Richard Wynne

The Honourable Richard Wynne MP
Minister for Planning
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 December 2014
Preceded by	Matthew Guy
Minister for Housing Minister for Local Government
In office 29 November 2006 – 2 December 2010
Preceded by	Candy Broad
Succeeded by	Jeanette Powell
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
In office August 2007 – 2 December 2010
Preceded by	Gavin Jennings
Succeeded by	Jeanette Powell
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Richmond
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 September 1999
Preceded by	Demetri Dollis
96th Lord Mayor of Melbourne
In office 1990–1991
Preceded by	William Deveney
Succeeded by	Richard Meldrum
Personal details
Born	6 October 1955 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Occupation	Social worker

Richard William Wynne (born 6 October 1955) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1999, representing the electorate of Richmond. He has been Minister for Planning in the Andrews Ministry since December 2014. He previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Justice (1999-2002), Cabinet Secretary (2002-2006), Minister for Housing (2006-2010), Minister for Local Government (2006-2010) and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (2007-2010) in the Bracks Ministry and Brumby Ministry.^[1] He is a member of the Australian Labor Party and a member of the Socialist Left faction.^[2]

Prior to being elected to Parliament, Wynne was a social worker, an electorate officer and a ministerial adviser to state and federal Labor ministers. He was a councillor for the City of Melbourne 1986–91, including a term as Lord Mayor of Melbourne 1990–91.

Childhood, education and early career

Richard Wynne grew up in the once working class, inner city suburb of North Melbourne. He attended St. Joseph's Christian Brothers College in Queensberry Street, North Melbourne (later known as St. Joseph's College, Melbourne). He completed his Higher School Certificate (HSC) in 1972.

Richard completed a Diploma in Youth Work in 1977 at Coburg State College, a Bachelor of Social Work in 1982 and a Diploma in Criminology in 1985 at the University of Melbourne. Pursuing a career in social justice, Richard Wynne worked as a Social Worker at the Flemington Community Health Centre from 1982–88.

Political career

Melbourne city councillor and Lord Mayor of Melbourne

Richard Wynne was elected to the Melbourne City Council representing North Melbourne wards from 1986–91; and was elected as Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1990–91. During his term as Lord Mayor, he was part of Melbourne's unsuccessful bid for the 1996 Olympic Games (that was won by Atlanta).^[3] A keen sports fan, Wynne oversaw plans to rebuild the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

The Cain and Kirner state labor governments

He served as electorate officer (1988–90) to the Honourable Barry Pullen MLC, state member for Melbourne Province, (in the Cain State Labor government); and as ministerial adviser to Barry Pullen when he was Minister for Housing in the succeeding Kirner Labor government 1990–91. He was an adviser to the Hon. Andrew McCutcheon, MLA for St Kilda (abolished), Victorian Minister for Planning and Housing, from 1991 to 1992. The Kirner Labor government was defeated by the Liberal Party led by Jeff Kennett at the state election of 1992.

Keating federal Labor government

Richard served as senior adviser to Hon. Brian Howe MHR, federal member for Batman, Australian Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services, 1993–96. The Keating federal labor government was defeated by the Liberal Party led by John Howard at the federal general election of 1996. In the years 1996–99 Richard Wynne was a consultant to local councils, preparation for his later career as Minister for Local Government.

State member for Richmond, the Bracks and Brumby state Labor governments

The state member for Richmond (1988–99), Dimitri Dollis, was disendorsed by the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch) in August 1999 after an extended stay out of the country, working with the newly elected Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) government in Greece.^[4] Richard Wynne was preselected for the now vacant seat of Richmond.^[5]

At the September 1999 Victorian State election, the statewide result was decided by three independents who supported the formation of the minority Bracks State Labor Government. Richard Wynne won the then safe Labor seat of Richmond comfortably. Richard Wynne was elected to the sub-cabinet post of Parliamentary Secretary for Justice after the election and served until the state election in 2002. The role assisting the reformist Attorney General Rob Hulls gave Richard the opportunity to push for law reform in the area of Gay and Lesbian Rights (a strong constituency in his inner-city seat).

The Bracks state Labor government was returned in a landslide result in 2002, but the new phenomenon of the Victorian Greens Party scoring strong results in the inner city seats of Melbourne saw Richard Wynne go to preferences in the once safe Labor seat.^[6] Previously Labor candidates in inner city seats would either win in their own right, or be helped over the line against Liberal candidates by (preferentially eliminated) Greens (and other) preferences. Richard was promoted to Cabinet Secretary in the Bracks state Labor government following the 2002 election, which he held until 2006.

At the 2006 Victorian state election, he achieved a better result than in 2002, after contesting the seat against the Greens and other opponents in a hard-fought campaign.

Minister for Housing, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs

Following the successful re-election of the Bracks Labor Government in Victoria in November 2006, Richard Wynne was appointed by the Premier Steve Bracks to the twin roles of Minister for Housing (following in the footsteps of his mentor, Barry Pullen) and Minister for Local Government.

One of Wynne's stated goals as Minister for Housing is to solve the current rent crisis sweeping Australia, as investors turn to booming commodities and share markets for better return over the property market.^[7] In April 2007, Richard Wynne, as Local Government Minister, was central to the development of the groundbreaking Victorian Statewide Relationship Register as part of his ongoing involvement in Gay and Lesbian law reform.

After the unexpected resignation of Premier Steve Bracks and the subsequent appointing of new Premier John Brumby, Wynne was given a third portfolio as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, as well as maintaining his previous roles of Minister for Housing and Minister for Local Government in Premier Brumby's new cabinet.

Other interests

The Victorian Parliament Handbook lists Richard Wynne's interests as 'family and reading'. He is a keen supporter of Australian rules football, fencing and hockey.

References

1. "Hon Richard Wynne". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
2. Austin, Paul (7 February 2006). "Six Victorian MPs facing the boot". The Age. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
3. Transcript of speech by Lord Mayor Wynne to Olympic Selection Committee delegates in 1990
4. Interview Steve Bracks disendorses two MPs, ABC PM Program, 31 August 1999, Mark Willacy
5. Labor brings in two high profile replacements before poll, AAP General News (Australia), 1 September 1999
6. Defeated now, but Senate in the bag, 1 December 2002, Gay Alcorn, The Melbourne Age
7. Super idea to ease rent crisis John Ferguson, Herald Sun, 28 February 2007.

External links

• Richard Wynne MP's local member website
• Richard Wynne's entry in the Victorian Parliament's RE-Member biographical database website
• Richard Wynne's entry on the Victorian Premier & Cabinet website
• Richard Wynne's entry on the ALP Victorian Branch website