Gordon Rich-Phillips

Gordon Kenneth Rich-Phillips (born 8 July 1974) is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council between 1999 and 2022, representing the Eumemmerring Province (1999–2006) and the South Eastern Metropolitan Region (2006–2022).

The Honourable
Gordon Rich-Phillips
MLC
Gordon Rich-Phillips
Assistant Treasurer
In office
2 December 2010 – 4 December 2014
Succeeded byMinistry abolished
Minister for the Aviation Industry
In office
2 December 2010 – 4 December 2014
Preceded byinaugural
Succeeded byMinistry abolished
Minister for Technology
In office
2 December 2010 – 4 December 2014
Preceded byJohn Lenders
Succeeded byAdem Somyurek
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for South Eastern Metropolitan Region
In office
25 November 2006 – 26 November 2022
Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Eumemmerring Province
In office
19 September 1999 – 24 November 2006
Preceded byRon Wells
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born (1974-07-08) 8 July 1974
Dandenong, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLiberal Party
Alma materMonash University
RMIT University
WebsiteRich-Phillips.com.au

First elected at the age of 25, he was the youngest person elected to the Legislative Council.[1] He was Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Technology and Minister for the Aviation Industry from 2010 to 2014, serving in the Baillieu and Napthine governments.[2] He was elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council in December 2014.[3]

Early life and career

Rich-Phillips was educated at Eumemmering Secondary College, where he was school dux. He studied aerospace engineering at RMIT University and Monash University, and subsequently studied business at Monash University. He worked in economic research and analysis before entering politics, and was aviation manager for the Department of State Development at the time of his election. He also holds a commercial pilot's license, and was actively involved in a number of campaigns with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia.[4]

He was elected to the Legislative Council for Eumemmerring Province at the 1999 state election, succeeding retiring Liberal Ron Wells. He transferred to the new South Eastern Metropolitan Region upon the reorganisation of the Legislative Council in 2002. Rich-Phillips was elected secretary of the parliamentary Liberal Party in 2002, and served as Liberal spokesperson for sport and recreation (2002–2004), Commonwealth Games (2002–2005), and manufacturing and exports (2004–2005). He was promoted to shadow cabinet in December 2005, and served as shadow minister for finance, the Transport Accident Commission and Commonwealth Games (2005–2006), finance (2006–2007 and 2008–2009) information technology (2007–2010), community development (2008–2010), and assistant shadow treasurer, shadow minister for the aviation industry and shadow minister for federal/state relations (2009–2010).

Rich-Phillips was appointed Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkCover, Minister for the Aviation Industry and Minister for Technology upon the Liberal-National coalition victory at the 2010 state election.[4]

In 2014, Rich-Phillips was criticised when as Aviation Industry Minister he oversaw the awarding of a $1m grant to the privately owned Peninsula Aero Club, where he stored his plane and was an active member.[5][6]

On 17 June 2022, Rich-Phillips announced that he would not be recontesting his seat at the 2022 Victorian state election.[7]

References
  1. Old enough to drive? How about Parliament?, The Age, 22 August 2006.
  2. "Gordon Rich-Phillips". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  3. Gordon, Josh (4 December 2014). "Matthew Guy elected as leader of the Victorian Liberal Party". The Age. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
  4. "Gordon Rich-Phillips MLC – About Gordon". Archived from the original on 4 March 2011.
  5. "Government grant to aero club raises questions". amp.theage.com.au. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  6. "Minister defends million-dollar grant to aero club". ABC News. 7 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  7. Lucadou-Wells, Cam (19 June 2022). "Long-serving MP takes flight". Star Journal. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
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