Cathrine Burnett-Wake | |
---|---|
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Eastern Victoria Region | |
In office 2 December 2021 –26 November 2022 | |
Preceded by | Edward O'Donohue |
Succeeded by | Renee Heath |
Personal details | |
Political party | Liberal Party |
Cathrine Mary Burnett-Wake is a former Australian politician,who was a member of the Victorian Legislative Council for the Eastern Victoria Region representing the Liberal Party between December 2021 and November 2022. Burnett-Wake was appointed by a joint sitting of the Victorian Parliament on 2 December 2021 to fill a vacancy brought about by the resignation of Edward O'Donohue. [1] She is the first Liberal female upper house member for Eastern Victoria. [2]
Prior to entering the Victorian Parliament,Burnett-Wake was a local government councillor for Yarra Ranges Shire between October 2020 and November 2021,representing the Streeton Ward. [3] [4] She also worked as principal migration agent for Harris Wake,a legal and migration firm she co-founded with Owen Harris. [5] Burnett-Wake sits on the boards of the Burrinja Cultural Centre and the Eastern Alliance for Greenhouse Action. [6]
In July 2022,Burnett-Wake lost preselection to Renee Heath for the 2022 state election. [7] [8]
In her final speech in parliament,Burnett-Wake called on "ordinary people" to "awaken" to extremist political candidates. Burnett-Wake referred to the 'taking over' of Liberal Party branches in Gippsland by right-wing church groups and told the parliament she was concerned about infiltration of the Liberal party by people with "extremist" views –widely interpreted as a reference to Heath. [9]
In February 2023,Burnett-Wake announced that she would run for Liberal preselection for the 2023 Aston by-election. [10] [11] She was unsuccessful in gaining preselection losing out to Roshena Campbell.