The Honourable
Tania Mihailuk
MLC
Mihailuk in 2022
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council
Assumed office
10 May 2023
Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation – New South Wales
Assumed office
10 December 2023
Preceded byMark Latham
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for Bankstown
In office
26 March 2011 – 1 March 2023
Preceded byTony Stewart
Succeeded byJihad Dib
51st Mayor of Bankstown
In office
1 September 2006 – 27 June 2011
Preceded byHelen Westwood
Succeeded byKhal Asfour
Personal details
Born5 May 1976 [1]
Political partyOne Nation (2023–present)
Other political
affiliations		Labor Party (until 2022)
Independent (2022–2023)
SpouseAlex Kuskoff
ResidenceChester Hill[2]
Alma materMacquarie University
OccupationPolitician
Websitehttps://taniamihailukmlc.com.au/

Tania Mihailuk is an Australian politician, currently serving as member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since 2023.[3] She served as mayor of the City of Bankstown from 2006 to 2011.[4]

Mihailuk was the first woman to represent Bankstown in the electoral district's history, serving in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2011 to 2023. She initially served as a member of the Labor Party before resigning from the party in 2022. She joined One Nation in January 2023[5] and ran for the Legislative Council on the party's ticket at the March election, at which she was unsuccessful.[6][7] Mihailuk was appointed to the New South Wales Legislative Council on 10 May 2023, filling a casual vacancy created by the resignation of Mark Latham, shortly before the 2023 New South Wales state election.[8]

Background and education

Mihailuk attended Macquarie University and graduated with a degree in economics and later a degree in law. She has worked in various industries, including marketing and public policy.[9]

Political career

Mihailuk was elected to Bankstown Council in 2004 and became mayor in 2006. She was endorsed as the Labor candidate for Bankstown in November 2010 after sitting member Tony Stewart announced his resignation.[10] She stated she would resign from council if she won, which she did, having suffered a swing against her of more than 15 points, as part of the Coalition's landslide election win.[11]

On 20 September 2022, Mihailuk used parliamentary privilege to link Canterbury-Bankstown Council mayor, Khal Asfour, to corrupt former Labor Minister Eddie Obeid, which was a stark contrast with her prominent thanks of Asfour in her maiden parliamentary speech for being her campaign director.[12] On 23 September, Labor Opposition Leader, Chris Minns, demoted Mihailuk from the Shadow Cabinet.[13][14] On 20 October 2022, Mihailuk resigned from the NSW Labor Party, claiming that the party was "plagued by corruption"[15] and that it was "too woke".[16]

On 17 January 2023, Mihailuk announced that she would be running second on the One Nation ticket at the upcoming 2023 New South Wales state election for the Legislative Council, behind party leader Mark Latham.[6] Before that, in 2017 when she was a Labor MP she criticised One Nation and Mark Latham.[17] Mihailuk officially resigned from the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 1 March 2023.[7]

Personal life

Mihailuk resides in Chester Hill with her husband, Alex, and has three children.

References

  1. ^ "Member for Bankstown". Hansard. 5 May 2021.
  2. ^ "Candidates - Legislative Council Group Q: ONE NATION". Elections NSW. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  3. ^ "The Hon. Tania MIHAILUK, BEc, LLB MLC". www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Clr Mihailuk steps down as Mayor". City of Bankstown. 27 June 2011. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 18 December 2015. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Ms Tania MIHAILUK, BEc, LLB MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  6. ^ a b Rabe, Tom; Cormack, Lucy (17 January 2023). "Former Labor MP switches to One Nation weeks before NSW election". The Age. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b @taniamihailukmp (1 March 2023). "N/A" – via Instagram.[user-generated source]
  8. ^ "Joint sitting minutes - 10 May 2023" (PDF). www.parliament.nsw.gov.au. New South Wales Parliament. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  9. ^ Tania Mihailuk, NSW Labor Party. Retrieved 26 August 2014
  10. ^ Vella, Joanne (30 November 2010). "Tania Mihailuk wins preselection for Bankstown". Cantebury-Bankstown Express. News Limited. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  11. ^ "Bankstown – NSW Votes 2011". ABC News. 5 April 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2011.
  12. ^ Mihailuk, Tania. "Tania Mihailuk Inaugural Speech" (PDF). Parliament of New South Wales. State of New South Wales through the Parliament of New South Wales. p. 1. Retrieved 26 June 2023. I am eager to place on record my enormous gratitude to the many people who assisted and supported me in the election, many of whom are here today. First among them I thank my campaign director, Khal Asfour, for his unstinting support and loyalty. Khal worked with a fantastic campaign team— ... the Asfour family and all the team that came out in force on election day.
  13. ^ Gramenz, Jack (23 September 2022). "NSW Labor boots MP from shadow cabinet". The Canberra Times. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 23 September 2022.
  14. ^ McGowan, Michael (23 September 2022). "Chris Minns defends swift sacking of Tania Mihailuk after corruption allegations". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  15. ^ Cockburn, Paige (20 October 2022). "NSW Labor MP Tania Mihailuk resigns from party, says Labor not ready to govern". ABC News. Australia: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  16. ^ "Labor 'too woke' for turncoat NSW MP Tania Mihailuk". 17 January 2023.
  17. ^ McGowan, Michael (17 January 2023). "Former NSW Labor MP joins One Nation despite previously labelling Mark Latham a 'buffoon'". The Guardian.
New South Wales Legislative Assembly Preceded byTony Stewart Member for Bankstown 2011–2023 Succeeded byJihad Dib
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