Barrister Varun Ghosh on Tuesday made history as he became the first India-born member of the Australian Parliament to take oath on the Bhagavad Gita. Hailing from Western Australia, Ghosh was appointed as the latest Senator after getting support from both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council to represent the state in the Senate of the Federal Parliament.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also wished Ghosh. "Welcome Varun Ghosh, our newest Senator from Western Australia. Fantastic to have you on the team," he posted on X.
Australian minister welcomes Ghosh
Meanwhile, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong also welcomes Ghosh to the Labor Senate team. "Welcome to Varun Ghosh, our newest Senator from Western Australia. Senator Ghosh is the first-ever Australian Senator sworn in on the Bhagavad Gita. I have often said, when you're the first at something, you've got to make sure you're not the last," the Minister posted on X. She further said that Senator Ghosh would be a strong voice for his community and for West Australians.
Who is Varun Ghosh?
Born in 1985, Ghosh moved to Perth in 1997 and attended Christ Church Grammar School. He received degrees in Arts and Law from the University of Western Australia and was a Commonwealth Scholar in Law at the University of Cambridge. He previously worked as a finance attorney in New York and as a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC. The political journey of Varun Ghosh began when he joined Australia's Labor Party in Perth. He was just 17 when his parents moved from India in the 1980s.
For the past few years, Ghosh has worked as a barrister, dealing with legal matters in Western Australia and internationally with the World Bank. In the 2019 federal election, Ghosh was placed fifth on the Australian Labor Party's Senate ticket in Western Australia but was not elected. He has been actively involved in public service, reflecting his commitment to high-quality education. Before his current role, Ghosh worked as a finance attorney in New York and as a consultant for the World Bank in Washington, DC. He returned to Australia in 2015, working with King & Wood Mallesons, dealing with legal matters for banks, resource companies, and construction companies.
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