Andrew Wallace

Andrew Bruce Wallace (born 23 April 1968) At the age of 19, he entered a Pallottine monastery in Victoria. He was asked to leave after less than a year when it was judged that he would not be able to fulfil his monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience.

Politics

Wallace was elected to parliament at the 2016 federal election, succeeding Mal Brough as the Liberal National Party member for the Division of Fisher.

Speakership Wallace was a member of the Speaker's panel since September 2019. Like his predecessor, Wallace said he would maintain the practice of not sitting in the Liberal Party room while he holds the Speaker position. On the first sitting day of the 47th parliament, Wallace was re-nominated to the speakership. He received 56 votes and was defeated by ALP nominee Milton Dick, who received 96 votes.

Shadow Ministry On 28 May 2025, the new Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley announced that Wallace would become the Shadow Cabinet Secretary, responsible for various governance and policy functions within the Shadow Cabinet, Shadow Ministry, and the relevant subcommittees and working groups. In October 2025, as part of a reshuffle of her Shadow Ministry, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley elevated Wallace to the post of Shadow Attorney-General.

Committee Roles Wallace has chaired several committees, including the standing committees on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities; Social Policy and Legal Affairs; and Corporations and Financial Services. He served as the Deputy Chair, alongside Peter Khalil and successor, Senator Raff Ciccone on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, from mid-2022 to October 2025. after previously identifying as a member of the centre-right faction during the Morrison government years. Many of his views cohere with a conservative outlook, particularly with regards constitutional matters which, he claimed on the floor of Parliament 2023, Australians hold as well.

Industry Being in a hub of the seafood industry, Wallace has been defensive of Australia's longline Tuna fishing and prawning fleets. For his first two terms in Parliament, he served as the Co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends of the Australian Seafood Industry. He has urged Australia's governments to engage with Western Pacific nations through labour mobility and continues to campaign on other skilled migration issues. He has advocated for tougher regulations on big-tech companies to prevent cyber-bullying, as well as restricting children's access to online gambling and pornography platforms through compulsory third-party identification checks.

Social issues

Initially opposed to same-sex marriage on religious grounds, Wallace later spoke in favour of the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017. He cited his daughter's coming out and his "legal background" as influential in his change of mind.

In February 2021, Wallace said that Australian banks should create a voluntary code of conduct barring the use of credit cards for online gambling.

International affairs

Wallace has urged Australia to give military support for Ukraine as it resists Russian invasion, and, when speaker, arranged for President Zelensky to address the Parliament on the topic. He has supported Israel's military response and argued that Australians have an obligation to ensure anti-Semitism did not get a foothold in Australia, “whether on a bus, at school, or at work."

Personal life Wallace and his wife Leonie reside in Mooloolah, Queensland, having previously lived in Wurtulla, Alexandra Headlands, and Eudlo. Practising Catholics, the couple have four adult daughters. His youngest daughter lives with a disability, having been born with a segment missing from her chromosome 16, making him a passionate advocate for disability support.