Matthew Williams (born 28 April 1973) is a former Australian politician who was a

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

member of the House of Representatives seat of Hindmarsh in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

from the 2013 election until the 2016 election.

Background

Williams was born in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

and educated at Immanuel College, before graduating with degrees in economics from

Flinders University Flinders University is a public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia, with a footprint extending across 11 locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Founded in 1966, it was named in honour of British navigator ...

and law from the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (informally Adelaide University) is a public research university located in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. The university's main campus is located on N ...

. After working for the South Australian Government from 1998 to 2000 and the state Agent-General in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

from 2000 to 2002, he held a variety of roles in high-profile law and accounting firms.

Parliament

Williams entered federal parliament at the 2013 election where he won the seat of Hindmarsh with a 1.89 percent margin from a 7.97 percent two-party-preferred swing, defeating

Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...

incumbent

Steve Georganas Steven Georganas (born 13 June 1959) is an Australian politician and is the Australian Labor Party member for the House of Representatives seat of Adelaide in South Australia since the 2019 Australian federal election. Previously, he had been t ...

. The only South Australian seat to change hands in 2013, Hindmarsh became the most marginal seat in South Australia and the only marginal seat of the incoming federal government in South Australia. During the 2013 election campaign Williams committed to opposing any changes to the existing evening aircraft flight curfew at

Adelaide Airport Adelaide Airport , also known as Adelaide International Airport, is the principal airport of Adelaide, South Australia and the List of the busiest airports in Australia, fifth-busiest airport in Australia, servicing 8.5 million passenger ...

, centrally-located in the Hindmarsh electorate. However, in December 2013 the Abbott government changed the curfew to allow Cathay Pacific international passenger flights to land outside the established curfew times. In 2015 it was reported that Liberal insiders were considering Williams to be the preselected Liberal candidate for the safe state seat of Morphett if he failed to retain Hindmarsh at the 2016 federal election. When the preselection contest took place in April 2017, there was a dead-heat between Williams and

Stephen Patterson Stephen John Rayden Patterson (born 4 January 1971) is an Australian politician, and a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the Australian Football League (AFL), and Norwood in the South Australian National Foot ...

, followed by a random ballot won by Patterson, who went on to successfully challenge the incumbent Liberal member,

Duncan McFetridge Duncan McFetridge (born 27 January 1952) is an Australian politician who represented the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Morphett for the Liberal Party from the 2002 election until 2018. Entering shadow cabinet in 2004, he was re-e ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Matt 1973 births Living people Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Hindmarsh Politicians from Adelaide 21st-century Australian politicians People educated at Immanuel College, Adelaide