Biography

Parliamentary service

• State: Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for The Greens (NSW) from 2013 to 2018.
• Federal: Chosen by the Parliament of New South Wales on 15.8.2018 under section 15 of the Constitution to represent that State in the Senate, vice L Rhiannon (resigned). Elected to the Senate for New South Wales 2019.

Parliamentary positions

• Temporary Chair of Committees from 2.7.2019 to 26.7.2022.

Committee service

• Joint Select: Parliamentary Standards served from 29.3.2022 to 29.11.2022
• Joint Standing: Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 13.9.2018 to 11.4.2019; National Capital and External Territories served from 13.9.2018 to 3.4.2019; Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade served from 22.7.2019 to 26.10.2022
• Senate Legislative and General Purpose Standing: Education and Employment: Legislation served from 21.8.2018 to present; Education and Employment: References served from 21.8.2018 to present; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: References served as Substitute member from 29.7.2019 to 27.11.2019; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 9.2.2023 to 22.3.2023; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 30.3.2023 to 18.5.2023; Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport: Legislation served from 11.5.2023 to present; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: References served from 7.12.2023 to present; Economics: Legislation served as Substitute member from 26.2.2024 to present; Legal and Constitutional Affairs: Legislation served as Substitute member from 14.8.2024 to present
• Senate Select: Job Security served from 10.12.2020 to 30.3.2022; Impact of Climate Risk on Insurance Premiums and Availability served from 16.5.2024 to 20.5.2024; Impact of Climate Risk on Insurance Premiums and Availability served as Chair from 20.5.2024 to 26.11.2024
• Senate Standing: Senators' Interests served from 13.9.2018 to 13.2.2019

Parliamentary party positions

• Australian Greens. Served: 15.08.2018 to present
• Australian Greens Spokesperson for Education, Local Government, Housing, Industry, Animal Welfare, Gun Control, International Development and Employment and Workplace Relations (Senate) from 15.8.2018 to 9.9.2020.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson for Education, Housing, Industry, Anti-racism, Animal Welfare, International Aid and Development, and Employment and Workplace Relations (Senate) from 9.9.2020 to 17.6.2022.
• Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Australian Greens from 10.6.2022.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson for Education, Anti-Racism, International Aid, Global Justice and Animal Welfare from 17.6.2022 to 25.3.2024.
• Australian Greens Spokesperson for Animal Welfare, Anti-Racism, Climate Adaptation and Resilience, International Aid and Global Justice, Republic and Tertiary Education from 25.3.2024.

Party positions

• Convenor of the Greens Women's Group (NSW) from 2011 to 2013.
• Candidate for the Greens in Heffron (NSW), 2012.

Other positions

• Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, 2017.

Personal

• Born: 8.7.1963, Pakistan
• Gender: Female
• Marital Status: Married

Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament

• BEng(Civil)(Hons) (University of Engineering and Technology (Pakistan)).
• DEnvEng (University of New South Wales).
• MESc (University of New South Wales).
• Research Fellow and Research Assistant at the University of New South Wales from January 1993 to February 1999.
• Environmental Engineer at Sinclair Knight Merz from March 1999 to June 2001.
• Manager for Natural Resources and Environmental Engineer at Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (NSW) from August 2001 to August 2004.
• Director and Lecturer, Institute of Environmental Studies (UNSW) from August 2004 to April 2008.
• Manager of Environment and Services at Mosman Council (NSW) from January 2009 to August 2010.
• Associate Professor and Academic Director MBT of the Australian School of Management at the University of New South Wales from September 2010 to June 2013.

State/Territory Government service

• Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council for The Greens (NSW) from 2013 to 2018.

Honours

• Received the Faculty of Engineering Award for Leadership (UNSW), 2013.
• Appointed No. 5 in Fairfax Daily Media Life's list of top 20 women, 2013.
• Appointed a Top 100 Most Influential Engineers in Australia, 2015.
• Appointed Grand Stirrer at the 20th Edna Ryan Awards for the #End12 abortion decriminalisation campaign, 2017.

Publications

• M Faruqi and R Ryan, Transforming watercycle management: a case study in the mid-north coast of NSW, Ozwater, Sydney, 2007.
• R Harding, CM Hendriks and M Faruqi, Environmental Decision-Making - Exploring complexity and context, Federation Press, Sydney, 2009.
• Achieving systematic change for sustainability through enabling effective Community Education and Engagement, NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water, NSW, 2009.
• M Faruqi, Embracing complexity to enable change, in D Rigling Gallagher, N Christiansen and P Andrews [eds], Environmental Leadership: A Reference Handbook, volume 2, pp. 772-781, Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, USA, 2012.
• Too migrant, too Muslim, too loud: a memoir, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW: 2021.