Dean Smith has been a Liberal Senator for Western Australia since May 2012.

In June 2022, he was appointed to the Coalition's Shadow Economics Team as Shadow Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury.

Dean was previously a member of the Coalition Government's Senate Leadership Team – having been elected Chief Government Whip in the Senate in January 2019.

He grew up in Port Hedland and Perth's northern suburbs and maintains close ties to both.

Dean was awarded the McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership in 2018 by a panel of eminent Australians, including John Howard and Julia Gillard.

Prior to entering the Senate, he held senior executive roles at Insurance Australia Group and SingTel Optus.

Dean brings to his Senate role extensive policy experience, having worked as Policy Adviser to both Western Australian Premier Richard Court and Prime Minister John Howard.

His Parliamentary Committee obligations include Chair of the Senate Scrutiny of Bills Committee and Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the Implementation of the National Redress Scheme.

Dean was previously Chair of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Public Accounts and Audit and the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, among others.

He has also served on the Advisory Board of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the ANU.

In July 2022, he was appointed to the National Archives of Australia Advisory Council.