ...

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. On 13 September, she spoke at the

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, alongside

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, for the campaign against same sex marriage. On 23 September, she was a panellist on the

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'' Q&A'' same-sex marriage debate. She served as Commonwealth Liberal Vice President until she was replaced by Teena McQueen in October 2019. In August 2020, she was suspended from an important party committee following concerns over a branch stacking scandal implicating close associate Marcus Bastian and MP

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and concerns she breached party rules compiling a dirt sheet on sitting MPs. Sukkar and MP Kevin Andrews were later cleared of using tax payer funds to recruit party members. The party's local government committee decided on the suspension of Okotel, just weeks after Ms Okotel was installed to the position, ''The Australian'' reported. The staunch social conservative has been linked with party president

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and Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien. She was replaced by Teena McQueen.

Personal life

Okotel met her husband, David, a

Ugandan }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The southe ...

, during her time working for Baptist World Aid. The pair went on to make a documentary about Uganda's internally displaced people and child soldiers. The couple married in Uganda in 2010 and have three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Okotel, Karina Living people 1980 births Australian people of Sri Lankan descent Australian politicians of Asian descent Liberal Party of Australia politicians Australian anti-same-sex-marriage activists Melbourne Law School alumni Politicians from Melbourne 21st-century Australian politicians Mayors of places in Victoria (state)