Sophie Scamps | |
|---|---|
 Scamps in 2022 | |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Mackellar | |
| Assumed office 21 May 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Jason Falinski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 March 1971[1] Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney UNSW University of Oxford |
| Occupation |
|
| Website | Official website |
Sophie Anna Rebecca Scamps (/skɒmps/ SKOMPS;[2] born 15 March 1971[3]) is an Australian independent politician, general practitioner, and former athlete. In the 2022 Australian federal election, she was elected as the Member for Mackellar in the Australian House of Representatives.
Scamps grew up in Turramurra, New South Wales.[4] She attended Abbotsleigh school, noted for her achievements in athletics.[5]
Scamps qualified for the 1992 Summer Olympics as a middle-distance runner.[6] She competed internationally for Australia, and was a member of the gold medal winning 4 x 400 m women's relay, at the World Junior Championships in 1990.[7]
Her personal bests include:[8]
Scamps studied Medicine at the University of Sydney graduating in 1995. Later, she received a Master of Public Health from University of New South Wales, and a master of Science with honours from the University of Oxford.[9]
She was a founder of the Our Blue Dot environmental movement, which campaigns for waste reduction and carbon neutrality.[10]
In 2020, using the "kitchen table conversations" model created by former Indi independent Cathy McGowan, Scamps and four like-minded locals created the 'Voices of Mackellar' group.[11][12]
Backed by Climate 200, as well as a large grass-roots local campaign, Scamps announced her candidacy as an independent in December 2021.[13] Scamps was one of the 23 independents who ran for the 2022 Australian federal election. Her campaign focused on the issues of climate, integrity and gender diversity.[14] Scamps has stated that she became motivated to stand for election when she received a survey from the incumbent Liberal MP Jason Falinski, which omitted climate change as an issue important to Mackellar residents.[15] Scamps has also stated that Julia Gillard's Misogyny Speech inspired her to enter politics.[16]
Scamps received A$1,558,960 from 828 separate donors to her election campaign, and spent A$1,216,746.[17]
In early May 2022, fake election posters were placed around Mackellar, claiming that Scamps was a member of the Australian Greens.[18]
Scamps lives in Avalon on Sydney's Northern Beaches, with her husband Adam Magro former Wallaby Rugby Player and three children and, for a time, a family of Ukrainian refugees.[19][20][21][22] Her own surname is Belgian and pronounced 'Scomps'.[23]