Fiona Martin

Fiona Barbouttis Martin (born 16 November 1977) is an Australian psychologist and former politician. She served as the member for Reid from 2019 until her defeat in 2022.

She was the first female member for Reid and chaired the first ever Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Committee in the federal parliament.

On 1 June 2024, Martin announced she would not be renewing her membership of the Liberal Party, citing the party’s treatment of women.

Early years and background
Martin is the daughter of Kathleen and George Barbouttis. Her parents and maternal grandparents were born in Australia, while her paternal grandparents were Greek migrants to Australia from the island of Kastellorizo. Martin grew up in Campsie, Earlwood and Concord West, attending Santa Sabina College in Strathfield and then Rosebank College in Five Dock.

Martin graduated from the University of Sydney with a doctorate in psychology and owned a psychology practice that has rooms in Mosman and Gladesville. Her PhD thesis was titled "Self-understanding in high-functioning males with autism spectrum disorders: relationship with social functioning and theory of mind".

Political career
In mid-March 2019, the then member for Reid, Craig Laundy, announced that he would not be standing at the 2019 election. Early the following month, Martin was nominated for the seat by the Liberal Party, being described as a "captain's pick". She subsequently won the seat at the 2019 federal election. From 2019 to the 2022 Australian federal election, Reid was the federal coalition government's most marginal seat in NSW.

Martin is a member of the Moderate/Modern Liberal faction of the Liberal Party.

On 10 February 2022, Martin crossed the floor with four other Liberal MPs to include protection for transgender students in the government's modifications to the Sex Discrimination Act.

Personal life
Fiona Martin was initially married to Jeremy Martin, with whom she had three children. Martin then married Nicolai Clausen, who was a Danish citizen at the time of their marriage and with whom she has one daughter.

Martin was one of eleven MPs in the 46th Parliament of Australia who possessed a PhD, the others being Katie Allen, Jim Chalmers, Anne Aly, Andrew Leigh, Daniel Mulino, Jess Walsh, Adam Bandt, Mehreen Faruqi, Anne Webster and Helen Haines.