Richard Dalla-Riva
Encyclopedia
Richard Alex Gordon Dalla-Riva (born 6 April 1963) is an Australia
n politician. He has been a Liberal
member of the Victorian Legislative Council
since November 2002 when he won a by-election to represent East Yarra Province. In 2006, he was elected to represent Eastern Metropolitan Region where he was re-elected in 2010. He is currently Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade. He is married with three children.
Dalla-Riva was born in the regional town of Orbost
, but grew up in Beechworth
, before moving to Melbourne
. After graduating from the Macleod
High School (now Macleod College
), he joined the police force, and was promoted to the rank of detective in 1988. He worked in a number of areas associated with financial crime, including the major fraud and asset recovery squads, and also spent time working for the National Crime Authority.
While still working in the police force, he studied business at the Phillip Institute of Technology (now part of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). In 1995, after seven years as a detective, Dalla-Riva left the police force, and entered the private sector. He held various managerial roles at Woolworths Limited
, before becoming the General Manager for a national food manufacturer. Later, Dalla-Riva became the Group Manager for a large disability service before becoming the State Regional Manager for a US multi-national company . He received an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland
in 1998.
Richard Dalla-Riva has demonstrated a keen interest in community work and is currently involved in the following community organisations: the Essendon Football Club
; Melbourne Cricket Club
; Veneto Club Melbourne; Australia Day Council Victoria Inc. Dalla-Riva is the former Vice President of Kindergarten Parents’ Victoria Inc.
In 2000, Dalla-Riva began to take an active political role, becoming chairman of the Liberal Party's electorate council for East Yarra
Province. His active role was rewarded when he won Liberal pre-selection to contest the seat at the 2002 election. He was elected amidst a major swing against the Liberal Party, with the loss of many seats across the state. Dalla-Riva was appointed Shadow Minister for the corrections portfolio, covering the state's prison
system. In this role, he attacked alleged overcrowding in prisons. In January 2004, Dalla-Riva was given the additional portfolio of scrutiny of government, replacing David Davis
, who had been recently promoted. This saw Dalla-Riva handed the responsibility of investigating government mismanagement and playing a major role in the opposition's attacks on the government.
Mr Dalla-Riva held various roles in the Shadow Cabinet. Since being elected to Parliament in 2002 until the election win 2010, Dalla-Riva held seven shadow ministerial positions. These included: Shadow Minister for Manufacturing and Export December 2005-February 2007. Shadow Minister for Scrutiny of Government, May 2006-February 2007, Shadow Minister for Community Development and Shadow Minister for Innovation August 2007-February 2008, Shadow Minister for Freedom of Information August 2007-November 2009, Shadow Minister for Industry and State Development and Shadow Minister for Major Projects February 2008-December 2010.
Mr Dalla-Riva held various roles in the Shadow Cabinet. Since being elected to Parliament in 2002 until the election win 2010, Dalla-Riva held seven shadow ministerial positions. These included: Shadow Minister for Manufacturing and Export December 2005-February 2007. Shadow Minister for Scrutiny of Government, May 2006-February 2007, Shadow Minister for Community Development and Shadow Minister for Innovation August 2007-February 2008, Shadow Minister for Freedom of Information August 2007-November 2009, Shadow Minister for Industry and State Development and Shadow Minister for Major Projects February 2008-December 2010.
Mr Dalla-Riva was also the Liberal Party's representative on the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) for the period 24 September 2007 - 23 September 2010, a statutory authority with an independent chair and board of governance with vast experience in health, sport, the arts, research and communication, working in partnership with organisations, communities and individuals to promote good health.
During Richard Dalla-Riva’s time in Parliament, he has also provided his services to several parliamentary committees including: the Library Committee, the Law Reform Committee, the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee, the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee and the LC Standing Orders Committee
Since the Coalition’s win in 2010, Mr Dalla-Riva has made several announcements. One public policy announcement made on 2 March 2011 was to assign the Victoria Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) to inquire into how to improve efficiency and growth in Victoria’s manufacturing sector. Another policy announcement on 20 January 2011 concerned the Baillieu Government’s commitment to Victoria’s manufacturing sector industry and its provision of support and development opportunities to reinstate Victoria as the preeminent manufacturing state.
As Minister, he has made a series of manufacturing related statements including: a Victorian manufacturing plant signing a contract to produce components for Nissan, the launch of a new TV series to promote Victoria’s wine industry in China, a Victorian company securing a new major defence contract.
Dalla-Riva was re-appointed in 2007 to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Community Development, Innovation and Freedom of Information. In February 2008, Dalla-Riva was promoted and allocated the positions of Shadow Minister for Industry and State Development, Shadow Minister for Major Projects and Freedom of Information.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He has been a Liberal
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member of the Victorian Legislative Council
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council, is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia; the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit in Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to...
since November 2002 when he won a by-election to represent East Yarra Province. In 2006, he was elected to represent Eastern Metropolitan Region where he was re-elected in 2010. He is currently Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and Minister for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade. He is married with three children.
Dalla-Riva was born in the regional town of Orbost
Orbost, Victoria
Orbost is a town in the Shire of East Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, located east of Melbourne and south of Canberra where the Princes Highway crosses the Snowy River. It is about from the town of Marlo on the coast of Bass Strait. At the 2006 census, Orbost had a population of 2452...
, but grew up in Beechworth
Beechworth, Victoria
Beechworth is a well-preserved historical town located in the north-east of Victoria, Australia, famous for its major growth during the gold rush days of the mid-1850s...
