Matt Thistlethwaite

ALP

Party Australian Labor Party

Electorate Kingsford Smith

Offices

Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade
Assistant Minister for Immigration

📖 Wikipedia 📊 Attendance 🗳 Voting Record 💼 Interests & Gifts 💰 Salary 💸 Expenditure 📰 Guardian Articles 💬 Conversation Articles

Wikipedia

Matthew James Thistlethwaite (born 6 September 1972) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2013, representing the electorate of Kingsford Smith. Since 29 July 2024, Thistlethwaite has served as the Assistant Minister for Immigration in the ministry of Anthony Albanese. He has also served as the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade since May 2025.

Thistlethwaite is a senior figure in the Labor Right faction and stands as the current convenor of the NSW branch. Before joining Parliament, he was the general secretary of the New South Wales branch of the Australian Labor Party. He served as a member of the Australian Senate from 2011 to 2013.

From 1 June 2022 to 29 July 2024, Thistlethwaite served as Assistant Minister for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and the Republic.

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Rebellions

Never rebelled

2602

Votes attended

3020

Possible votes

86%

Attendance rate

Voting Record Full record ↗

Voted for

tobacco plain packaging a carbon price a minerals resource rent tax decreasing the private health insurance rebate increasing the age pension re-approving/ re-registering agvet chemicals the Intervention in the Northern Territory increasing surveillance powers an NBN (using fibre to the premises) offshore processing for people seeking asylum in Australia funding the national school chaplaincy program

Mixed / less clear

banning pay secrecy clauses increasing trade unions' powers in the workplace the Paris Climate Agreement Build to Rent (BTR) carbon farming encouraging Australian-based industry parliament continuing to meet during the COVID-19 pandemic making TAFE education fee-free increasing transparency of big business by making information public market-led approaches to protecting biodiversity increasing consumer protections

Voted against

temporary protection visas voluntary student union fees privatising government-owned assets increasing the price of subsidised medicine increasing protection of Aboriginal heritage sites an emissions reduction fund increasing funding for road infrastructure decreasing ABC and SBS funding deregulating undergraduate university fees increasing accessibility of government data and documents protecting whales within Australian waters

Interests & Gifts

View full register page

Real Estate

Self: Location: Matraville NSW · Purpose: Residential
Spouse/partner: Location: Matraville, NSW · Purpose: Residential

Liabilities

Self: Nature Of Liability: Mortgage on residential home · Creditor: Bendigo Bank; Nature Of Liability: credit card · Creditor: Amex; Nature Of Liability: credit card · Creditor: Bendigo bank
Spouse/partner: Nature Of Liability: Mortgage on residential home · Creditor: Bendigo Bank; Nature Of Liability: Credit card · Creditor: Amex

Saving Or Investment Accounts

Self: Nature Of Account: Savings · Institution: St George; Nature Of Account: savings · Institution: Bendigo Bank; Nature Of Account: Superannuation · Institution: Australia Super
Spouse/partner: Nature Of Account: Savings · Institution: St George; Nature Of Account: Savings · Institution: ING; Nature Of Account: Superannuation · Institution: Aware Super

Other Assets Over 7500

Self: Car

Gifts

Self: Cereal, muesli bars and chips supplied by Kellogs for gift packs for a seniors morning tea

Sponsored Travel Or Hospitality Over 300

Self: Tickets to state of origin game 3 in Sydney on 9 July 2025 supplied by the NRL; Tickets to Matilda's v Sth Korea game on 8 April 2025 at Allianz stadium supplied by Football Australia.

Memberships Conflict Possible

Self: Qantas Chairmans Club; Virgin Lounge Club; Maroubra Surf Lifesaving Club; South Sydney Rabbitohs; Souths Juniors; Australian Republic Movement; Mascot RSL Sub-Branch; Yarra Bay Sailing Club; Maroubra Seals Club; Coogee Legion Club; Matraville RSL; Randwick Club; Coogee Diggers Club; Surfrider Foundation; Maroubra Lions Club; Australian Workers Union
Spouse/partner: Coogee Dolphins Hockey Club; Qantas Chairmans Lounge; Virgin Lounge Club; NSW Nurses and Midwives Association

Salary

We estimate Matt Thistlethwaite received a parliamentary salary of: $299,090

Based on the Remuneration Tribunal base salary of $239,270 plus any additional allowance for ministerial, shadow or office-holder roles held at time of generation.

