The Albanese Labor Government has appointed three members to two boards overseeing a national institution and our peak screen body.
- Mr Barrie Cassidy appointed to the Board of Museum of Australian Democracy for a 3-year term.
- The Hon Linda Burney appointed to the Board of Museum of Australian Democracy for a 3-year term.
- Ms Pallavi Sharda reappointed to the Board of Screen Australia for a 3-year term.
Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said the appointments brought a breadth of experience to their respective boards.
"I waited patiently for over a decade to reappoint Barrie and I'm so glad he's now having his second term."
"Linda's story is intrinsically linked with the Australia's Parliament and the story of our democracy, her voice is a welcome addition to the MoAD board.
"I'm also glad Pallavi is returning to the Screen Australia board, her work in the screen industry will be a great help steering the peak body that makes sure Australian stories are seen and heard."
Mr Barrie Cassidy is a retired political journalist and current affairs television presenter. He began his career working at regional newspapers before joining the Melbourne Herald as a court reporter, and in 1979, became a federal political correspondent for radio and television. He was also previously the President of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. In 1986, Mr Cassidy became the personal press secretary, and later, senior political advisor to Prime Minister the Hon Bob Hawke MP. In 1991, he worked as a correspondent for The Australian newspaper in Washington and subsequently worked for the ABC as a European correspondent based in Brussels. When Mr Cassidy returned to Australia he played a pivotal role in the creation of the ABC's Insiders television program, which he hosted from 2001 to 2019. He has also hosted ABC News Breakfast, Offsiders and One Plus One.
The Hon Linda Burney is a proud Wiradjuri woman and the first Aboriginal person elected to the NSW Parliament in 2003. She served for more than 13 years as Member for Canterbury, where she drove crucial policy and reform across an array of high-profile ministerial portfolios including Community Services, Youth, and Women. She served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition for five years before becoming the first Indigenous woman elected to Australia's House of Representatives, winning the Federal seat of Barton in 2016. As Minister for Indigenous Australians at a pivotal point in the nation's history, she was integral in implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and campaigning for the 2023 Voice to Parliament Referendum. Ms Burney is the first First Nations representative to the MoAD board.
Ms Pallavi Sharda is a rare cross-continental screen presence - an actor and storyteller whose career spans five markets: Bollywood, Hollywood, British television, Australian screen and French cinema. At 18, she moved to Mumbai with two suitcases and a dream, becoming the first Indian-Australian woman to lead mainstream Bollywood films. She has gone on to become one of the most versatile South Asian actors working globally today, with credits including the Oscar-nominated Lion, Warner Bros' Tom & Jerry, British series Beecham House, the award-winning The Twelve, and starring in Netflix's hit rom-com Wedding Season. Born and raised in Australia to Indian parents, Pallavi is a classical Bharatanatyam dancer and a distinguished alumna of the University of Melbourne (LLB, BA Media & Communications, Diploma in Modern Languages). She is founder of Bodhini Studios, driven by a passion for unearthing the untold stories of the diaspora and bringing them to global audiences. Ms Sharda was first appointed to the Screen Australia board in July 2023.
