WA Labor has announced Colleen Egan as the new candidate for the Thornlie electorate in this year’s state election.
The appointment follows the unexpected withdrawal of Daniel Morrison-Bird as Labor’s candidate last week, who was favoured to replace the retiring Member for Thornlie, Chris Tallentire.
As the youngest of seven children, Egan grew up in Perth’s south-eastern suburbs.
While studying journalism at Curtin University, Colleen lived in Gosnells and undertook work experience at the local paper, Comment News.
Egan served as Chief of Staff to Attorney General John Quigley from 2017 to 2023.
During her 25-year journalism career, Egan reported on a range of stories, including those of marginalised people.
This includes her eight-year fight to free Andrew Mallard from prison, an innocent man wrongly convicted of murder, a campaign she chronicled in a book that earned her the Walkley Award for Most Outstanding Contribution to Journalism in 2006.
Additionally, Egan served as the Assistant Editor at West Australian Newspapers from 2009 to 2017.
Egan said she believes the Cook Labor Government has a strong track record of delivering for Thornlie.
“I am proud to be joining the Cook Labor team as Candidate for Thornlie, an area where I spent much of my childhood while my mother taught at a local primary school,” she said.
“As a single mum with a mortgage, I understand the cost-of-living challenges faced by many families trying to balance the family budget.”
Premier Roger Cook welcomed Egan’s appointment.
“Colleen Egan is a fierce advocate for her community and will be a dedicated and hardworking voice for Thornlie in my WA Labor team,” he said.
