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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Pat Conaghan

Pat Conaghan

The Nationals · House of Representatives · Cowper (NSW) · incumbent

Early life & education encyclopedia

Patrick John Conaghan was born on 31 January 1971 in Kempsey, New South Wales. He was educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, in Sydney. He worked as a police officer in Kempsey and later as a detective and police prosecutor in Sydney, before becoming a lawyer running his own criminal defence practice.

Background official record

NSW Police constable, crime squad detective and police prosecutor 1990-2001; solicitor from 2001, establishing the criminal defence practice Conaghan Lawyers. North Sydney Council councillor 2004-2008.

2025 election · Cowper CONAGHAN, Pat (The Nationals) was elected with 40,836 first-preference votes. Two-candidate-preferred count: CONAGHAN, Pat (The Nationals) 56,609, HEISE, Caz (Independent) 51,126. [AEC results]

Sourced positions

Each position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. The badge says what kind of source backs it — official record (Hansard, a parliament, a government or an electoral commission), own statement (their own site or their party's), news report (journalism or a third-party organisation) or encyclopedia. That is a statement about the evidence, not about how much we believe it. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

AyeNoPairedDid not vote

Immigration recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

Faith & religion official record

In his first speech on 24 July 2019, thanking his mother and five siblings, Conaghan said "yes, we were a Catholic family". This is a stated Catholic upbringing; he did not state a current affiliation.

Economic nationalism own statement

Conaghan stated that 'collaboration is crucial if we are to build scale in Australian manufacturing and create the jobs we need now in the COVID-19 recovery and for generations to come', and said the aim is to support collaborations that spur private sector investment and help Australian manufacturers innovate and become more competitive.

Economy & tax recorded votes

Votes on record · 7

Workplace & industrial relations recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Drugs & law and order recorded votes

Votes on record · 5

Gambling & gaming reform recorded votes

Votes on record · 1

First Nations & treaty recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Integrity & anti-corruption recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Health recorded votes

Votes on record · 5

Education recorded votes

Votes on record · 2

Environment & water recorded votes

Votes on record · 9

Votes are shown as the official record lists them — Hansard federally and in New South Wales; Votes and Proceedings, Minutes of the Proceedings and Hansard in Victoria; the Record of Proceedings in Queensland; the Votes and Proceedings and Minutes of Proceedings in Western Australia; the Votes and Proceedings (House of Assembly) and Hansard (Legislative Council) in South Australia; the Votes and Proceedings of both chambers in Tasmania. "Did not vote" means the member held the seat that day and is on neither list — the record says who was in the chamber, not why, so it is never an abstention. Western Australia’s record prints no pairs, so a member paired there shows as did not vote. Nothing is shown for a presiding officer who by law gives only a casting vote (the Speaker and the President in South Australia, the President in Tasmania), nor for the member presiding at a Tasmanian division, which Tasmania’s journals record. Which bills sit under which issue is an editorial choice, made bill by bill with a reason read from the second-reading speech. A bill decided by an earlier parliament (Queensland’s 2018 abortion law reform, for one) is shown with that parliament named, read from the official record of the day. For Queensland and the federal parliament “did not vote” there means the member held a seat that day, as their service is recorded; for the other earlier parliaments the record of who held a seat could not be read, so only the printed Aye, No and paired votes are shown.

Record last updated 2026-10-10.