About Anne

About Anne Main Image

Dr Anne Aly was elected as the Federal Member for Cowan in 2016.

Anne moved to Australia when she was two years old. Her mum was a nurse and her dad an engineer, but they both worked in factories in Australia before her dad later became a bus driver.

By her late twenties, Anne was a single working mother of two young boys in Perth. She knows the importance of having a secure and well-paid job, having raised her boys while working on the minimum wage.

Anne went on to study her Masters and PhD at Edith Cowan University and held a number of senior positions within the Western Australian Public Service. She then worked at both Curtin University and Edith Cowan University with a focus on counter terrorism and countering violent extremism.

Anne has been an advisor to the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Directorate, a Board member of both the Council for Arab Australian Relations and the Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and has addressed President Obama’s Countering Violent Extremism summit at the White House.

Anne is also the Founding Chair of People against Violent Extremism (PaVE) a not for profit organisation focused on empowering communities to challenge violent extremism. 

Anne is now happily married to David, a former WA Police Officer and former captain of Australia’s Ice Hockey team.