Stephen Dawson

Stephen Noel Dawson is an Australian politician who has served as a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council since 2013, representing the Mining and Pastoral Region. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he emigrated to Australia in 1989 and later graduated from Edith Cowan University. Before his election, he worked as a lobbyist and corporate manager. Dawson has held several ministerial portfolios, including Minister for Emergency Services, Innovation and the Digital Economy, and Medical Research. He is notable for being the first Irish-born MP in Western Australia since 1950 and is an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, having been part of the first same-sex couple to be legally married in Australia in 2013.