DVA welcomes two new ministers
On 1 June, the Hon Matt Keogh MP was sworn in as Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Personnel and the Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP was sworn in as Assistant Minister for Defence, Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Assistant Minister for the Republic.
Minister Matt Keogh
Minister Keogh was first elected to the House of Representatives in the seat of Burt, Western Australia in 2016.
In Opposition, he served as Shadow Minister for Defence Industry, WA Resources and Assisting Small Business.
Prior to taking on his portfolio responsibilities, Minister Keogh served on a wide range of committees including the House of Representatives standing committees on Economics, Agriculture and Water Resources, and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services.
Born and raised in Kelmscott, he attended school in Armadale and went on to study law at the University of Notre Dame Australia in Fremantle and London.
Before entering Parliament, Minister Keogh’s legal career started in a local Kelmscott firm before working as a Federal Prosecutor focusing on corporate crime. He then joined the litigation practice of a leading international law firm in Perth, specialising in financial services regulatory, anti-bribery and corruption work.
Throughout his legal career, Minister Keogh worked alongside various organisations to benefit the community including as chairperson of local family and domestic violence service, Starick, President of the Law Society of Western Australia, a Director of the Law Council of Australia and Chairperson of Law Access WA.
Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite
Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite is the Member for Kingsford Smith. He was a Senator for New South Wales from 2011 to 2013 during which time he served as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs, Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport.
Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite grew up in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra and completed high school at Marist Brothers Pagewood.
He is an active community volunteer and passionate advocate for advancing the interests of vulnerable and disadvantaged people.
Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite has extensive experience representing workers as a lawyer and trade union official in a range of industries. He is a former General Secretary of NSW Labor and was an Assistant Secretary at Unions NSW, as well as a former Vice President of the Australian Workers Union. Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite has worked as a senior consultant with law firm King and Wood Mallesons.
He is a former director of the State Transit Authority of NSW. Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite has been an active surf lifesaver for nearly 40 years and served four years as President of Maroubra Surf Life Saving Club. He was also the President of Maroubra PCYC and received a distinguished service award from PCYC NSW.
Assistant Minister Thistlethwaite holds a Bachelor of Economics from UNSW, Diploma of Law, and a Diploma of Modern Languages in Chinese (Mandarin). He has a HSK 3 Chinese language qualification.
