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AUSPOLLIEWATCH EVERY CLAIM LINKS TO ITS SOURCE · NOT A SCORECARD

Portrait of Sam Lim

Sam Lim

Australian Labor Party · House of Representatives · Tangney (WA) · incumbent

Background official record

Constable in the Royal Malaysia Police, then dolphin trainer at a Johor safari park 1980-84; business owner 1988-2005; then a Western Australia Police officer from 2006.

2025 election · Tangney LIM, Sam (Australian Labor Party) was elected with 47,175 first-preference votes. Two-candidate-preferred count: LIM, Sam (Australian Labor Party) 63,253, ONG, Howard (Liberal) 47,738. [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 news report

In his maiden speech (6 September 2022), Malaysian-born Sam Lim credited former Labor PM Gough Whitlam with ending the White Australia policy and introducing multiculturalism, saying 'because of him we can call Australia home.'

Votes on record · 1

Faith & religion news report

Sam Lim is a practising Buddhist; he became the first person to be sworn into the Australian federal parliament on Buddhist scripture (the Dhammapada), and has said Buddhism has 'always been a positive force' in his life giving him 'great inner strength'. The Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils describes him as 'perhaps the first Buddhist Federal Member of Parliament'.

Economic nationalism own statement

Sam Lim has backed local manufacturing and local jobs in connection with defence industry grants, stating "by backing local manufacturing, the Albanese Labor Government is investing in high-skilled, local jobs right here in Tangney," and framing the support as building Australia's local capability and employment.

Citizenship (s44 eligibility) encyclopedia

Born in Malaysia, Lim became an Australian citizen in 2008; his Wikipedia citizenship record lists his Malaysian citizenship as held until 2021, before his 2022 election to the House of Representatives.

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

  • ✓Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025Amends the Freedom of Information Act to change how agencies handle large, complex, vexatious and anonymous requests, which the government says is to cut the cost and time of processing them.Third reading · House · carried 88–496 Nov 2025 ↗
  • –Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2025Amends the Freedom of Information Act to change how agencies handle large, complex, vexatious and anonymous requests, which the government says is to cut the cost and time of processing them.Second reading · House · carried 86–475 Nov 2025 ↗

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 2026-10-03.