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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Peter Khalil

Peter Khalil

Australian Labor Party · House of Representatives · Wills (VIC) · incumbent

Early life & education encyclopedia

Peter Khalil was born on 23 March 1973 in Melbourne to parents who migrated to Australia from Egypt, and lived in public housing as a child. He studied a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws at the Australian National University. After university he worked for the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and in 2003 was seconded to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq as its director of national security policy.

Background encyclopedia

Assistant Minister for Defence in the Second Albanese ministry, sworn in on 13 May 2025. Australian Labor Party MP for Wills.

Federal ministry Assistant Minister for Defence (Second Albanese ministry). [the ministry] [source]

2025 election · Wills KHALIL, Peter (Australian Labor Party) was elected with 39,069 first-preference votes. Two-candidate-preferred count: KHALIL, Peter (Australian Labor Party) 56,459, RATNAM, Samantha (The Greens) 53,322. [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 encyclopedia

Khalil has credited the experiences of his parents, who migrated to Australia from Egypt in 1970, with shaping his political outlook, and stated migrants commit to Australia because of 'our values of freedom, of equality of opportunity, of a fair go.' During the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak he called for releasing detained refugees and asylum seekers who had cleared security checks, arguing it would protect their health and help slow the spread of the virus.

Votes on record · 1

Faith & religion encyclopedia

Peter Khalil is a Coptic Christian and became the first Coptic Christian elected to the Australian Federal Parliament.

Foreign policy & aid encyclopedia

Khalil has stated himself to be "a very strong supporter of the US alliance". On China, in an article co-written with Michael Danby and Carl Ungerer, he argued that "Bowing to Beijing would be the modern equivalent of the Munich Agreement" and that "It is in Australia's most vital strategic interest that the US presence in our region is not weakened or undermined. This is not because we seek to thwart China's legitimate aspirations and interests." He serves as Assistant Minister for Defence.

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.