Victor Dominello
Encyclopedia
Victor Michael Dominello MP (born 30 July 1967 in Ryde
, New South Wales
), an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, representing the electorate of Ryde
for the Liberal Party of Australia
since 2008, and is the Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs since 2011 in the Coalition
state government.
After a career as a solicitor and Local Councillor, Dominello was elected to the Parliament of New South Wales
following a Ryde by-election
triggered by the resignation of his predecessor John Watkins
. The by-election saw Dominello receive one of the largest recorded two-party swings in Australian political history at 23.1 percent. Dominello increased his margin at the 2011 election
.
. Dominello then went on to study law through the Solicitors Admissions Board.
In 1991, Dominello was admitted as a practitioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
and the High Court of Australia
after taking the Solicitor’s Admission Board Examinations. In one of his first cases, Dominello represented applicants in the Maralinga cases, who sought compensation following the findings made by the Royal Commission
into British nuclear tests in Australia
. Dominello successfully obtained an order that the limitation period be significantly extended to enable the applicants’ claims to be maintained.
In 1994, Dominello commenced his employment with Etheringtons Solicitors of North Sydney, and in 2000, became a Partner. In 2000, Dominello also represented applicants in complex proceedings in the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales
, where staff members sought damages against members of Parliament
and the Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
for unfair contract. Following his election to the Parliament of New South Wales in October 2008, Dominello stepped down as partner at Etheringtons.
. While on Council, Dominello was chair of a number of committees including the development committee and had a significant involvement in the establishment of the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre and the development of the Macquarie Business Park. Dominello served two terms, but did not nominate for the 2004 local government elections, citing his desire to concentrate on his legal career, and subsequently let his Liberal membership lapse.
, who was also the local Member for Ryde, resigned from parliament, resulting in the need for a by-election. Dominello, nominated for preselection and won, defeating Ryde Mayor Vic Tagg and several other local party members. As the government was struggling badly in the polls and Ryde had a history as a marginal seat, this made Dominello the overwhelming favourite to win. He duly defeated Labor candidate Nicole Campbell in a landslide, receiving a swing of more than 25 points on the day of the by-election. He was subsequently sworn as a member of the Legislative Assembly in on 25 October 2008.
Dominello was sworn in as a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly on 28 October 2008. Since then, he has spoken in Parliament about a number of local issues including the future of Ryde Hospital, the Homebush V8 Supercar race and the increase to the Parking Space Levy.
Dominello employed his legal expertise in the examination of the Government's covert search powers bill and discovered an omission in a section of the bill relating to the definition of serious offences. As a result, the Opposition was able to have the bill amended in the Legislative Council to reflect the discovery.
Following the electoral victory of the O'Farrell
-Stoner
Liberal-National
coalition at the March 2011 election, Dominello was appointed as Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs.
Ryde, New South Wales
Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Ryde is located 13 km north-west of the Sydney central business district and 8 km east of Parramatta. Ryde is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Ryde and part of the Northern Suburbs area...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
), an Australian politician, is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
, representing the electorate of Ryde
Electoral district of Ryde
Ryde is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It includes the suburbs and localities of Denistone, Denistone East, Denistone West, Macquarie Park, Marsfield, Meadowbank, Melrose Park, Ryde, North Ryde, West Ryde; and part of Eastwood.It is...
for the Liberal Party of Australia
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...
since 2008, and is the Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs since 2011 in the Coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
state government.
After a career as a solicitor and Local Councillor, Dominello was elected to the Parliament of New South Wales
Parliament of New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
following a Ryde by-election
Ryde by-election, 2008
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Ryde on 18 October 2008 to coincide with the Port Macquarie, Lakemba and Cabramatta by-elections. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of sitting member and Deputy Premier John Watkins, who cited exhaustion and...
triggered by the resignation of his predecessor John Watkins
John Watkins (Australian politician)
John Arthur Watkins is a former Deputy Premier of New South Wales, serving between 2005 until his resignation from Parliament in 2008...
. The by-election saw Dominello receive one of the largest recorded two-party swings in Australian political history at 23.1 percent. Dominello increased his margin at the 2011 election
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
.
Early life and career
Dominello was born at Ryde Hospital and was educated at Holy Spirit School, North Ryde, and Marist College EastwoodMarist College Eastwood
Marist College Eastwood is a Catholic male-only high school in Eastwood, New South Wales, Australia.-MCE History:Saint Marcellin Champagnat was a priest who commenced his ministry in Lavalla, a tiny Hamlet in France...
. Dominello then went on to study law through the Solicitors Admissions Board.
