Ash Ambihaipahar

Ash Ambihaipahar
MP
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Barton
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2025
Preceded byLinda Burney
Councillor of Georges River Council
for Mortdale Ward
In office
21 September 2022 – 27 May 2025
Preceded byWarren Tegg
Succeeded byGerard Hayes
Personal details
BornAshvini Ambihaipahar
(1987-04-24) 24 April 1987
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
PartyLabor
EducationDanebank
Alma materUniversity of Sydney (BSc),
University of Technology Sydney (JD)
OccupationPolitician
Solicitor

Ashvini "Ash" Ambihaipahar (/ˌæmbiːˈheɪpəhɑːr/ AM-bee-HAY-pə-har;[1][2]; born 24 April 1987) is a member of the Australian House of Representatives representing the Division of Barton for the Australian Labor Party. She replaced the retired member Linda Burney, securing a four-point swing at the 2025 Australian federal election.[3]

Ambihaipahar was born on 24 April 1987 in Sydney and is of Sri Lankan Tamil origin.[4][5][6] She grew up in Narwee and Hurstville and attended Hurstville Public School and Danebank.[7][8] She completed a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Anatomy and Histology and Cell Pathology, at the University of Sydney in 2008.[9] She achieved a postgraduate Juris Doctor degree from the University of Technology Sydney in 2013[9] and has been a practicing solicitor working in the area of employment and industrial law.[3]

Ambihaipahar was elected at a countback election to represent the Mortdale Ward on Georges River Council in 2022[8] and was the Labor candidate for Oatley at the 2023 New South Wales state election. She narrowly lost the seat of Oatley to sitting Liberal member Mark Coure.[10][11] In June 2023, she became a Regional Director at the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW.[8] She was re-elected to Council in 2024.[12]

A member of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Labor Left faction, Ambihaipahar's pre-selection for seat of Barton was confirmed by the 21-member Australian Labor Party National Executive in December 2024 with the right faction boycotting the vote.[13] After being elected to represent Barton at the 2025 federal election, she resigned her position on Council in May 2025.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Ambihaipahar, Ash [@ashambihaipahar]; (18 November 2025). "Lots of people ask how to pronounce my last name, so I thought I'd make a quick video! Hope this helps 💛". Retrieved 1 August 2026 – via Instagram.
  2. ↑ Tamil Refugee Council [@trcaustralia]; (13 May 2026). "During Mullivaikkal month and amidst Budget Week in Parliament, it was incredibly meaningful to hear Ash Ambihaipahar speak at the Tamil Refugee Council's Truth Telling Exhibition about her experiences as a Tamil woman and her unwavering commitment to speaking the truth about the ongoing genocide inflicted upon the Tamil nation in Tamil Eelam". Retrieved 1 August 2026 – via Instagram.
  3. 1 2 "Barton Federal Election 2025 Results". ABC News. 10 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Ms Ash Ambihaipahar MP". Parliament of Australia. Canberra. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Pathak, Dhwani (2 May 2025). "Every South Asian Candidate Running in the 2025 Australian Federal Election". SAARI Collective. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  6. ↑ Sanchayan, Kulasegaram (18 October 2024). "Ashvini Ambihaipahar: The Tamil woman to win elections again". SBS Tamil. Sydney, Australia: Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
  7. ↑ "Ash Ambihaipahar - Candidate for Barton". Australian Labor Party. Archived from the original on 4 May 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 "Councillor Ashvini Ambihaipahar". Georges River Council. Archived from the original on 22 March 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  9. 1 2 "Ashvini Ambihaipahar". LinkedIn. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  10. ↑ "NSW State Election Results 2023 - State Electoral District of Oatley". New South Wales Electoral Commission. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Oatley (Key Seat) - NSW Election 2023". ABC News. March 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  12. ↑ "Georges River Mortdale Ward - Councillor Election results". pastvtr.elections.nsw.gov.au. New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  13. ↑ Massola, James (23 December 2024). "Albanese's third 'captain's call' raises hackles in factional seat battle". The Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment. Archived from the original on 8 March 2025. Retrieved 10 May 2025.
  14. ↑ Gainsford, Jim (28 May 2025). "New Barton MP to resign from Georges River Council". St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. Australian Community Media. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
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