In just a few short months, Member for Burt Matt Keogh, wife Annabel and four-year-old son Nicholas will welcome a new addition to the family.
Over the weekend, Labor frontbencher told Examiner Newspapers that he would be a busy father-of-two come mid-December.
While acknowledging the challenges balancing a life in Canberra and a growing young family presented, Mr Keogh said that he remained committed to working hard to support his constituents.
“Traditionally I spend about half the year in Canberra – with a young child and another one on the way, the challenges of so many FIFO families in our community are not lost on us,” he said.
“While dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic has been tough for many people, I’ve been lucky to have had the opportunity to spend more time with my family these last few months, as I haven’t been travelling as much as I usually would.
“Nicholas and I are very fortunate that Annabel is a great mum and wife and to have the support of both of our parents to help manage with all my comings and goings.”
As a young father and politician, Mr Keogh said he had become particularly passionate about affordable childcare – a measure he said would allow many more parents to return to work to support their families and careers, which would grow the economy and improve the education outcomes for children.
“We, like so many others in our community, rely on childcare and something that the pandemic has highlighted is how the costs of childcare prevent so many parents, usually mums, from being able to get back into work if they want to.”
The 38-year-old, who grew up in Kelmscott, met his wife Annabel while studying law at Notre Dame University.
The pair married in 2011, five years before he was elected to the newly established Division of Burt.
