Anne Webster

Webster studied sociology and history at La Trobe University, followed by a Bachelor of Social Work with honours.[4] She also holds the diploma of Associate in Music, Australia, and taught music for a number of years, as well as working as a professional seamstress and image consultant.[2] In 2018, she completed a Ph.D. at the Australian National University (ANU) with a doctoral thesis on adoption.[5]

Before entering politics, Webster was a social worker in Mildura. She was elected to the board of the Mallee Accommodation and Support Program (MASP) in 2005, and served as chair for a period.[6] In 2011, Webster became the founding executive director of Zoe Support, an organisation assisting young mothers with education.[7] She was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Mildura Rural City Council in 2019 for her work with the organisation.[8]

In January 2019, Webster won National Party preselection for the Division of Mallee, replacing the retiring MP Andrew Broad. She defeated five other candidates over three rounds of voting. She had earlier stood for preselection in Mallee prior to the 2013 federal election, but lost to Broad.[7]

Webster retained Mallee for the Nationals at the 2019 federal election with a small negative swing on the two-party-preferred count. The party's primary vote halved from 56 percent to 28 percent, with large swings to the Liberal Party, Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party, and independents.[9]

In September 2020, Webster was awarded $350,000 in damages following a defamation suit against Karen Brewer, a conspiracy theorist who alleged on social media that Webster and her husband were "participants in a secretive criminal network involved in child sexual abuse". Her husband and the non-profit organisation they co-founded were awarded similar amounts.[10]