Rhys Williams (Australian politician)
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Rhys Williams is an Australian politician who has been the member for Mandurah in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since the March 2025 state election. A member of the Labor Party, he was the mayor of the City of Mandurah from October 2017 to January 2025 and a City of Mandurah councillor from October 2009 to October 2013.
Rhys Williams | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for Mandurah | |
| Assumed office 8 March 2025 | |
| Preceded by | David Templeman |
| Mayor of Mandurah | |
| In office October 2017 – January 2025 | |
| Deputy | Caroline Knight |
| Preceded by | Marina Vergone |
| Succeeded by | Caroline Knight (acting) |
| City of Mandurah Councillor | |
| In office October 2009 – October 2013 | |
| Constituency | Coastal Ward |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Labor |
| Website | rhyswilliams |
Career
Summarize
Perspective
Williams was elected to the Coastal Ward of the City of Mandurah council for a four-year term in October 2009[1] at the age of 21, making him the youngest councillor in Mandurah's history.[2] In October 2013, Williams lost the Mandurah mayoral election to Marina Vergone by two votes.[3][4] Four years later, he was elected mayor of Mandurah, receiving 50.12 percent of the vote and beating three other candidates, including incumbent mayor Vergone.[5][6][7] Williams was re-elected in October 2021 with 85.54 percent of the vote against one other candidate.[8][9]
In 2015, Williams was awarded the Western Australian of the Year Youth Award.[10][11][12]
In September 2024, the Labor MP for the electoral district of Mandurah, David Templeman, announced he would not contest the 2025 state election.[13][14] The following day, Williams announced he would seek Labor Party preselection,[15][16] and in October 2024, he was preselected as the party's candidate for Mandurah.[17][18] He stepped down as mayor in January 2025, with deputy mayor Caroline Knight acting as mayor until the October 2025 local government election.[19][20] The Labor Party has used Williams' resignation as mayor to criticise the Liberal Party's Churchlands candidate, Basil Zempilas, for not resigning as lord mayor of Perth.[17][21] The election on 8 March 2025 resulted in Williams retaining the seat of Mandurah for Labor.[22]
Williams is part of the Labor Party's Left faction and is aligned with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.[23]
References
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