Matt Burnell | Member for Spence (SA) | Australian Labor Party

Very Safe

15.34% Margin

Elected 2022

3 years

Member for Spence (SA)

Federal - SA

Matt was born in 1978 in Mildura, a town in northwest Victoria. He grew up on the family citrus farm.

Matt worked in retail, including at KFC and Sportspower from 1992 to 2001, moving on to work for Linfox Armaguard until 2006. He was then a seafarer in the offshore gas and oil industry before becoming the senior branch organiser at the Transport Workers' Union (TWU) of Australia (SA/NT Branch) from 2016 to 2022. Matt also served in the Army Reserve from 1996 to 1999.

At the 2022 Fede...

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Committees

Agriculture
Nuclear Energy
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs
Treaties

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First Speech in Parliament

1 August 2022

# Indigenous Rights # Workers' Rights # Education Reform # Climate Action # Sustainable Agriculture # Community Engagement # Fair Trade Practices # Clean Energy Transition # Circular Economy # Youth Opportunities

Personal Background

Grew up in Mildura; family involved in community service.
Parents instilled values of education and community support.
Military background with Army Reserve; supported by family through personal losses.

Motivations and Values

Proud member of the Australian Labor Party; focused on fairness, equality, and social inclusion.
Emphasizes the importance of community and service, influenced by previous mentors.
Advocates for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, emphasizing the need for Indigenous voices in governance.

Policy Goals and Issues

Strong commitment to improving education access and quality, recognizing the need for early investment.
Advocates for workers' rights, highlighting the exploitation in the gig economy and supporting the establishment of a tribunal for fair pay and safety.
Urges action on climate change and sustainable practices in agriculture, emphasizing the need for cleaner energy and conservation efforts.
Calls for a circular economy to reduce waste and boost job creation, aiming for innovation and community empowerment.

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FAQ

Matt Burnell represents the electorate of Spence (SA) in the Australian Parliament.

Matt Burnell is a member of the Australian Labor Party.

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In Parliament

STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS

Cost of Living

Australian Federal Parliament • House of Reps • 27 March

AI Summary

MPs discussed the increasing burden of living costs on families.
Calls for government intervention to alleviate financial pressures.
Debate over potential strategies and policies to support affected citizens.

BILLS › Telecommunications Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2025

Second Reading

Australian Federal Parliament • House of Reps • 26 March

Media and Communications Technology Telecommunications Consumer Rights

AI Summary

The bill aims to enhance consumer safeguards in telecommunications.
It includes measures to improve transparency and accountability for service providers.
Provisions are designed to address issues such as billing practices and service reliability.

Social Media

Posted on Facebook • 20 June 2025

Enough is enough. I've written to Australia Post's CEO, Mr Paul Graham, today asking for a resolution to the disruption of mail services at the Virginia LPO. As I've said previously, the solution here is home mail delivery - what's occured over the past week is only further evidence as to why that is. We don't need another poll when these issues are as obvious as they are. I've had a number of local residents, from Virginia as well as Riverlea, contact my office to raise their concerns. If you're affected by the disruption to mail service in this area, I want you to tell me about it so I can raise your story to those who need to hear it most. Get in touch via matt.burnell.mp@aph.gov.au to do so.