In 1991, Dominello was admitted as a practitioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
and the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
after taking the Solicitor’s Admission Board Examinations. In one of his first cases, Dominello represented applicants in the Maralinga cases, who sought compensation following the findings made by the Royal Commission
McClelland Royal Commission
The McClelland Royal Commission or Royal Commission into British nuclear tests in Australia was an inquiry by the Australian government in 1984-1985 to investigate the conduct of the British in its use, with the then Australian government's permission, of Australian territory and soldiers for...
into British nuclear tests in Australia
British nuclear tests at Maralinga
British nuclear tests at Maralinga occurred between 1955 and 1963 at the Maralinga site, part of the Woomera Prohibited Area, in South Australia. A total of seven major nuclear tests were performed, with approximate yields ranging from 1 to 27 kilotons of TNT equivalent...
. Dominello successfully obtained an order that the limitation period be significantly extended to enable the applicants’ claims to be maintained.
In 1994, Dominello commenced his employment with Etheringtons Solicitors of North Sydney, and in 2000, became a Partner. In 2000, Dominello also represented applicants in complex proceedings in the Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales
Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales
The Industrial Relations Commission of New South Wales conciliates and arbitrates industrial disputes, sets conditions of employment and fixes wages and salaries by making industrial awards, approves enterprise agreements and decides claims of unfair dismissal in New South Wales, a state of Australia...
, where staff members sought damages against members of Parliament
Parliament of New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales, located in Parliament House on Macquarie Street, Sydney, is the main legislative body in the Australian state of New South Wales . It is a bicameral parliament elected by the people of the state in general elections. The parliament shares law making powers with...
and the Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly, New South Wales's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is Shelley Hancock, who was elected on 3 May 2011...
for unfair contract. Following his election to the Parliament of New South Wales in October 2008, Dominello stepped down as partner at Etheringtons.
Local government
He joined the Liberal Party in the early 1990s, and in 1995 Dominello was elected as a Councillor for the City of RydeCity of Ryde
The City of Ryde is a Local Government Area in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, on the Lower North Shore and Greater Western Sydney over West Ryde and Eastwood District....
. While on Council, Dominello was chair of a number of committees including the development committee and had a significant involvement in the establishment of the Ryde Aquatic Leisure Centre and the development of the Macquarie Business Park. Dominello served two terms, but did not nominate for the 2004 local government elections, citing his desire to concentrate on his legal career, and subsequently let his Liberal membership lapse.
New South Wales politics
On 3 September 2008, Labor Deputy Premier John WatkinsJohn Watkins (Australian politician)
John Arthur Watkins is a former Deputy Premier of New South Wales, serving between 2005 until his resignation from Parliament in 2008...
, who was also the local Member for Ryde, resigned from parliament, resulting in the need for a by-election. Dominello, nominated for preselection and won, defeating Ryde Mayor Vic Tagg and several other local party members. As the government was struggling badly in the polls and Ryde had a history as a marginal seat, this made Dominello the overwhelming favourite to win. He duly defeated Labor candidate Nicole Campbell in a landslide, receiving a swing of more than 25 points on the day of the by-election. He was subsequently sworn as a member of the Legislative Assembly in on 25 October 2008.
Dominello employed his legal expertise in the examination of the Government's covert search powers bill and discovered an omission in a section of the bill relating to the definition of serious offences. As a result, the Opposition was able to have the bill amended in the Legislative Council to reflect the discovery.
Following the electoral victory of the O'Farrell
Barry O'Farrell
Barry Robert O'Farrell MP, is an Australian politician and is the 43rd Premier of New South Wales, Minister for Western Sydney, Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party and a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Ku-ring-gai for the Liberal Party since 1999.Born in...
-Stoner
Andrew Stoner
Andrew John Stoner is an Australian politician, Deputy Premier of New South Wales and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the seat of Oxley since the 1999 state election, and the Leader of the New South Wales National Party since 31 March 2003...
Liberal-National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
coalition at the March 2011 election, Dominello was appointed as Minister for Citizenship, Communities and Aboriginal Affairs.
External links
- Mr Victor Michael Dominello MP. Parliament of New South Wales
- Etheringtons Solicitors of North Sydney – Victor Dominello
- State Electoral District – Ryde – New South Wales Electoral CommissionNew South Wales Electoral CommissionThe New South Wales Electoral Commission is the agency of the Government of New South Wales with responsibility for the adminisation, organisation, and supervision of elections in New South Wales for state government, local government, industrial and Aboriginal organisations, and registered clubs...
- State Electoral District – Ryde Results 2008 By-election