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Melissa McIntoshMP
McIntosh at a parliamentary function in Canberra, 2024
Member of the Australian Parliament for Lindsay
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 May 2019
Preceded by	Emma Husar
Personal details
Born	Melissa Iris Grah (1977-08-24) 24 August 1977 (age 47) Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Liberal
Spouse	Stuart McIntosh
Alma mater	Western Sydney University
Occupation	Political staffer Communications officer
Website	https://melissamcintosh.com.au

Melissa Iris McIntosh (née Grah; born 24 August 1977) is an Australian politician. She is a member of the Liberal Party and was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2019 federal election, running in the New South Wales seat of Lindsay.

Early life

McIntosh was born on 24 August 1977 in Penrith, New South Wales. Her father Edmund Grah immigrated to Australia in the late 1950s from Graz, Austria. His parents and sister had been killed in World War II.

McIntosh attended Blaxland High School but experienced bullying at the school, particularly around her performing arts and dance talent. She later switched to the Newtown High School of the Performing Arts. She then studied journalism, public relations and video production at the University of Western Sydney, graduating with the degree of Bachelor of Communications.

Career

McIntosh began working in politics after graduating university, working as an aide to arts and sport minister Jackie Kelly and later in the office of Prime Minister John Howard. From 2011 to 2015, she worked at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney as head of partnerships and director of events. She then served as chief of staff to Assistant Treasurer Alex Hawke until 2016, when she joined Wentworth Community Housing as executive manager (communications).

Prior to her election to parliament, McIntosh was a vice-president of the Liberal Party of Australia (New South Wales Division) and a member of the state executive. She was an unsuccessful candidate for the Fourth Ward of the Blue Mountains City Council in 2016.

McIntosh is a member of the centre-right faction of the Liberal Party.

Member of Parliament

In November 2018, McIntosh won Liberal preselection for the Division of Lindsay. She was elected to the House of Representatives at the 2019 federal election, defeating Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate Diane Beamer, who had defeated the incumbent ALP member Emma Husar for preselection.

Personal life

McIntosh has three children with her husband Stuart McIntosh, a former Olympic canoeist. They met at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He works for the New South Wales Government Department of Planning. She has sometimes used the name "Melissa Grah-McIntosh".

McIntosh lives in Mount Riverview in New South Wales.

References

1. ^ "Mrs Melissa McIntosh MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
2. "First Speech: Mrs Melissa McIntosh MP". Parliament of Australia. 22 July 2019. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
3. Rolfe, John (16 August 2024). "Sydney Power 100: Where the city's most powerful people went to school". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
4. ^ Curtis, Katina (20 September 2020). "Olympic love a 'better legacy than a medal any day'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
5. "Ward 4 Liberal team to focus on improving council finances". Blue Mountains Gazette. 18 August 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
6. Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
7. Massola, James (8 April 2023). "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
8. Barton, Nicola (5 December 2018). "Liberal candidate hits the ground running". Retrieved 27 May 2019.
9. "Lindsay falls to Liberals". The Western Weekender. 18 May 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
10. ^ "Melissa McIntosh's private interests". openpolitics.au. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
11. "Melissa Grah-McIntosh". ABC News. Retrieved 18 November 2020.

• 1977 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 Lindsay
• Australian people of Austrian descent
• Women members of the Australian House of Representatives
• 21st-century Australian politicians
• 21st-century Australian women politicians
• Australian public relations people
• Western Sydney University alumni
• People educated at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts