Richard Di Natale

Senator
Dr. Richard Di Natale
Leader of the Australian Greens
Assumed office
6 May 2015
Deputy Scott Ludlam
Larissa Waters
Preceded by Christine Milne
Senator for Victoria
Assumed office
1 July 2011
Personal details
Born (1970-06-06) 6 June 1970
Melbourne, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Greens
Spouse(s) Lucy
Children 2
Residence Otway Ranges
Alma mater Monash University
La Trobe University
Profession General practitioner
Public health specialist
Website richard-di-natale.greensmps.org.au

Richard Michael Di Natale (born 6 June 1970) is an Australian Senator and leader of the parliamentary caucus of the Australian Greens. Di Natale was elected to the Australian Senate in the 2010 Australian federal election.[1] A former general practitioner, he was the lead Greens Senate candidate in Victoria in the 2007 federal election but was narrowly defeated, despite achieving a primary vote above 10 percent. Di Natale became federal parliamentary leader of the Australian Greens on 6 May 2015 following the resignation of Christine Milne.[2]

Richard Di Natale speaking at a climate change rally in Geelong in 2014.
Richard Di Natale with Senator Bob Brown in Melbourne during the Australian federal election campaign, 2010.

Early life, education and pre-parliamentary career

Di Natale was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, to Catholic[3] Italian immigrant parents and grew up in Melbourne. He attended Parade College, graduating in 1987, and Monash University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree in 1993.[4] Di Natale later obtained Master of Public Health and Master of Health Science degrees from La Trobe University.[4]

Prior to entering parliament, Di Natale was a general practitioner and public health specialist. Di Natale worked in Aboriginal health in the Northern Territory, on HIV prevention in India and in the drug and alcohol sector.[5]

Political career

In 2004, Di Natale was the Greens' second Senate candidate, behind David Risstrom, who missed out on winning a Senate spot.[6][7]

Di Natale also ran for the position of Lord Mayor of Melbourne in 2004, coming second to the elected John So.[8]

In both 2002 and 2006, Di Natale was narrowly defeated in the seat of Melbourne in the Victorian Legislative Assembly, almost unseating ALP health minister Bronwyn Pike. Richard received 48% of the two-party preferred vote in both elections, missing out on a win.[9][10] Di Natale has acted as health spokesperson for the Greens in Victoria and in 2002 spoke about the Greens' support for harm reduction policies to manage illicit drug use.[11]

In April 2007, Di Natale spoke out about the health implications of climate change,[12] and later that year voiced concerns about terror laws in relation to the then suspect Dr. Mohamed Haneef.[13][14]

Di Natale was nominated as the Australian Greens' lead senate candidate for Victoria for the 2010 federal election. Greens leader Senator Bob Brown described Di Natale as the Greens' "next strongest hope" at this election.[15]

At the 2010 Australian Federal Election held on 21 August 2010, Di Natale won a Senate seat representing Victoria. His term began on 1 July 2011. Upon taking up his seat in the Senate, Di Natale became the Greens' federal spokesperson for health. Di Natale's other portfolios include sport, gambling, youth and multiculturalism.

Di Natale was elected unopposed as parliamentary leader of the Greens party room on 6 May 2015 following the resignation of Christine Milne from the position.[16]

Parliamentary career

At the 2010 federal election, the Australian Greens achieved a shared balance of power in the House of Representatives and the sole balance of power in the Senate. In the Senate, they have been in a shared balance of power position in the outcomes of the 2007 federal election and the 2013 federal election.

Di Natale secured almost $5 billion towards Medicare-funded dentistry, which he described as "laying the foundations for Denticare" – the Greens' policy of universally available Medicare-funded dentistry.

