Clare O'Neil is an Australian Labor politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Hotham in Victoria since 2013 and currently holds the position of Minister for Home Affairs in the Albanese Government. Born in 1976, O'Neil grew up in Melbourne's southeast and pursued higher education at the University of Melbourne, where she earned degrees in economics and public policy. Before entering politics, she worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company and later served as a local councillor for the City of Greater Dandenong from 2008 to 2012, where she gained experience in community governance and urban planning issues.
Throughout her parliamentary career, O'Neil has established herself as a prominent voice on technology policy, cybersecurity, and economic reform. She served as Chair of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security and was a member of various other committees focusing on digital transformation and national security matters. Following Labor's victory in the 2022 federal election, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed her as Minister for Home Affairs, making her responsible for overseeing Australia's domestic security agencies, immigration policy, and border protection. In this role, she has prioritized cybersecurity initiatives, counter-terrorism efforts, and immigration system reforms while working to strengthen Australia's resilience against emerging security threats.
As Home Affairs Minister, O'Neil has been particularly focused on addressing cybersecurity challenges facing Australian businesses and government institutions, advocating for stronger digital defenses and improved coordination between agencies. She has also worked on reforming Australia's skilled migration system to address labor shortages while maintaining border security protocols. Known for her analytical approach to policy development and her advocacy for evidence-based decision-making, O'Neil represents a new generation of Labor politicians who emphasize technological literacy and data-driven governance in addressing contemporary policy challenges.