Tu Le

Le was born in south-west Sydney, her parents being Vietnamese refugees fleeing from the Vietnam war.{{cite news |last1=Boscaini |first1=Joshua |title=How Tu Le turned being dumped by Labor to run for the seat of Fowler into an opportunity |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-05/tu-le-winner-40-under-40-asian-australian-awards/101473578 |access-date=14 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=5 Oct 2022 |archive-date=22 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240622164949/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-05/tu-le-winner-40-under-40-asian-australian-awards/101473578 |url-status=live }} She graduated from Macquarie University with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws. She was admitted as a lawyer in 2016.{{cite web |title=Our Team |url=https://addiroad.org.au/our-team/ |location=Addison Road, Marrickville NSW |publisher=Addison Road Community Organisation |access-date=15 March 2025 |archive-date=26 January 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250126025044/https://addiroad.org.au/our-team/ |url-status=live }}

In 2019, she managed a migrant employment legal service and co-founded a youth group. She went on to co-create the Vietnamese Australian Forum. She later joined the board of a human rights charity and was elected deputy chair of Asian Women at Work. She became an executive member of the Vietnamese Australian Lawyers Association. In 2021, she began working as a community education lawyer for a legal centre in Marrickville.

Le was recognised for her community work as the 2022 winner of the Asian Australian Leadership Awards. The organisers argued that her advocacy put the lack of Asian Australian political representation on the national agenda.{{cite news |last1=Topsfield |first1=Jewel |title=Candidate 'elbowed out' by Labor named most influential Asian Australian |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/candidate-elbowed-out-by-labor-named-most-influential-asian-australian-20221004-p5bmzf.html |access-date=15 March 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=4 October 2022 |archive-date=21 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240721132113/https://www.smh.com.au/national/candidate-elbowed-out-by-labor-named-most-influential-asian-australian-20221004-p5bmzf.html |url-status=live }}

In 2021, Le was endorsed by retiring MP for Fowler Chris Hayes as his preferred successor. Hayes worked with Le and felt she had strong links to the community and would reflect the cultural diversity of the area which included over 50,000 Asian-Australians as of the {{CensusAU|2016}}.{{cite news |last1=Haydar |first1=Nour |title=Veteran Labor MP Chris Hayes to leave safe seat, backs local lawyer to take his place |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-24/chris-hayes-fowler-retires-tu-le-labor/100025066 |access-date=14 March 2025 |work=ABC News |date=24 Mar 2021 |archive-date=24 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210324014607/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-03-24/chris-hayes-fowler-retires-tu-le-labor/100025066 |url-status=live }}{{Census 2016 AUS|id=CED115|name=Fowler|access-date=20 March 2025|quick=on}} The preselection process was halted in favour of Kristina Keneally, a former premier of New South Wales and experienced senator who due to union influence, required repositioning from the upper house into a safe Labor seat in the lower house.{{Cite news|title=Right-wing unions fight over Kristina Keneally's future|date=17 September 2020|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/rightwing-unions-fight-over-kristina-keneallys-future/news-story/abc5693c2acf81dbd6457d84a5ad7842|archive-date=16 April 2023|access-date=15 March 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416175607/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/rightwing-unions-fight-over-kristina-keneallys-future/news-story/abc5693c2acf81dbd6457d84a5ad7842|url-access=subscription|work=The Australian|url-status=live}} Though Keneally nominally moved to the seat, she had no roots within the working-class electorate and was a resident of the Northern Beaches area of Sydney.{{cite news |last1=Glenday |first1=James |last2=Haydar |first2=Nour |date=9 September 2021 |title=Kristina Keneally's swap into safe Western Sydney seat sparks anger among Labor locals |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-09/cph-kristina-keneally-safe-seat-switch-sparks-anger/100448790 |name-list-style=and |work=ABC News |access-date=14 March 2025 |archive-date=7 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250207164715/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-09/cph-kristina-keneally-safe-seat-switch-sparks-anger/100448790 |url-status=live }} The decision was picked up by international news media as demonstrative of Australian political class prejudices. To diffuse the controversy, Labor appeared to be promising Le a seat in the New South Wales parliament at a later election.{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Rob |date=10 September 2021 |title=Keneally vows to 'step up and fight' as Labor brawls over lower house move |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/keneally-vows-to-step-up-and-fight-as-labor-brawls-over-lower-house-move-20210910-p58qk2.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=14 March 2025 |archive-date=25 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225233425/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/keneally-vows-to-step-up-and-fight-as-labor-brawls-over-lower-house-move-20210910-p58qk2.html |url-status=live }} The sidelining of Le for an American-born woman in a seat primarily made up of people of Asian background and many refugees was criticised by Labor MPs such as Anne Aly and Peter Khalil.{{Cite web|title=Labor MP says party must 'improve ethnic diversity' after Kristina Keneally parachuted into Fowler|website=The Guardian|date=13 September 2021|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/13/labor-mp-says-party-must-improve-ethnic-diversity-after-kristina-keneally-parachuted-into-fowler|first=Sarah|last=Martin|access-date=15 March 2025|archive-date=27 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211027235013/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/13/labor-mp-says-party-must-improve-ethnic-diversity-after-kristina-keneally-parachuted-into-fowler|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=Anne Aly says Labor's move to parachute Kristina Keneally into Fowler is a 'huge failure' on diversity|via=The Guardian |date=11 September 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/11/anne-aly-says-labors-move-to-parachute-kristina-keneally-into-fowler-is-a-huge-failure-on-diversity |author=Australian Associated Press |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127102418/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/sep/11/anne-aly-says-labors-move-to-parachute-kristina-keneally-into-fowler-is-a-huge-failure-on-diversity |archive-date=27 January 2025 |access-date=14 March 2025}}

