58 Facts About Zali Steggall

Zali Steggall was born on 16 April 1974 and is an Australian politician, lawyer and former Winter Olympic athlete.

Zali Steggall has been the independent member for Warringah since the 2019 Australian federal election when she defeated the incumbent, former Prime Minister Tony Abbott.

Zali Steggall became involved in several NGOs, including serving as director of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame from 2014 to 2019.

At the 2019 federal election, Zali Steggall ran as an independent candidate and won the seat, and increased her margin at the 2022 federal election.

Zali Steggall was born in Manly, New South Wales, in 1974.

Zali Steggall's parents had intended to stay for only 18 months, but they liked the lifestyle so much that they stayed.

Zali Steggall won European age championships at the ages of 10 and 13, and was a member of the French junior skiing team at the age of 14.

Zali Steggall was educated in Sydney at Queenwood School for Girls following the family's return to Australia in 1989.

Zali Steggall was sent overseas by the Australian Ski Institute to train under Austrian alpine coach Helmut Spiegl.

Zali Steggall was selected to make her Olympic debut in Albertville in 1992, at the age of 17.

Zali Steggall came 23rd out of 44 entries in the giant slalom event, and failed to finish the slalom or the combined event.

Zali Steggall came 22nd out of 28 athletes in the slalom and 24th and last in the giant slalom.

Zali Steggall withdrew from the super-G and was unplaced in the overall standings.

In December 1995, Zali Steggall broke into the top 10 in a World Cup event, placing 10th in the slalom event at Sankt Anton.

Zali Steggall came into the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano as one of the medal favourites.

Zali Steggall posted the fastest time in both of her runs to win by 0.78 seconds.

Zali Steggall then came fifth, sixth and tenth in the next three World Cup events to be ranked sixth in the world.

Zali Steggall won Australia's first individual Winter Olympic medal with a bronze in slalom skiing at Nagano in 1998.

Zali Steggall had earlier placed second at Park City, giving her an overall ranking of seventh.

Zali Steggall's success prompted the Australian Olympic Committee to expand the Australian Ski Institute into the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia.

In 1999, Zali Steggall won the slalom event at the World Championships held in Vail, Colorado, in the United States, the first championship of any athlete in the southern hemisphere.

Zali Steggall was part of the Sydney Olympic torch relay in September 2000, carrying the Olympic flame along the pathway of Olympians in Manly and on the Manly ferry to Circular Quay.

Zali Steggall completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in communications and media studies from Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, and then studied law.

Zali Steggall was admitted as a solicitor while working for her father's legal practice in Manly, New South Wales.

Between 2010 and 2013, Zali Steggall was councillor to the NSW Bar Association and served as the chair of its Health, Sports, and Recreation Committee.

From 2014 to 2019, Zali Steggall was an independent non-executive director of the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia, and director of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

In 2014, Zali Steggall became a member of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Agency Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel.

Zali Steggall was appointed an arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in January 2017.

In 2018, Zali Steggall was one of 12 worldwide arbitrators appointed to the ad hoc tribunal of the CAS for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, and she became a member of the Council of Governors at Queenwood School for Girls.

On 27 January 2019, Zali Steggall announced her candidacy as an independent in the Division of Warringah in the 2019 Australian federal election, running against former Australian Prime Minister and incumbent Liberal MP Tony Abbott on a platform advocating action on climate change, mental health and honest government.

Zali Steggall opposed the changes to capital gains tax, franking credits, and negative gearing that were being proposed by the Labor opposition under Bill Shorten, and argued for lower taxes on small businesses.

Zali Steggall stated that she would advocate for changes in electoral laws, to mandate a "minimum standard of truth" in political advertising.

Zali Steggall stated that with better controls in place, emissions could be reduced more than 45 percent by 2030.

Zali Steggall supported the creation of an independent advisory to phase out dependence on coal and spur development of renewable energy projects.

Zali Steggall raised $1.1 million AUD in funding for her campaign from 1378 donors.

At the 18 May 2019 election, Zali Steggall defeated Abbott, who had held Warringah since a 1994 by-election.

Zali Steggall's victory marked the first time that the traditional blue-ribbon Liberal seat had been out of the hands of the Liberals or their predecessors since its formation in 1922.

Zali Steggall has been described as the pioneer of the Climate 200-backed teal independent movement, who combined conservative views on economics with progressive views of the environment and won several seats at the 2022 federal election.

Zali Steggall served on the Standing Committee on Environment and Energy and the Joint Select Committee for Australia's Family Law System Reform from 2019 to 2022.

Zali Steggall stated that the law should balance the rights of mothers and fathers but to avoid polarization should focus on the rights of children.

Zali Steggall objected to live broadcasting of the committee's inquiry after Pauline Hanson's One Nation's live-stream allowed commenters to attack witnesses.

In October 2021, Zali Steggall introduced a bill entitled Commonwealth Electoral Amendment Bill, to crack down on political misinformation.

Zali Steggall criticised Prime Minister Scott Morrison for choosing Deves as a candidate, stating that "[Morrison] either knew her views and selected her anyway, or he wasn't properly informed and made a flawed decision".

Zali Steggall criticised Deves' campaign for hiring the wife of Zali Steggall's ex-husband, calling this "low and vindictive" behaviour.

Zali Steggall received $25,000 AUD in funding from Climate 200 for her campaign.

Zali Steggall was criticised for failing to disclose a A$100,000 from a family trust controlled by a former coal investor in the previous election cycle.

Under the rules in place, Zali Steggall did not have to report the donation because Warringah Independent was responsible for filing the disclosures, but when auditors discovered the mistake, she "personally disclosed the donation", according to journalist Rob Harris.

Zali Steggall became a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water in August 2022.

Zali Steggall was in favour of the Yes vote in the unsuccessful October 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, which proposed the creation of an advisory body for First Nations Australians to advise on issues relevant to them.

Zali Steggall took part in a 'Run for the Voice' event to promote the Yes campaign, and was "gutted" that the referendum did not succeed.

Zali Steggall reintroduced her political misinformation legislation, in November 2023, but it was again unsuccessful.

In January 2024, Zali Steggall criticised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for making changes to the planned stage three tax cuts.

Zali Steggall was not opposed to the tax cuts because the economy had changed, but she was critical that the tax legislation was amended after the government had insisted that it would not make changes.

In 2024, Zali Steggall accused Liberal leader Peter Dutton of racism over his support for prohibiting Gazans from attaining Australian visas amid the Gaza war.

Zali Steggall was married to Olympic rower David Cameron from 1999 until their separation in 2006.

Zali Steggall met marketing executive Tim Irving in 2007, they became engaged in June 2008 and married later that year.

Zali Steggall received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000, and a Medal of the Order of Australia in 2007.

Zali Steggall was inducted into the Australian Institute of Sport 'Best of the Best' in 2001 and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2004.