About
About
Aileen MacDonald OAM was elected to the NSW Legislative Council in August 2022, bringing with her a lifetime of service to regional communities and a deep belief in the strength of local people.
Aileen lives in Guyra, where she and her husband Scot raised their three children while running a local agricultural supplies business for more than 20 years. Like many regional families, they balanced long days at work with school commitments, community involvement and the challenges of drought. That experience shaped Aileen’s strong belief in personal responsibility, hard work and backing small businesses as the backbone of our regional economy.
Before entering Parliament, Aileen served as a Community Corrections officer, where she saw firsthand the importance of early intervention and accountability in breaking cycles of disadvantage. She later held senior leadership roles including President of Business New England and President of the Business NSW Regional Advisory Council. In 2018, determined to restore confidence in her community, she founded ‘Renew Armidale’ to bring life back to empty shopfronts and create opportunities for local entrepreneurs.
In Parliament, Aileen serves on Portfolio Committee No. 8 – Customer Service, the Modern Slavery Committee, the Animal Welfare Committee and the Health Care Complaints Commission. She advocates for practical, principled policies that strengthen families, support small business and keep communities safe.
Aileen’s service was recognised with the 2019 Citizen of Guyra Award and the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2020. Looking ahead, she remains focused on building stronger regional economies, supporting the next generation, and ensuring government delivers responsible, common-sense solutions that give every community the opportunity to thrive.
Watch Aileen's inaugural speech
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