Alumni profile

Bronwyn Halfpenny MP is the Member for Thomastown in the Victorian Legislative Assembly. 

She holds a Bachelor of Economics from La Trobe University, and is a member of the Class of 1987.

Bronwyn was the first in her family to go to university, and was influenced to study economics at La Trobe as she didn't believe in the right-wing ideology of economics.

“I thought I should learn it so I could argue against [right-wing ideology]," she said.

"There were some progressive lecturers and tutors that allowed people to think a bit freer.

"I think it also encouraged at that time to actually have an open-mind and be able to look at any sort of situation and to try to find a solution to any problem."

While she was at the University, Bronwyn notes that there was a lot of activism taking place. 

"There was a lot of good things happening, whether it was human rights issues or campaigns to make change happen. That was a very good part of university," she said. 

“[I] certainly made a lot of good friends at the time."

Business and commerce

Last updated: 10th May 2019