Sarah Mitchell

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Sarah Mitchell

| honorific-suffix = MLC

| image = Minister Mitchell July 20 headshot DSC6710a.jpg

| caption =

| office = Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning

| premier = Gladys Berejiklian
Dominic Perrottet

| term_start = 2 April 2019

| term_end = 28 March 2023

| predecessor = Rob Stokes {{small|(as the Minister for Education)}}
herself {{small|(as the Minister for Early Childhood Education)}}

| successor = Prue Car

| office1 = Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council

| term_start1 = 26 March 2011

| term_end1 =

| predecessor1 =

| successor1 =

| office2 = Minister for Early Childhood Education

| premier2 = Gladys Berejiklian

| term_start2 = 30 January 2017

| term_end2 = 23 March 2019

| predecessor2 = Leslie Williams

| successor2 =

| office3 = Minister for Aboriginal Affairs

| premier3 = Gladys Berejiklian

| term_start3 = 30 January 2017

| term_end3 = 23 March 2019

| predecessor3 = Leslie Williams

| successor3 = Don Harwin {{small|(as the Minister for Public Services and Employee Relations, Aboriginal Affairs and the Arts) }}

| office4 = Assistant Minister for Education

| premier4 = Gladys Berejiklian

| term_start4 = 30 January 2017

| term_end4 = 26 March 2019

| predecessor4 = Leslie Williams

| successor4 = portfolio abolished

| birth_name = Sarah Ann Johnston

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1982|5|10}}

| birth_place = Gunnedah, New South Wales

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = The Nationals

| spouse = Anthony Mitchell

| children =

| alma_mater = University of New South Wales

| website =

| footnotes =

}}

Sarah Ann Mitchell (née Johnston; born 10 May 1982), an Australian politician, is the former Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning in the second Berejiklian ministry and in the Perrottet ministry.{{Gazette NSW |title=Government Notices |issue=30 |page=1088-1090 |date=2 April 2019 |url=https://gazette.legislation.nsw.gov.au/so/download.w3p?id=Gazette_2019_2019-30.pdf |access-date=3 April 2019 |via= }}{{cite press release|url=https://www.nsw.gov.au/news-and-events/news/premier-announces-new-cabinet/|title=Premier announces new Cabinet|publisher=Premier of New South Wales|date=31 March 2019|accessdate=3 April 2019}}{{cite news |author=Han, Sophie |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/berejiklian-s-new-massive-cabinet-sworn-in-amid-peals-of-laughter-20190402-p519wj.html |title=Berejiklian's new massive cabinet sworn in amid peals of laughter |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=2 April 2019 |accessdate=3 April 2019 }} She has been a Nationals member of the New South Wales Legislative Council since March 2011.

Mitchell previously served as the Minister for Early Childhood Education, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and the Assistant Minister for Education from January 2017 until March 2019 in the first Berejiklian ministry.{{cite news|agency=AAP|title=Refreshed NSW cabinet sworn in|url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/top-stories/2017/01/30/refreshed-nsw-cabinet-to-be-sworn-in.html|accessdate=30 January 2017|work=Sky News|location=Australia|date=30 January 2017}}

Background and early career

Mitchell was born in Gunnedah, and moved to Grafton as a child. She moved back to Gunnedah while in high school, completing her Higher School Certificate at Gunnedah High School in 1999. She moved to Sydney in 2001, and studied politics and international relations at the University of New South Wales, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in 2016. Mitchell later moved back to Gunnedah, where she worked as an electorate officer for former Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson. She continued working for Mark Coulton, Anderson's successor as local MP, upon Anderson's 2007 retirement.[https://www.nswnationals.org.au/state-team/sarahmitchell/ Our Senior Office-Bearers: Sarah Mitchell MLC] The Nationals NSW. Retrieved 22 April 2011.