Di Natale campaigned against the Future Fund's holdings in tobacco funds, a campaign that was ultimately successful with the Fund divesting the entirety of its tobacco holdings (approximately AUD $250 million) in 2012.[17]

Di Natale has also achieved Senate inquiries into many issues of public significance such as budget cuts, medicinal cannabis, the emergence of "superbugs",[18] hospital funding,[19] air pollution,[20] pharmaceutical transparency,[21] sports science[22] and gambling reform.[23] Di Natale conducts ongoing campaigns for improved human rights in West Papua,[24] timely access to cost-effective drugs through Australia's Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme,[25] and science-based public health policies in areas such as wind farms[26] and vaccination policy.[27]

Di Natale was the Chair of the Senate Select Committee into the Abbott Government 2014 federal budget budget cuts and Deputy Chair of the Senate Select Committee into health. He is the co-convener of the Parliamentary Friends for Drug Policy and Law Reform, the Parliamentary Friends of West Papua and the Parliamentary Friends of Medicine.

Personal life

Richard, his wife and two young sons live on a working farm in the foothills of Victoria's Otway Ranges.

Growing up in Melbourne, Richard played Australian rules football for the Coburg and Oakleigh Football Clubs in the Victorian Football Association (VFA).[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Jenkins, Melissa (22 August 2010). "First Green Vic Senator, Fielding out". ninemsn. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  2. ↑ Norman, Jane (6 May 2015). "Australian Greens: Richard Di Natale elected new leader after Christine Milne resignation". ABC News. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  3. ↑ Ireland, Judith (14 January 2014). "Time to scrap Lord's Prayer in Parliament: Greens". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. 1 2 "Senator Richard Di Natale". Parliament of Australia. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 Di Natale, Richard (18 March 2015). "About Richard Di Natale". greensmps.org.au. The Australian Greens party. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  6. ↑ "2004 Election Results" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. 2004. Retrieved November 2007.
  7. ↑ Doherty, Ben (22 November 2007). "A natural Labor man – but he's not". The Age. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  8. ↑ "Melbourne Result 2004". Victorian Electoral Commission. 2004. Archived from the original on 6 September 2006.
  9. ↑ "State Results". Victorian Electoral Commission. 2007. Retrieved 2007.
  10. ↑ "Seat of many faces, many landmarks". The Age. Faifax. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  11. ↑ "Greens offer heroin in rehab plan". The Age. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  12. ↑ Nader, Carol (28 April 2007). "Health costs of global warming". The Age. Retrieved 9 August 2008.
  13. ↑ "Rally calls for terror laws to be repealed". Age. 4 August 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  14. ↑ "Rallies call for terror law overhaul". Sunday Times. Perth. 4 August 2007. Retrieved 11 July 2008.
  15. ↑ Nader, Carol (19 July 2010). "A challenging relationship for the Greens, whoever wins". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 6 August 2010.
  16. ↑ Norman, Jane (6 May 2015). "Australian Greens: Richard Di Natale elected new leader after Christine Milne resignation". ABC News. Retrieved 6 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "Future Fund drops tobacco investment". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  18. ↑ "Progress in the implementation of the recommendations of the 1999 Joint Expert Technical Advisory Committee on Antibiotic Resistance – Parliament of Australia". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  19. ↑ "Senate Committees – Parliament of Australia". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  20. ↑ "Impacts on health of air quality in Australia – Parliament of Australia". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  21. ↑ "Therapeutic Goods Amendment (Pharmaceutical Transparency) Bill 2013 – Parliament of Australia". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  22. ↑ "Practice of sports science in Australia – Parliament of Australia". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  23. ↑ "Senate Committees – Parliament of Australia". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  24. ↑ "West Papua | Richard Di Natale". richard-di-natale.greensmps.org.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  25. ↑ "Search | Richard Di Natale". richard-di-natale.greensmps.org.au. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  26. ↑ "YouTube – Richard Di Natale – Wind farms, health and science". YouTube. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  27. ↑ "YouTube – Senator Richard Di Natale – The Australian Vaccination Network". YouTube. Retrieved 9 February 2014.

External links

Party political offices
Preceded by
Christine Milne		 Federal Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens
2015–present 		Incumbent
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