Representative Cassandra Fernando

Cassandra Fernando, a Sri Lankan-born Australian politician, was elected as a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the Division of Holt during the 2022 federal election. Born on September 18, 1987, Fernando arrived in Australia with her family at the age of 11 and grew up in Dandenong North, Victoria.

Fernando holds a diploma in hospitality and a certificate in education support. For almost 15 years, she worked as a pastry chef at Woolworths in Dandenong Plaza. During this time, she became a delegate to the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association (SDA) and eventually worked as an SDA organiser for five years.

In March 2022, Fernando won the ALP preselection for the seat of Holt, succeeding incumbent MP Anthony Byrne. Her victory was made possible by the support of the SDA faction, which was granted the right to preselect the candidate in Holt despite the left faction having larger membership numbers due to ethnic branch-stacking in the seat.

Fernando’s election to the Australian parliament is historic, as she became the first Sri Lankan-born woman to take a seat in the legislature. Her story is one of perseverance and dedication to her community, which she will undoubtedly bring to her work as an MP.