Australia has its first member of parliament who is from a Palestinian background.

Muslim Labor candidate Basem Abdo has won the electorate of Calwell, in Melbourne’s north, despite a tight four-cornered election contest in what has traditionally been a safe ALP seat.

Mr Abdo was born in Kuwait to parents from the West Bank, who fled to Jordan in the wake of the 1967 Six-Day War and who ultimately migrated to Australia in 1991.

Before the federal election, he was an advisor to Maria Vamvakinou MP, the former Member for Calwell.

Mr Abdo says he has deep connections to Melbourne’s north.

“I’ve spent most of my life in our community, growing up here, attending school and working hard for our community. This isn’t just where I live; it’s who I am. I understand the challenges we face and the opportunities we can create together,” he says on his official website.

“As your Labor candidate for Calwell, I’m dedicated to real action—supporting local jobs and industry, easing the cost of living, and ensuring better healthcare and education for all,” he says.

He has also previously spoken about how his father was trained as an electrical engineer but couldn’t find a job in that field in Australia.

“I have always had that instilled in me – a deep appreciation for the dignity of work and the impact that social and economic displacement has on people. I think it can be tackled by governments,” Mr Abdo said last year.

“That’s a strong part of what has driven me within the movement,” he said of his commitment to Labor.

During Mr Abdo’s preselection, grassroots Labor members in the area threatened to quit if they were not given a say in a replacement for outgoing MP Ms Vamvakinou.

But she defended his candidacy, saying she hoped Mr Abdo would be preselected.

“He is the kind of generation now that we need to reconnect with and become relevant to,” she said. “He is very bright, and I believe he will make a great contribution,” she said.

“I am very committed to giving opportunities to a new generation of people who will be able to go forward and reconnect with Labor in what has now become a very diverse and volatile political constituency,” Ms Vamvakinou said at the time.

One of her party’s most vocal supporters of Palestine, Ms Vamvakinou was first elected in 2001. She has said recognising Palestinian statehood was “unfinished business” for the Labor Party.

“There has to be an outcome that gives the Palestinian people self-determination and it’s the only way forward for peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. There is no other way,” she said.

“I am hopeful that a Labor government will recognise Palestine as a way of encouraging and promoting a pathway to peace. There’s no alternative,” Ms Vamvakinou said.

About a quarter of voters in Calwell are Muslim, according to the 2021 census. While Ms Vamvakinou held the seat on a safe margin of 12.4 per cent, the party saw a 10 per cent primary vote swing against it at the 2022 election – perhaps a backlash among Muslim voters and other diverse groups over Labor’s response to the Hamas-Israel war.

Mr Abdo has said that when elected to parliament, he would offer a “perspective that actually is impacted by the conflict in Palestine generationally”.

“We are hurting dramatically… it is deep, and it cuts through, and it is personal, and we are affected directly by it,” he told local media.

As a graduate of the local Gladstone Park Secondary College and a qualified teacher, Mr Ado says he is passionate about the importance of education and skills in creating opportunities.

His Labor Party blurb says: “Basem is a proud local and a strong advocate for his community. He grew up locally, went to school at Gladstone Park Secondary College and now lives with his wife, Natascha, who shares his dedication to creating a more inclusive and fair society.

“Basem studied teaching locally and is passionate about education. He firmly believes that qualifications open doors, and that belief has shaped his journey.

“He wants to help the next generation gain the best opportunities in life and stand up for working families on the issues that matter most.

“Basem understands that Calwell, once a vibrant hub for manufacturing, has the potential to lead Australia’s resurgence in this sector. He wants to see secure, well-paying jobs back in his community.

“Basem knows that Australia’s capacity to make things here starts by investing in the local workforce, fostering skills development, and providing strong support for industry growth.

“Basem will be a strong voice for his community and will ensure that Labor will keep delivering more jobs, more opportunity, free TAFE and greater access to healthcare,” the burb says.