Independent Dai Le, herself a Vietnamese refugee, was able to capitalise on the controversy and defeated Keneally in one of only two Labor losses at the 2022 federal election. After the defeat, the Cabramatta branch of the Labor party, called for the expulsion of Tu Le for her public criticism of the party and undermining their election campaign.{{cite news |last1=Knott |first1=Matthew |title=Local anger lingers after Kristina Keneally defeat |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/local-anger-lingers-after-kristina-keneally-defeat-20220705-p5az67.html |access-date=14 March 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=6 July 2022 |archive-date=1 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201231922/https://www.smh.com.au/national/local-anger-lingers-after-kristina-keneally-defeat-20220705-p5az67.html |url-status=live }}{{cite news |work=ABC News |first=Antony |last=Green |author-link=Antony Green |title=Cabramatta - NSW Election 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240919062354/https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/nsw/2023/guide/cabr?future=true |url-status=live |archive-date=19 September 2024 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/nsw/2023/guide/cabr?future=true |access-date=20 March 2025}}{{cite news |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-25/western-sydney-electorates-return-to-labor-in-2023-election/102145798 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250203081409/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-25/western-sydney-electorates-return-to-labor-in-2023-election/102145798 |url-status=live |archive-date=3 February 2025 |access-date=20 March 2025 |title=How NSW election wins in Western Sydney helped turn state red again |work=ABC News |date=25 March 2023 |first=Maryanne |last=Taouk}}

Le ran for preselection to be the Labor candidate in the 2023 New South Wales state election to replace Nick Lalich, the retiring member for Cabramatta with a promise by the party to not interfere with the local preselection vote. The local branch endorsed Tri Vo, ahead of Le and Kate Hoang, with 39 of 61 votes.{{cite news |last1=Nilsson |first1=Anton |title='Election circus': Keneally's doomed Fowler run still looms large in southwest Sydney |url=https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/03/17/nsw-state-election-fowler-cabramatta-fairfield/ |access-date=15 March 2025 |work=Crikey |date=17 March 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230412072224/https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/03/17/nsw-state-election-fowler-cabramatta-fairfield/ |archive-date=12 April 2023}} Vo went on to win the Cabramatta seat.{{Cite NSW Parliament|id=2271|name=Mr Tri Vo, MP|access-date=20 March 2025}}

In October 2024, Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese visited Cabramatta to announce Le as the Labor candidate for Fowler in the 2025 election. To distinguish herself from the incumbent independent Dai Le, Tu Le said the people of Fowler "deserve a voice in the Labor government", however no reference was made to past political events. Le started campaigning while pregnant and gave birth to her second child in March 2025, just prior to the election.{{cite news |last1=Pike |first1=Elizabeth |title=Fowler Labor challenger Tu Le gives birth ahead of federal election |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/fowler-labor-challenger-tu-le-gives-birth-ahead-of-federal-election/news-story/9dfaf570936b098ab5adcac21beb07a6 |access-date=25 March 2025 |url-status=live |archive-date=25 March 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250325122143/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/fowler-labor-challenger-tu-le-gives-birth-ahead-of-federal-election/news-story/9dfaf570936b098ab5adcac21beb07a6?amp&nk=3e11277bdc1b9ec218ef5d22b0e5f1b3-1742905321 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=21 March 2025}}

Given the possibility of a hung parliament, Le argued her independent opponent may back a Liberal government that has little direct support in the local community. Dai Le argued her opponent lacked experience and the electorate's main concern is the cost of living.{{cite news |last1=Knott |first1=Matthew |title=The feud fuelling one of the tightest battles of the next election |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-feud-fuelling-the-tightest-battle-of-the-next-election-20250221-p5ldzr.html |access-date=15 March 2025 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=25 March 2025 |archive-date=25 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225051036/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-feud-fuelling-the-tightest-battle-of-the-next-election-20250221-p5ldzr.html |url-status=live }} Le's candidacy was unsuccessful, with the independent retaining her seat in parliament.{{cite news |last1=Green |first1=Antony |title=Fowler (Key Seat) Federal Election 2025 Results |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2025/guide/fowl |access-date=15 May 2025 |work=ABC |date=14 May 2025}}

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Category:Living people

Category:People from New South Wales

Category:New South Wales lawyers

Category:Australian people of Vietnamese descent