Tanya Davies

Early years and background

Davies was born and raised in Newcastle and moved to Sydney aged 17, initially living with her grandparents at Regents Park for her university studies{{cite news

| access-date = 10 April 2011}} where she graduated with a degree in physiotherapy from the University of Sydney. Davies worked as a physiotherapist in the public health system before working in higher education institutions such as the University of Western Sydney and TAFE.{{cite web |access-date = 10 April 2011 |url-status = dead | access-date = 10 April 2011}} Davies' husband, Mark Davies, also served on Penrith City Council and in 2012 was elected mayor of the City of Penrith. Davies has two children: the elder Laura and the younger Harry.

Political career

In 2011 Davies contested the then Labor seat of Mulgoa in Sydney's western suburbs.{{cite news

| access-date = 26 April 2011}} She was elected with a swing of 23.2 points, winning the seat with 62 per cent of the two-party.{{cite news | author-link = Antony Green | access-date = 26 April 2011}} Davies' Labor opponent was Prue Car, now Deputy Premier of NSW. Diane Beamer, who was the sitting Labor member, had retired from politics after holding the seat and its predecessor, Badgerys Creek, for 16 years.

In 2017 Davies was appointed the Minister for Mental Health, the Minister for Women and the Minister for Ageing in the Berejiklian government. In June 2018, Davies voted against a bill that would create 150 m "safe access zones" outside abortion clinics. She is an opponent of legal abortion and was one of two Liberal Party members who threatened to leave the government if amendments were not made on a 2019 bill to decriminalise abortion.

Davies was re-elected at the 2019 state election, but was not reappointed to the Second Berejiklian ministry.

The 2020 redistribution undertaken for the 2023 New South Wales state election was finalised in 2021, where the district of Mulgoa was effectively renamed Badgerys Creek. While the Perrottet government was defeated at the election, Davies was comfortably elected to the new district.

Opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates

In January 2022 she spoke at a ‘Prayer and pushback’ forum moderated by a former Hillsong Church pastor and featuring anti-vax speakers, where, contrary to policies of state and federal government, she spoke against COVID-19 vaccinations for children.

Davies spoke again at an ‘anti-vaccination rally’ in March 2022, where among other things she criticised the Perrottet government’s handling of vaccine mandates and COVID-19 restrictions.

Mark Davies

Husband and Penrith City Councillor Mark Davies has nominated for preselection as the Liberal Party candidate for Lindsay. This sets up another showdown between the current Liberal MP, Melissa McIntosh and Mr Davies after previously having challenged Ms McIntosh for the nomination for the May 2022 Federal Election.

References

References

1. {{cite NSW Parliament
2. "Why Saturday's NSW Liberal Party State Council meeting will be 'most contentious' in 20 years".
3. (30 January 2017). "Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in". [[Sky News]].
4. Sas, Nick. (31 March 2019). "Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet". [[ABC News (Australia).
5. Schiller, Emma. (25 September 2012). "Mark Davies the new Penrith mayor". Penrith Press.
6. "Subscription". [[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
7. Visentin, Lisa. (8 June 2018). "Abortion clinic 'safe access zones' become law in NSW". The Sydney Morning Herald.
8. "MPs' threat over abortion bill could push NSW Liberals into minority government".
9. "Names and boundaries of electoral districts".
10. "Badgerys Creek - NSW Electorate, Candidates, Results".
11. Atfield, Cameron. (21 January 2022). "Christensen tells anti-vax event he wants to 'prod the powerful'". [[The Age]].
12. (22 March 2022). "NSW Liberal MP criticised after speaking at anti-vaccination rally".
13. Karp, Paul. (2023-07-18). "Alex Hawke and Sussan Ley among Liberal MPs facing preselection challenges". The Guardian.
14. Martin, Sarah. (2021-05-24). "Scott Morrison facing preselection headache with sitting Liberal MPs in the firing line". The Guardian.