Expenditure

Latest quarter total: $398,233
Travel Allowance: $7,320
Printing and Communications: $89,374
Publications: $586
Office Consumables and Services: $6,374
Private-Plated Vehicle: $54,548
COMCAR: $3,068
Telecommunications - Residential - Official: $595
Telecommunications - Usage: $265
Fares: $20,962
Domestic Travel: $49,398
International Travel: $27,016
Ministerial Visits: $35,577
Office Facilities - Not stated: $103,151

Latest Guardian Articles

Conversation Articles

Grattan on Friday: Defeat of the Voice would be a body blow for achieving a republic (2022-09-15)
Michelle Grattan
Albanese’s bid to change Australia’s constitutional arrangements has been pencilled in for a second term, assuming Labor gets one.
New Labor senator wants to change the debate on asylum seekers (2013-12-11)
Michelle Grattan
Labor senator Sam Dastyari is best known as former secretary of the ALP in NSW and a right wing power broker. Although he hadn’t expected to arrive in the parliament so soon, he followed what has become…
Coalition leadership division flares on local government referendum (2013-06-25)
Michelle Grattan
Anyone who cares about the referendum to recognise local government in the constitution must be appalled at the way it is being botched. Millions of dollars are being spent on this vote, to be held with…
Charles III will be the first king of Australia to visit our shores. He could also be the last (2024-10-16)
Jess Carniel
Charles’ royal tour will be historic – but will this be for the right reasons?
View from The Hill: Albanese says cabinet ‘crafting an offer for the second term’ as Ed Husic ponders breaks for business (2024-05-29)
Michelle Grattan
In a sensible bit o forward planning Albanese told caucus it should be focused on crafting an offer for the second term, evidence of how politics is now in what’s dubbed the “permanent campaign”.
Labor’s new generation will have some familiar old features (2013-07-03)
Michelle Grattan
If Labor goes into opposition, or even if it stays in government, next term is going to be seen as a time for renewal. A swag of former frontbenchers are quitting their seats, and some of those electorates…
Shorten for key role on Gonski as Rudd unveils his team (2013-07-01)
Michelle Grattan
Bill Shorten will take over the Education portfolio, with its challenge of securing the Gonski school funding reforms, and Tony Burke gets the poison chalice of Immigration, in Kevin Rudd’s extensive reshuffle…
View from The Hill: Albanese appoints Tony Burke to neutralise immigration issues and sends Clare O'Neil to grapple with housing crisis (2024-07-28)
Michelle Grattan
The prime minister has made changes that will strengthen his team ahead if the next election, though not as many as he might have, given factional constraints.
Gillard seeks safe hands in reshuffle (2013-03-25)
Michelle Grattan
Julia Gillard’s reshuffle heavily rewards her supporters but also, notably, one senior member of the Rudd cabal. The changes load up senior ministers with extra responsibilities, putting key areas shed…
Grattan on Friday: Albanese has made a statement in choosing Sam Mostyn as governor-general, but he could have been bolder (2024-04-04)
Michelle Grattan
Governor-general designate Sam Mostyn would become the latest punching bag in the culture wars. But how will her Governor-Generalship compare to others past?
‘We’d be getting it from both sides, which was horrendous’: Australian political players on our brutal refugee policies (2023-05-02)
Jordana Silverstein
Why are governments so rarely seen as being responsible for creating the conditions that allow asylum seeker tragedies to occur?
Michelle Grattan’s blog on ALP Leadership spill (2013-06-26)
Michelle Grattan
1:10pm: Labor’s leadership showdown is now rapidly approaching, with a petition circulating among caucus members asking for a special meeting. The Rudd supporters need one third of the caucus to get a…