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Simon John Birmingham (born 14 June 1974) is an Australian former politician who was as a senator for South Australia from 2007 to 2025. He held various ministerial positions in the Abbott, Turnbull, and Morrison governments from 2014 to 2022.
In 2020, Birmingham was sworn in as Minister for Finance and became leader of the Government in the Senate following the resignation of Mathias Cormann. After the Liberal–National Coalition's loss at the 2022 election, Birmingham became the leader of the opposition in the Senate, as well as becoming Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs in the shadow ministry of Peter Dutton.
Birmingham was named South Australia's Lions Club Youth of the Year in 1992 and awarded the Town of Gawler's Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year Award in 1993. He commenced studying an economics degree, but left his course to work for Senator Robert Hill. He later returned to study and completed a Master of Business Administration from the Adelaide Graduate School of Business, University of Adelaide.
He began his career working as an electorate officer for Senator Robert Hill. In 1997 Birmingham moved from federal to state politics, working as a ministerial advisor to Joan Hall.
Early in 2000 Birmingham moved to Canberra to become the national manager of public affairs for the Australian Hotels Association. In late 2001, Birmingham was appointed chief of staff to the South Australian state minister for tourism and innovation, Martin Hamilton-Smith. Following a change of government in 2002, Birmingham began work with the Winemakers' Federation of Australia where he remained until his appointment to the Senate in 2007.
After an unsuccessful attempt to fill the vacancy created by Robert Hill's retirement from the Senate in 2006, Birmingham won Liberal Party preselection as a Senate candidate in 2007 federal election and was elected for a six-year term. However, he entered the Senate earlier, being appointed to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Jeannie Ferris. At the time of his appointment on 3 May 2007, Birmingham was the youngest member of the Australian Senate. He is identified with the moderate wing of the Liberal Party.
Birmingham served on Senate Environment, Communications, and Arts Committees from May 2007 to February 2010, the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network as well as the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties from 2007 to September 2012. He was also the Chair of the Senate Environment and Communications References Committee (from September 2012), the Deputy Chair of the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee (from September 2012), a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters (from February 2008) and a member of the Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network (from March 2011).
Birmingham is also deputy chair of the Parliamentary Association for UNICEF. Birmingham has a keen interest in water issues including the health and future of the Murray Darling Basin, and in December 2008 introduced a Private Member's Bill, Water Amendment (Saving the Goulburn and Murray Rivers) Bill 2008. In December 2009 Birmingham was appointed to the Coalition frontbench as Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action. After the 2010 election he was re-appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Murray Darling Basin and appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment. He also represented the Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband, Hon Malcolm Turnbull, in the Senate.
In December 2023, he travelled to Israel following the October 7 attacks. His travel and hospitality were funded by AIJAC. He also opposes Australia's vote in favour of United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/22 calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during Gaza war and called it "woefully inadequate" and "weak and appalling”.
In November 2024, Birmingham announced his intention to retire and resign from the Senate. His Senate term was not due to expire until 2028. He officially resigned on 28 January 2025.
On 30 October 2020, Birmingham was appointed as Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Finance.
In August 2025, Birmingham left his job at ANZ and joined the Australian Banking Association, succeeding Anna Bligh as chief executive officer.
In a 2013 survey of Australian federal politics, Birmingham was one of only four MPs and senators to publicly identify as atheist.
Birmingham supports the Adelaide Crows in the Australian Football League.
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