11 Facts About Natalie Suleyman

Natalie Suleyman holds three Ministerial portfolios in the Victorian Government; Veterans, Youth, and Small Business.

Natalie Suleyman is the first person of Turkish origin, as well as the first Muslim woman, to be elected to the Victorian Parliament.

Natalie Suleyman was first elected to political office as a councillor at the City of Brimbank in 2000.

Natalie Suleyman was re-elected in 2003 and 2005, and was mayor on three occasions.

In 2008, Natalie Suleyman unsuccessfully contested Labor preselection for the seat of Kororoit.

In 2014 Natalie Suleyman was preselected by the Labor Party to contest the seat of St Albans.

In June 2008, Natalie Suleyman contested ALP preselection for the state seat of Kororoit.

The Ombudsman found that Natalie Suleyman then attempted to cancel funding for the project associated with Seitz, a move that would have cost the council more than $300,000.

Seitz's comments, widely reported, included an accusation that Natalie Suleyman was the "Robert Mugabe of Brimbank", and had improperly interfered with local sporting clubs associated with Seitz; in response to her lost preselection.

The other significant finding within the report, was that Natalie Suleyman had made an improper and informal demand that $680,000 be allocated to a project at Cairnlea Park, at a facility in which clubs to which Natalie Suleyman's family were linked.

The ombudsman found that after the budget had been finalised at a council workshop, Natalie Suleyman had approached council staff and threatened to prevent the budget from being adopted unless her projects were funded.