About Michael
Born in Wagga and raised on family properties at Marrar and Brucedale, Michael became the youngest editor of a daily newspaper in Australia when he took the helm of Wagga's Daily Advertiser at the age of 27.
Although he won numerous writing awards and scholarships at the Advertiser, Michael is proudest of the role he played as a community advocate during his time at the paper. In 1997 he spearheaded the movement to save the RAAF base at Wagga which resulted in the retention and expansion of the base.
Michael has a long history of community service with groups such as Rotary and school P&F Associations. A keen sportsman, Michael's interests include cricket, Aussie Rules, Rugby League, basketball and hockey. He is also a racing enthusiast, and was director of the Murrumbidgee Turf Club from 1994 to 2003.
Before becoming the The Nationals Federal Member for Riverina Michael had a small publishing and media business in Wagga, where he lives with wife Catherine and their three children.
Michael was elected as the Federal Member for Riverina at the 2010 election.
He is an honorary member of the Officer's Mess at ARTC Kapooka.
MICHAEL MCCORMACK WILL ACT ON THE ISSUES THAT MATTER TO YOU
Standing up for local people, local issues
MY MOTTO has long been "I promise not to be silent when I ought to speak" and while it has created controversy at times I firmly believe in telling it as it is.
As editor of The Daily Advertiser for more than a decade I campaigned enthusiastically about issues affecting rural and regional Australia in general and the Riverina in particular.
It was my spirited lobbying when Wagga's RAAF Base was earmarked for closure in April 1997 which led to the formation of the Save Our Base Task Force, a committee which ultimately, when taken over by Kay Hull MP, led to not only the retention of the facility but indeed its expansion.
As an editor, I won both the 1993 Patrick Hegarty Scholarship of the peak newspaper industry body in the Southern Hemisphere, the Pacific Area Newspaper Publishers' Association, a Harry Brittain Memorial Fellowship from the Commonwealth Press Union in 1994 as well as several writing awards.
It was, however, my persistent and forthright defence of the rights of country communities, local people and local issues of which I am most proud of my time as editor.