Political career

She was later elected president of the federal Young Nationals and chairman of the state Young Nationals, positions which she held until her election to parliament.[http://nsw.nationals.org.au/our-team/the-nationals-team/ms-sarah-johnston.html The Nationals Team: Sarah Johnston] NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 April 2011. She was preselected for the eleventh position on the Coalition Legislative Council ticket for the 2011 state election in April 2010; while normally unwinnable, the near-record size of the Coalition's victory saw her emerge victorious for the last seat in an extremely close race with right-wing independent Pauline Hanson.{{cite news|url= http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/news/local/news/general/young-nats-chair-on-preselection-ticket/1805921.aspx|title=Young Nats chair on preselection ticket| newspaper=Northern Daily Leader| accessdate=22 April 2011}}[http://vtr.elections.nsw.gov.au/lcPDF/lcFpFinal/01%20-%20Candidate%20In%20Sequence%20of%20Election.pdf Declaration of Poll] NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 April 2011. She married Anthony Mitchell in April 2011, and took her husband's name; she had been elected two weeks before under her maiden name of Johnston.[http://markcoulton.com.au/Media/MediaReleases/tabid/74/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/334/Coulton-sends-his-congratulations-to-Upper-House-elect-Sarah-Johnston.aspx Coulton sends his congratulations to Upper House-elect Sarah Johnston] Mark Coulton MP. Retrieved 22 April 2011.{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=93 |name=The Hon. Sarah MITCHELL, MLC |former=No |access-date=5 April 2019}}

She has served on several standing and select committees, and currently sits on the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 3. During her first years in Parliament, Sarah chaired the General Purpose Standing Committee No. 4, which undertook an inquiry into medicinal cannabis, resulting in a report unanimously in favour of the provision of medicinal cannabis for the terminally ill.

Mitchell was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Regional and Rural Health and Western NSW on 24 April 2015.{{citation needed|date=February 2017}} Following the resignation of Mike Baird as Premier,{{cite web|url=http://m.thesatellite.com.au/news/baird-resigns-nsw-premier-quit-top-job-and-parliam/3133375/|first=Owen|last=Jacques|title=Baird resigns: NSW Premier to quit top job and Parliament|work=The Satellite|date=19 January 2017|accessdate=18 January 2017|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002956/http://m.thesatellite.com.au/news/baird-resigns-nsw-premier-quit-top-job-and-parliam/3133375/|archivedate=2 February 2017|df=dmy-all}} Gladys Berejiklian was elected as Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier.{{cite web|title=Swearing-In of The Honourable Gladys Berejiklian MP, the 45th Premier of New South Wales, and The Honourable John Barilaro MP, Deputy Premier|url=https://www.governor.nsw.gov.au/governor/vice-regal-program/monday-23-january-2017/|website=Vice Regal Program |publisher=Governor of New South Wales|accessdate=27 January 2017|date=23 January 2017}}{{cite web |title=Ministers|url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/pages/ministers.aspx |website=www.parliament.nsw.gov.au |publisher=Parliament of New South Wales |accessdate=27 January 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Clennell|first1=Andrew|title=Premier Gladys Berejiklian plans major reshuffle for cabinet|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/premier-gladys-berejiklian-plans-major-reshuffle-for-cabinet/news-story/1bb77d4e287dc82004f80186e40d18f0|accessdate=27 January 2017|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=26 January 2017}} The first Berejiklian ministry was subsequently formed with Mitchell sworn in as the Minister for Early Childhood Education, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, and the Assistant Minister for Education with effect from 30 January 2017. Following the 2019 state election Mitchell was appointed as the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning in the second Berejiklian ministry, with effect from 2 April 2019.{{cite news |author=Sas, Nick |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-31/cabinet-reshuffle-after-nsw-election-from-berejiklian/10956776 |title=Gladys Berejiklian says Liberal Party has no women problem as re-elected NSW Premier shuffles Cabinet |work=ABC News |location=Australia |date=31 March 2019 |accessdate=3 April 2019 }} She also became the Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.