HON. STEVE DIMOPOULOS MP
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events
Minister for Creative Industries
Before entering Parliament, Steve ran a local café, worked with refugees and migrant communities in the courts, and worked for a federal politician. He also served as a councillor and Mayor of the City of Monash.
Steve believes that governments can help people create better lives for themselves. This is what prompted him to run for Parliament.
The priorities Steve has for his community are to help create excellent public institutions and services from schools to transport to health care. He believes that these services are vital to address the sharpest end of disadvantage and ensure that everyone has the best chance for a good life.
Steve’s vision for Victoria’s future is that it is a place in which businesses can be successful, where there is more economic activity, employment and wealth for his community. Steve says that governments have the power to create better public infrastructure, policy stability and incentives for business to grow and prosper.
The areas of public policy that he is most passionate about are justice, mental health, a sustainable environment and the economy.
HON. MATTHEW GUY MP
Leader of the Opposition
Matthew Guy is the Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party and Leader of the State Opposition since September 2021.
Previous to this he was the Shadow Minister for Finance, and prior Matthew was the Leader of the Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition from December 2014 to December 2018.
During the Baillieu and Napthine Government’s Matthew held the position as Minister for Planning, from early 2014 adding the responsibility of Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship.
Since 2014 Matthew has been the state member for Bulleen and from 2006 until 2014 represented the Northern Metropolitan Region in Victoria’s Legislative Council.
Prior to politics Matthew held roles with the Australian Securities and Investments Council and the Victorian Farmers Federation; before that he worked for Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett and the Assistant Federal Treasurer Senator Rod Kemp.
Matthew is married to Renae and they have three sons.
HON. DAVID DAVIS MP
Shadow Treasurer
Shadow Minister for Arts and Creative Industries
David Davis is a Member of the Victorian Legislative Council (Upper House) for Southern Metropolitan Region – which consists of the Legislative Assembly Districts of Kew, Hawthorn, Ashwood, Oakleigh, Bentleigh, Sandringham, Brighton, Caulfield, Malvern, Prahran and Albert Park.
From 2010-2014, David served as Minister for Health and Minister for Ageing.
He has also held a broad range of Shadow Ministerial portfolios including: Public Transport, Transport Infrastructure, Planning, Local Government, Manufacturing and Exports, Small Business, Industry and State Development, Major Projects, Environment and Climate Change, Health, Ageing and Scrutiny of Government.
David’s academic background includes a Bachelor of Applied Science, a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma in Arts (Applied Philosophy).
CINDY MCLEISH MP
Shadow Assistant Treasurer
Shadow Minister for Economic Development
Shadow Minister for Regional Recovery
Shadow Minister for Government Services
Shadow Minister for Sport
Shadow Minister for Tourism
Cindy McLeish is the Member for Eildon in the Legislative Assembly.
Prior to being elected to parliament Cindy worked a senior consultant in organisational development specialising in leadership, organisational effectiveness and change management. She worked across many industries including finance, health, mining & construction. She consulted to large national and multinationals, the public sector to smaller and family owned businesses.
Cindy holds an MBA from Melbourne Business school, a Bachelor of Science, and qualifications in Education and Counselling.
She began her working career as a secondary science teacher, then moved into the allied health industry after gaining registration as a psychologist. She was at WorkCover for 10 years and was the CEO of a sporting organisation.
Cindy lives sustainably off-grid on the family cattle farm 1 ½ hours northeast of Melbourne.
Cindy was first elected as the Member for Seymour in 2010, then as the Member for Eildon in 2014 following a re-distribution. She was re-elected in November 2018.
She is the currently the Liberal Party’s Shadow Minister for Tourism and Sport, Regional Recovery and Economic Development and is also the Shadow Assistant Treasurer.
She has previously held shadow portfolio’s of education, major events, environment and climate change and regional cities.
MATTHEW BACH MP
Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure
Shadow Minister for Youth Affairs
Shadow Minister for Child Protection and Youth Justice
Matt entered the Legislative Council in 2020, filling a casual vacancy in the Eastern Metropolitan Region. He has lived, worked, played sport, worshiped, and volunteered in Melbourne’s East for much of his life.
Matt has a long history of involvement with the Liberal Party. He worked as an advisor to Mary Wooldridge in both opposition and government. In the Baillieu Government, Matt was the lead advisor on numerous successful policies and reforms. These included the establishment of schools in youth justice facilities, the implementation of a whole-of-government action plan to prevent violence against women, and a significant reform of child protection to protect vulnerable kids from violence and abuse.
Since his appointment as Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure in February 2022, Matt has worked tirelessly to advocate for better outcomes for commuters and taxpayers when it comes to major transport projects and for greater investment in road and rail infrastructure in regional Victoria.
Prior to entering Parliament, Matt was the Deputy Principal and Head of the Senior School at Ivanhoe Girls’ Grammar School, where he also taught English and History. Prior to this he was a senior leader, Board member, and teacher of History and Politics at Carey Baptist Grammar School.
Matt has a Bachelor of Arts, with Honours in Politics, and a PhD in History from the University of Melbourne, where he has also taught classes in History. Matt lives in the electorate with his wife and two daughters.
SAMANTHA RATNAM MP
Leader of the Victorian Greens
Northern Metropolitan Region
Samantha entered the Victorian Parliament representing the Northern Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council in 2017 and got reelected in the 2018 state election.
