Labor's Charlotte Walker becomes youngest Australian senator, winning the sixth SA spot
South Australia's Charlotte Walker has become the nation's youngest senator, snaring the state's sixth upper house seat at just 21, and says she hopes to bring 'a different perspective' to the Labor Party.
Ms Walker, who celebrated her birthday on election night, said while there would be a lot of pressure, she hopes to inspire other young people — particularly women — to forge a similar path.
"I want to do a good job for South Australians, but I also want to show young people, particularly young women that this is achievable and this is something that they can do also," she said.
"I'm also really excited, not many people my age get to go to Canberra and have the ability to contribute in the way that I will, so I am also really excited to get into it.
She is the youngest Australian to be elected to the Senate, while former Queensland MP Wyatt Roy — who was 20 when elected to the House or Representatives in 2010 — remains the youngest person elected to Federal Parliament.
Ms Walker — the SA Young Labor president — was preselected for the usually unwinnable third sport on Labor's SA Senate ticket.
When she heads across the country to Canberra to take on the role from July 1, she will attend "Senate School" to learn the ropes.
"I think it's a balance, you obviously are there to serve people and you don't sign up for it if you are not OK with having a really busy schedule, because that's what you're there to do."
It is a long way from her childhood home in Normanville on the Fleurieu Peninsula, where she attended Yankallilla Area School before heading to Investigator College in Victor Harbor.
Ms Walker graduated in 2022, and spent a year studying at the University of Adelaide before taking on a member engagement role with the Australian Services Union — a job she will have to leave to take on her new role.
"I absolutely love my job there, so I intended on staying there for the foreseeable future," she said.
While in Canberra, she hopes to champion issues facing young Australians, many of whom she said were struggling with the rising cost of living, rental market pressures and juggling study and caring responsibilities.
"I do think the Albanese government has done a good job at presenting policies that appeal to young people, but I think having a young person actually there in caucus meetings and in parliament … is going to bring a different perspective," she said.
Ms Walker, who is affiliated with Labor's left faction, said she had been well supported on her path into politics, with guidance from people like senators Karen Grogan and Penny Wong, who mentored her as she was recently invited to attend her first caucus meeting.
"They've been sticking by me, introducing me to everyone, teaching me the ropes a little bit," she said.
She said her family had also strongly backed her move into politics.
"Mum's been quite funny, she's always said that 'I'm going to be Prime Minister one day'," she said.
"I think she's really excited. We come from a regional town down in Normanville and I don't think we've ever had anyone from down that way before in Federal Parliament.
"I hope she's proud."
Among those congratulating Ms Walker on her new role is former Australian Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja, who was, at the time, the youngest person elected to parliament in 1995.
In a social media post, Ms Stott Despoja said it was a "history-making" accomplishment.
"I wish her every success. SA is making a nice habit of this," she posted.
Ms Wong has previously described Ms Walker as "an intelligent and principled woman who would add to the diversity of the Senate", while senator Don Farrell previously said Ms Walker was "very young and very, very lucky".
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