, before moving to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. After graduating from the Macleod
Macleod, Victoria
Macleod is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the cities of Banyule and Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Macleod had a population of 8083...
High School (now Macleod College
Macleod College
Macleod College is a co-educational, Prep to Year Twelve school located on the corner of May and Carwarp Streets, Macleod, Melbourne, Australia. The College grew out of the merger of Macleod High School and Macleod Primary School in 2000...
), he joined the police force, and was promoted to the rank of detective in 1988. He worked in a number of areas associated with financial crime, including the major fraud and asset recovery squads, and also spent time working for the National Crime Authority.
While still working in the police force, he studied business at the Phillip Institute of Technology (now part of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). In 1995, after seven years as a detective, Dalla-Riva left the police force, and entered the private sector. He held various managerial roles at Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited
Woolworths Limited is a major Australian company with extensive retail interest throughout Australia and New Zealand. It is the:* largest retail company in Australia and New Zealand by market capitalisation and sales...
, before becoming the General Manager for a national food manufacturer. Later, Dalla-Riva became the Group Manager for a large disability service before becoming the State Regional Manager for a US multi-national company . He received an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland
University of Southern Queensland
The University of Southern Queensland is based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. The institution was established in 1967 as the Queensland Institute of Technology...
in 1998.
Richard Dalla-Riva has demonstrated a keen interest in community work and is currently involved in the following community organisations: the Essendon Football Club
Essendon Football Club
The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed The Bombers, is an Australian rules football club which plays in the Australian Football League...
; Melbourne Cricket Club
Melbourne Cricket Club
The Melbourne Cricket Club is a sporting club based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1838 and is regarded as the oldest sporting club in Australia....
; Veneto Club Melbourne; Australia Day Council Victoria Inc. Dalla-Riva is the former Vice President of Kindergarten Parents’ Victoria Inc.
In 2000, Dalla-Riva began to take an active political role, becoming chairman of the Liberal Party's electorate council for East Yarra
Yarra
Yarra may refer to:* the Yarra River, a river in southern Victoria on which the city of Melbourne was founded* Yarra Trams, a public transport company specialising in trams in Melbourne, Australia...
Province. His active role was rewarded when he won Liberal pre-selection to contest the seat at the 2002 election. He was elected amidst a major swing against the Liberal Party, with the loss of many seats across the state. Dalla-Riva was appointed Shadow Minister for the corrections portfolio, covering the state's prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
system. In this role, he attacked alleged overcrowding in prisons. In January 2004, Dalla-Riva was given the additional portfolio of scrutiny of government, replacing David Davis
David Davis (Australian politician)
David McLean Davis is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Council since March 1996, representing East Yarra Province 1996-2006 and the Southern Metropolitan Region from 2006 onwards...
, who had been recently promoted. This saw Dalla-Riva handed the responsibility of investigating government mismanagement and playing a major role in the opposition's attacks on the government.
Mr Dalla-Riva held various roles in the Shadow Cabinet. Since being elected to Parliament in 2002 until the election win 2010, Dalla-Riva held seven shadow ministerial positions. These included: Shadow Minister for Manufacturing and Export December 2005-February 2007. Shadow Minister for Scrutiny of Government, May 2006-February 2007, Shadow Minister for Community Development and Shadow Minister for Innovation August 2007-February 2008, Shadow Minister for Freedom of Information August 2007-November 2009, Shadow Minister for Industry and State Development and Shadow Minister for Major Projects February 2008-December 2010.
Mr Dalla-Riva held various roles in the Shadow Cabinet. Since being elected to Parliament in 2002 until the election win 2010, Dalla-Riva held seven shadow ministerial positions. These included: Shadow Minister for Manufacturing and Export December 2005-February 2007. Shadow Minister for Scrutiny of Government, May 2006-February 2007, Shadow Minister for Community Development and Shadow Minister for Innovation August 2007-February 2008, Shadow Minister for Freedom of Information August 2007-November 2009, Shadow Minister for Industry and State Development and Shadow Minister for Major Projects February 2008-December 2010.
Mr Dalla-Riva was also the Liberal Party's representative on the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) for the period 24 September 2007 - 23 September 2010, a statutory authority with an independent chair and board of governance with vast experience in health, sport, the arts, research and communication, working in partnership with organisations, communities and individuals to promote good health.
During Richard Dalla-Riva’s time in Parliament, he has also provided his services to several parliamentary committees including: the Library Committee, the Law Reform Committee, the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee, the Public Accounts and Estimates Committee and the LC Standing Orders Committee
Since the Coalition’s win in 2010, Mr Dalla-Riva has made several announcements. One public policy announcement made on 2 March 2011 was to assign the Victoria Competition and Efficiency Commission (VCEC) to inquire into how to improve efficiency and growth in Victoria’s manufacturing sector. Another policy announcement on 20 January 2011 concerned the Baillieu Government’s commitment to Victoria’s manufacturing sector industry and its provision of support and development opportunities to reinstate Victoria as the preeminent manufacturing state.
As Minister, he has made a series of manufacturing related statements including: a Victorian manufacturing plant signing a contract to produce components for Nissan, the launch of a new TV series to promote Victoria’s wine industry in China, a Victorian company securing a new major defence contract.
Dalla-Riva was re-appointed in 2007 to the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Minister for Community Development, Innovation and Freedom of Information. In February 2008, Dalla-Riva was promoted and allocated the positions of Shadow Minister for Industry and State Development, Shadow Minister for Major Projects and Freedom of Information.