As an MP and the Leader of the Victorian Greens, Samantha is a strong advocate for our environment and social justice. She has actively campaigned to save public housing, reduce gambling harm and for stronger action on climate change.
Prior to entering the Victorian Parliament, She was a social worker for over 15 years in the fields of drug and alcohol rehabilitation, international development, family services and in settlement services for newly arrived migrants from refugee backgrounds.
Samantha also spent five years as a Councillor at the City of Moreland, where She was elected the first Greens Mayor of Moreland in 2015.
Samantha holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Social Work with Honours and a PhD in Youth Sociology.
She believes in putting people first and is proud to be part of a party that has never taken money from corporations trying to buy influence – governments should always act in the public good, not in the interests of their corporate mates. She wants our state to be all it can be by investing in world-class public transport, powering Victoria with 100% clean renewable energy, providing homes for everyone, protecting our forests from logging companies and returning essential services like electricity to public hands.
SAM HIBBINS MP
Victorian Greens
Member for Prahran
Spokesperson for LGBTIQ Equality
Spokesperson for Transport
Spokesperson for Major Events
Spokesperson for Youth
Spokesperson for Education
Before entering Parliament, Sam worked in social services and was a local government councillor.
Sam was prompted to run for Parliament because he loves living in Prahran and wanted his community’s progressive values to be represented in state Parliament.
The priorities Sam has for his community are to make sure Prahran remains a great place to live with better transport, housing, schools and services. He also wants to look after people most in need and protect & restore Prahran’s local environment.
Sam’s vision for Victoria’s future is one where we take stronger action on climate change, shift to 100% renewable energy and tackle social justice issues including ending homelessness.
The areas of public policy that he is most passionate about are sustainable transport, social policy and equality.
FIONA PATTEN MP
Leader of The Reason Party
Independent Member for Northern Metropolitan
Fiona Patten is a Member of the Legislative Council for Northern Metropolitan Region in the Victorian Parliament. Leader of the Reason Party, Fiona was first elected in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. Since being elected in 2014, Fiona has garnered respect from all sides of the political divide and has worked tirelessly to deliver legislative reforms that many thought impossible including safe access zones around abortion clinics, the decriminalisation of sex work, drug law reform and Voluntary Assisted Dying. Fiona is now working towards improving Victoria even further and is pushing to legalise and regulate cannabis for adult use, continuing to implement electoral reform, a greater separation between church and state and further reform of the justice system.
SUMEYYA ILANBEY
State Political Reporter
The Age
Sumeyya Ilanbey is a Walkley and Quill award winning state political reporter at The Age and the author of an unauthorised biography of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews.
JOHN MASANAUSKAS
City Editor
The Herald Sun
John Masanauskas has more than 30 years’ experience reporting for major media organisations in Melbourne.
John is currently City Editor of the Herald Sun, and has previously worked for SBS TV on news and current affairs programs, and as a reporter for The Age.
His areas of interest have included inner Melbourne issues, local government, immigration, population growth, transport and infrastructure.
CR NICHOLAS REECE
Acting Lord Mayor
City of Melbourne
Cr Nicholas Reece was elected Deputy Lord Mayor in November 2020, after having been previously elected a Councillor in the City of Melbourne in 2016. Nick is the Planning portfolio lead and the Finance, Governance and Risk portfolio deputy lead.
Nick is the chairman of global men’s health charity Movember. Founded in Melbourne, more than 6 million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas in over 20 countries have joined the Movember movement. For over a decade, Nick was a director for the street newspaper The Big Issue, Australia’s most successful social enterprise for homeless and marginalised people.
Nick is an executive at the University of Melbourne and teaches as a fellow at the Melbourne School of Government.
Nick has worked in both federal and state government as a senior adviser to Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Victorian premiers Steve Bracks and John Brumby. He is a regular columnist for The Age and a commentator for SKY News.
CRAIG ROBERTSON
Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Skills Authority
Craig Robertson commenced as CEO of the Victorian Skills Authority in August 2021. The authority is tasked by the Victorian Government to plan for post school education and training to help the economy recover from the pandemic and build up industry skills and support more Victorians into mainstream participation in work, further education and enterprise.
Prior to this role Craig was the CEO of TAFE Directors Australia from April 2017, representing TAFEs Australia-wide.
In 2015 and 2016 he was Deputy Secretary in the Department of Education and Training in Victoria and prior to that he had over thirty years in various roles in the Commonwealth Government, focused on schools funding, employment services and vocational education and training.
Craig holds an Executive Masters in Public Administration and Bachelor of Education (Primary).
SUE VERCOE
Managing Director, SEC Newgate Research
Sue is regarded as one of Australia’s leading market and social researchers. She has more than 25 years’ experience as a market researcher, research buyer and communications consultant in the corporate, financial, issues and political arenas.
Her core expertise is conducting sensitive community and stakeholder research for organisations facing complex issues and working with clients to identify the most effective ways in which to engage and influence.
Sue’s broad experience includes community sentiment towards major infrastructure projects and on key policy issues, stakeholder reputation research for major corporates and government departments and agencies, testing messages and narrative development, retail shareholder research and facilitating deliberative forums and ‘deep-dives’.
Sue is also a Partner of SEC Newgate Communications. She holds a Bachelor degree in Organisational Communication from Charles Sturt University and a Masters in International Communications from Macquarie University. She is a Qualified Professional Researcher (QPR), a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) and has the IAP2 Certificate of Engagement.
*Speaker lineup subject to change
