Dave Sharma, a candidate of Indian descent from the Australian Liberal Party, has been chosen to fill the New South Wales (NSW) senate seat vacated by Senator Marise Payne, Australia’s longest-serving female in that position. Sharma emerged victorious in the selection process, surpassing contenders Zed Seselja and Andrew Constance. Seselja secured the third position, while Sharma won against Constance with a 251-206 vote.
This milestone marks Sharma as the inaugural person of Indian origin from the Liberal Party to assume a federal senator role in Australia. His political journey began in 2019 when he became the first individual of Indian heritage elected to Australia’s House of Representatives, representing Wentworth, NSW.
Warm congratulations flooded in for Sharma, with opposition leader Peter Dutton expressing his best wishes. Dutton highlighted Sharma’s diplomatic and foreign policy expertise, foreseeing his substantial contributions to the ongoing public policy debates, particularly in regions like Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific.
Sharma’s noteworthy background includes serving as Australia’s envoy to Israel from 2013 to 2017, advising former Minister of Foreign Affairs Alexander Downer, and acting as a political counselor at the Australian Embassy in Washington, US, from 2006 to 2009. Additionally, he received the Australian Service Medal in 2000 for his role in peacekeeping duties in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, where he served as a senior civilian adviser.
