Melbourne: Dave Sharma, the Liberal candidate and former Australian ambassador to Israel, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian-origin lawmaker in the country’s Parliament after winning a seat in Sydney suburb in the federal election.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison is close to securing a majority government as the election’s final results are being counted. Sharma, 43, defeated independent candidate Kerryn Phelps for the eastern suburb seat of Wentworthin district.
Sharma, who had lost to Phelps in a by-election six months ago, claimed the seat of Wentworth with 51.16 per cent of the vote. Very humbled by the trust placed in me by the people of Wentworth. Look forward to being a voice for them in Parliament and the party room,” Sharma said in a tweet.
He said the three main issues he wanted to focus on were national security, female workforce participation and making sure Australia remains at the high end of the value chain. Sharma, who was Australia’s ambassador to Israel from 2013 to 2017, also brushed aside questions as to whether he will be given a position in Prime Minister Morrison’s new Cabinet.
