Sam McMahon
Senator for the Northern Territory
In office
18 May 2019 – 20 May 2022
Preceded byNigel Scullion
Succeeded byJacinta Nampijinpa Price
Personal details
Born (1967-12-11) 11 December 1967
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLiberal Democratic (since April 2022)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (January–April 2022)
Country Liberal/Nationals (until January 2022)
SpouseWayne Nayda
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
OccupationVeterinarian

Samantha Jane McMahon[1] (born 11 December 1967) is a former Australian politician who was a Senator for the Northern Territory between the 2019 federal election and the 2022 federal election. McMahon is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), having joined the party in April 2022, several months after resigning from the Country Liberal Party (CLP). While she was a CLP member, she sat in the Nationals party room in federal parliament. She was a veterinarian in Katherine before entering politics.[2]

Early life

McMahon was born in Sydney on 11 December 1967.[3] She grew up on a farm in Nanango, Queensland. She completed a Bachelor of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland.[4]

Career

McMahon accepted a position in the Northern Territory after her graduation. She has owned and operated veterinary practices in Katherine,[5] Howard Springs, Nhulunbuy, Tennant Creek, and Alice Springs. She was a national director of the Australian Veterinary Association for five years and president of the Northern Territory division for two years.[4] She became a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2003.[6] She won the Centenary Medal for business leadership in 2001,[7] was awarded the Australian Veterinary Association Meritorious Service Award in 2014,[8] and was awarded the NT Telstra small business award in 2017.[9]

Politics

In March 2019, McMahon won preselection to replace Nigel Scullion as the Country Liberal Party's lead Senate candidate at the 2019 federal election.[10] She was elected to a term beginning on 18 May 2019,[11] and chose to sit with the National Party in federal parliament, following her predecessor.[12] In May 2021 she was appointed chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Capital and External Territories.[3]

In June 2021, McMahon was defeated for CLP preselection at the 2022 federal election by Jacinta Price.[13] In the week leading up to the ballot, Nine Publishing reported that at least ten senators believed she had been visibly drunk while in the Senate chamber on 23 June. A spokesman stated that she was feeling "unwell" and that the allegations were part of a smear campaign to discredit her in the lead-up to the preselection.[14]

In December 2021 it was alleged that following a 'boozey' Christmas party McMahon was escorted from the premises to a waiting taxi, at which point McMahon physically assaulted Nationals’ federal director and event organiser Jonathan Hawkes. [15]

In January 2022, McMahon resigned from the Country Liberal Party and moved to the crossbench to sit as an independent.[16] She later explained in March 2022 that she resigned due to alleged abuse by former staffer Jason Riley.[17] On 8 April 2022, McMahon announced she had joined the Liberal Democrats, and would run on the party's Northern Territory Senate ticket at the May federal election.[18][19] The Liberal Democrats won approximately 9% of the vote in the Northern Territory Senate race, not enough for McMahon to retain her seat in the chamber.

Positions

In January 2020, during the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, McMahon tweeted that the Australian Greens' "ridiculous agenda" of opposing logging had "lead [sic] to these horrible fires". A Guardian Australia article published in the same month identified her as one of the "climate doubters" within the Coalition.[20] In March 2020, McMahon argued that a nuclear power plant should be built in northern Australia to lower emissions and improve the country's economy.[21]

In August 2021, McMahon announced she had drafted a bill to expand the legislative powers of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and reduce the power of federal parliament to veto territory legislation. This would include a partial repeal of the Euthanasia Laws Act 1997, allowing the Legislative Assembly to legalise assisted suicide.[22]

In November 2021, McMahon was one of five Coalition senators who voted against the government in support of One Nation’s COVID–19 Vaccination Status (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill 2021.[23][24]

Personal life

McMahon lives on a farm outside Katherine and is an avid water skier and horse rider.[4] In September 2019, McMahon announced that she had separated from her husband, Wayne Nayda.[25]

References

  1. ↑ "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  2. ↑ "NT senator and former vet Sam McMahon unloads on activists at farm hearing". ABC Australia. 14 August 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Senator Sam McMahon". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 "Sam McMahon". Liberal Party of Australia. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  5. ↑ "NT senator Sam McMahon urges students to apply for school scholarships". Katherine Times. 23 January 2020.
  6. ↑ "list of FAICD graduates 2003". Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  7. ↑ "Centenary Medal Award 2001". Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "AVA Annual Report 2014" (PDF). Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  9. ↑ "Telstra Small Business Awards 2017 Winners". Retrieved 31 May 2019.
  10. ↑ "Nigel Scullion's replacement Sam McMahon 'not taking Senate seat for granted'". ABC News. 9 March 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  11. ↑ "Senate Results". ABC News. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  12. ↑ "Nationals women MPs defy 'blokey' party image". 24 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  13. ↑ James, Felicity (26 June 2021). "Jacinta Price wins CLP preselection battle against sitting senator Sam McMahon". ABC News. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  14. ↑ Gibson, Jano (24 June 2021). "NT Senator Sam McMahon's office says she was 'unwell' in Senate, not intoxicated". ABC News. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  15. ↑ "Nationals senator accused of throwing punches at party director". Sky News. 5 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "Coalition senator Sam McMahon resigns from CLP, set to sit on crossbench". ABC News. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  17. ↑ "NT senator Sam McMahon uses parliamentary privilege to accuse former staffer of 'abuse'". ABC News. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  18. ↑ Aaron Bunch (8 April 2022). "NT senator McMahon joins Lib Democrats". Northern Beaches Review.
  19. ↑ "NT politician Sam McMahon joins ex-Queensland premier's party to run for re-election". ABC News. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  20. ↑ "'There is no link': the climate doubters within Scott Morrison's government". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  21. ↑ Aikman, Amos (3 March 2020). "Senator Sam McMahon makes nuclear pitch to build powerhouse in the north".
  22. ↑ Roberts, Lauren (4 August 2021). "CLP senator Sam McMahon drafts bill to allow NT to vote on voluntary euthanasia". ABC News. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  23. ↑ "COVID-19 Vaccination Status (Prevention of Discrimination) Bill 2021".
  24. ↑ "Scott Morrison faces Senate revolt over Pauline Hanson bill". news.com.au. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  25. ↑ Maiden, Samantha (17 June 2020). "Text messages allege Senator was left bloodied and distressed after 2am altercation". news.com.au.
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