Allegra Spender

Allegra Spender was born in Sydney on 10 March 1978.^[3] She is the daughter of former Liberal politician and diplomat John Spender and fashion designer Carla Zampatti. Her grandfather, Sir Percy Spender, was a Liberal MP under Prime Minister Robert Menzies, a diplomat and the president of the International Court of Justice. Sir Percy was one of the key authors of both the ANZUS Treaty and the Colombo Plan. Her grandmother was Lady Jean Spender, a novelist.^[4] Her sister is fashion designer Bianca Spender.^[5] Her half-brother is Alex Schuman.

Spender attended Ascham School, where she was head girl and Dux,^[6] and achieved a UAI of 99.95.^[7]

She received a BA in economics from the University of Cambridge,^[3] where she was at Trinity College,^[7][8] and an MSc in organisational psychology at the University of London.^[3]

Spender started her career as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company before working as a policy analyst in the UK Treasury.^[9] She later worked as a Change Leader at London's King's College Hospital and as a consultant in Kenya for TechnoServe.^[10] Spender was the managing director for her mother's fashion label Carla Zampatti for 9 years.^[11][7] She was also the Chair of the Sydney Renewable Power Company^[12] and the CEO of the Australian Business & Community Network (ABCN),^[13] a social mobility charity that links students from low socio-economic schools and mentors from business.

In late 2021, Spender was approached by a local community group who were seeking an Independent candidate to run in the division of Wentworth at the 2022 Australian federal election.^[2] The group wanted a woman with "deep local roots and an impressive CV" who shared the community's core beliefs on the need for more integrity in politics, action on climate change and gender equality.^[2] After initially declining the approach, Spender announced her intention to run in November 2021, citing government inaction on climate change as one of the key reasons for her candidature.^[14]

She defeated Liberal incumbent Dave Sharma with 54 percent of the two-party vote,^[15] becoming one of several community independents to unseat Liberal incumbents.^[16] The seat of Wentworth had previously been in the hands of the Liberals or their predecessors almost entirely since Federation.^[17]

Since her election, Spender's policy platform has focused on strong action on climate change;^[18] economic reform;^[19] integrity in politics;^[20] and support for gender equity,^[21] humanitarian treatment of refugees,^[21] LQBTQ+ inclusion,^[21] and action on antisemitism.^[22]

Spender supports strong action on climate change,^[23] campaigning in the 2022 Australian federal election for a 50% reduction in Australian emissions by 2030 and bringing in vehicle emission standards to reduce transport emissions.^[24] In her first fortnight in parliament, Spender secured amendments to strengthen the Climate Change Act by requiring sector-by-sector assessments of emissions reduction policies.^[25][26] During the course of the 47th parliament, she also played a key role in successfully advocating for the introduction of fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles,^[27] funding to support household electrification, and greater private investment in nature protection.^[28][29]

Since entering parliament, Spender has also been a vocal advocate for economic and tax reform.^[30][31] She has twice addressed the National Press Club of Australia on economic policy issues, making the case for broad tax reform in January 2024^[32] and for ‘economic reform from the sensible centre’ in October 2024.^[33] Spender has undertaken her own tax roundtable process during the 47th parliament,^{[34] [35] [36]} working with experts such as former Treasury secretary Ken Henry and ANU Tax and Transfer Policy Institute director Robert Breunig - as well as business groups, unions, and community groups.^[37] She has been outspoken in her support for lowering income taxes and replacing stamp duty with land tax.^[31] In her second National Press Club of Australia address in October 2024, Spender set out an economic reform agenda that included: (i) making it easier to do business by reducing red tape; (ii) ramping up innovation and investment in early stage companies; (iii) improving the integrity of government spending- especially infrastructure; and (iv) reforming the tax system.^[33] In late 2024 she released her own tax green paper into the Australian taxation system^[38][39] and lead a push to change the definition of a small business from one with 15 employees to 25 employees.^[40]

Spender is a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics^[41] and the Joint Standing Committee on Migration.^[42] She has made significant additional contributions to reports made by the committees during the 47th parliament, including in relation to the Better Competition, Better Prices Inquiry^[43] and the Migration, Pathway to Nation Building Inquiry.^[44]

