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Steph Cooke: The Accidental MP Who Wakes at 4:35am to Represent an Area the Size of Switzerland
The Member for Cootamundra on winning a brutal by-election she never expected to win, running 177 towns on 4:35am starts, and why she solves problems 'with people, not for them.'
Read the deep-diveBroken down by topic
Politics
2 min
Why Business Experience Belongs in Politics — Steph Cooke's Case Against Career Politicians
Before parliament, Steph Cooke ran four shops with twenty florists. She argues that real-world experience — including not knowing if you can make payroll — is exactly what politics is missing.
Politics
2 min
The Accidental MP: How Steph Cooke Won a Seat She Never Expected To
Steph Cooke never planned a life in politics. The story of the 2017 Cootamundra by-election — a protest vote, a halved margin, and a win she didn't see coming.
Leadership
2 min
4:35am Every Day: Steph Cooke on Solving Problems *With* People, Not *For* Them
The Member for Cootamundra on her relentless daily routine and the leadership philosophy behind it — why she refuses to swoop in, fix everything, and walk away.