Melissa McIntosh

McIntosh has had a long career in the Liberal Party, starting out as an aide to the then-arts and sports minister, Jacqui Kelly, immediately after graduating from university.

She worked her way up in the party, gaining a position in the office of then-Prime Minister John Howard, before taking on various roles within the party such as vice president of the NSW division.

A member of the centre-right faction of the Liberal Party, McIntosh borrows former PM John Howard’s description of Lindsay as a “microcosm of Australia” with a vast array of people, from the elderly to families and young people.

A mother of three, her priorities centre around local jobs and infrastructure, support for small businesses and a return for local manufacturing.

She recently defended PM Scott Morrison, calling him a “good man” when he was accused of bullying.