Matthew Canavan
Senate · The Nationals
Biography
Matthew James Canavan (born 17 December 1980) is an Australian politician who has served as the leader of the National Party of Australia since 2026. He has been a senator for Queensland since 2014, and served as a minister in the Turnbull and Morrison governments from 2016 to 2020. Born in Southport, Queensland, Canavan graduated from the University of Queensland with bachelor's degrees in arts and economics. He then worked as a senior economist for the Productivity Commission and KPMG and as a director of the Productivity Commission. Canavan was chief-of-staff to Nationals senator Barnaby Joyce from 2010 to 2013. He was first elected to the Senate at the 2013 federal election, running on…
Adapted and shortened from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Date of birth
- 1980-12-17
- Place of birth
- Southport, Australia
- APH identifier
- 245212
Political connections
First-degree, sourced relationships in the current snapshot.
- Andrew Willcox · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Jamie Chaffey · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Alison Penfold · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Michelle Landry · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Kevin Hogan · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- David Littleproud · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Llew O'Brien · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
- Colin Boyce · Shared party: The NationalsParliament of Australia (opens in a new tab)
Parliamentary and professional history
Current and senior roles
- 16 March 2026–presentShadow Minister — for — Trade, Investment and Tourism
- 16 March 2026–presentShadow Cabinet Minister
- 11 March 2026–presentLeader — of the — Federal Parliamentary Nationals
- 21 July 2025–23 March 2026Nationals Whip — in the — Senate
- 2 July 2019–27 September 2022Deputy Leader of The Nationals — in the — Senate
- 27 October 2017–3 February 2020Minister — for — Resources and Northern Australia
- 27 October 2017–3 February 2020Cabinet Minister
- 19 July 2016–25 July 2017Minister — for — Resources and Northern Australia
Committee service
- 1 August 2022–presentSenate Legislative and General Purpose Standing — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References — Chair
- 1 August 2022–presentSenate Legislative and General Purpose Standing — Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation — Deputy Chair
- 1 August 2022–presentSenate Legislative and General Purpose Standing — Economics: References
- 1 August 2022–presentJoint Statutory — Public Accounts and Audit
- 1 August 2022–presentJoint Standing — Treaties
- 1 August 2022–presentJoint Standing — Trade and Investment Growth
Qualifications
- Date not recordedBEc(Hons)
- Date not recordedBA
Occupations
- 1 January 2010–1 January 2013Chief of Staff to Senator B Joyce from 2010 to 2013.
- 1 January 2009–1 January 2010Director of the Productivity Commission from 2009 to 2010.
- 1 January 2008–1 January 2009Senior Executive at KPMG from 2008 to 2009.
- 1 January 2003–1 January 2008Senior Research Economist at the Productivity Commission from 2003 to 2008.