Linda Reynolds is a Senator for Western Australia.
Ms Reynolds has experienced a diverse and distinguished career across 25 years in politics, almost 30 years in the Australian Army and extensive work in private sector. She has worked for Senior Ministers, international organisations and attained the rank of Brigadier in the Army Reserve – the first woman in Australia ever to do so.
In August 2018, Ms Reynolds became the Assistant Minister for Home Affairs under the Morrison government. She was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2011 Australia Day Honours for "outstanding achievement as the Director of Army Strategic Reform Program coordination".
She became the Minister for Defence in 2019 and was on medical leave from February 2021 as reports emerged that a junior staffer had allegedly been raped in 2019 by an advisor to Ms Reynolds in her then Senator's office. Following a federal cabinet reshuffle in March 2021, Ms Reynolds became the Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme. She relinquished her ministerial portfolios in May 2022 following the defeat of the Liberal Party at the federal election, and has decided not to contest for Senate candidacy in the 2025 election and retire from politics in June 2025