As the representative of the largest Jewish community in Australia, Spender has been a vocal advocate for action on antisemitism^{[45] [46] [47] [48]} and played a key role in advocating for the appointing of a Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism.^[49] Spender's electorate of Wentworth is also home to large LGBTQ+ communities in Kings Cross, Darlinghurst, and Paddington. When the Labor Government announced in August 2024 that it would not include questions on LGBTQ+ identity in the next census, Spender was one of the leading advocates who successfully argued for the decision to be reversed and for LGBTQ+ people to be counted.^{[50] [51]}

Spender has campaigned strongly on integrity – including the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Commission^[52] and the improvement of behaviour in parliament. She has described Question Time as a “complete waste of time” labelling the practice as the “biggest disappointment” from her time in politics^[53] and criticising the behaviour in parliament as “unlike any workplace I’ve ever been in”.^[54] In October 2024, Spender resigned her membership of the Qantas Chairman's Lounge and the Virgin equivalent, saying it was time to end the practice of politicians accepting airline upgrades.^[55]

Spender is the co-chair of several parliamentary friendship groups, including the Parliamentary Friends of International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), the Parliamentary Friends of the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the Parliamentary Friends of Tech and Innovation, the Parliamentary Friends of Early Childhood, the Parliamentary Friends of Entrepreneurs, Small and Medium Businesses, and the Parliamentary Friends of Running.^[56]

Voting record

As of August 2024, Spender's record shows that she has supported 56% of votes called by the Coalition, 50% of votes called by the Labor Party, and 49% of votes called by the Greens.^[57]

Writing

Spender is a regular contributor to the Australian Financial Review. Her articles have covered topics including productivity and innovation,^[58] migration,^[59] business dynamism,^[60] industrial relations,^[61] tax reform,^[62] the impact of independents in parliament,^[63] and the relationship between business and government.^[64]

Spender has also written for outlets including The Australian,^[65] Renew Economy,^[66] and Women's Agenda.^[67]

Community Engagement

Spender was one of a number of community Independents, who campaigned during the 2022 Australian federal election on “doing politics differently”. Since coming to office, she has reportedly held over 65 community events,^[68] featuring the likes of tax expert Ken Henry, renowned playwright Suzie Miller, investigative journalist and author Jess Hill, Professor Tom Calma AO and Tim Buckley. She has also held events with younger local influencers such as Anjali Sharma, Lottie Dalziel, Hannah Ferguson, Chanel Contos and Ruby Langton Batty.

In November 2022, Spender hosted Wentworth’s first ever climate action forum “Powering Wentworth to Net-Zero"^[69][70] at the newly renovated Bondi Pavilion in collaboration with Saul Griffith of Rewiring Australia^[71] and the Smart Energy Council. The event was moderated by local comedian Dan Ilic.

Bondi Junction stabbings

On 13 April 2024, the Bondi Junction stabbings took place in Spender's electorate of Wentworth. Spender was a highly visible presence in the aftermath of the attacks, comforting local constituents at the site and leading tributes alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns.^[72]

As editor of the Good Weekend, Katrina Strickland commented: “After the Bondi Junction stabbings in April, I, like thousands of others, felt compelled to lay flowers at the impromptu memorial that had sprung up in the nearby shopping centre. I found myself walking past regularly in the days that followed, bearing witness to the growing number of floral tributes, a life-affirming antidote to the darkness of the time. And here's the thing. More often than not, Allegra Spender was there. The member for Wentworth stood in that mall not just when the TV crews were buzzing but long after they’d gone, talking quietly with grieving constituents."^[73]

Following the attacks, Spender joined with Elizabeth Young – the mother of Jade Young, one of the victims of the attack – to call for mental health reform across state, territory, and federal governments.^{[74] [75]}

In September 2022 it was reported that Spender is a corporate director of a private Australian company that did not pay tax on a $280m payment it received in 2019. The payment had already been taxed at the full corporate tax rate, before it was invested, and therefore did not need to be taxed further. The article was referred to Media Watch, (an Australian media standards review program produced by the ABC) as misleading.^[76]

Spender has three children.^[77] As of May 2024^[update], she lives in Darling Point in Sydney and has properties in Woollahra and Great Mackerel Beach in New South Wales.^[78]

Spender is a regular runner, reportedly getting up at 5:30am during parliamentary sitting weeks to go running.^[79]

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