Michael O'Brien (Victorian politician)

The Honourable Michael O’Brien MLA
Victorian Minister for Energy & Resources Minister for Consumer Affairs Minister for Gaming
Incumbent
Assumed office 2 December 2010
Premier	Ted Baillieu
Preceded by	Tony Robinson
Member of the Victorian Parliament for Malvern
Incumbent
Assumed office 2006
Preceded by	Robert Doyle
Personal details
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Spouse(s)	Michelle O'Brien
Children	2
Profession	Barrister

Michael O’Brien is the member for Malvern in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of Victoria and is the Minister for Energy and Resources, the Minister for Gaming and the Minister for Consumer Affairs in the State Government of Victoria. He was first elected at the 2006 state election where he replaced former Liberal leader Robert Doyle, who did not recontest the election following his resignation as Leader of the Opposition. O'Brien was re-elected with an increased majority at the 2010 state election. He is a member of the Liberal Party of Australia.

Education

O'Brien underwent secondary education at Marcellin College before completing a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne. He worked as a barrister at the Victorian Bar practising in the fields of trade practices and commercial law. With co-author Jamie Richardson, O'Brien won the Law Institute of Victoria's Rogers Legal Writing Award in 2006.^[1] While at the Bar he also lectured part time in trade practices at the Leo Cussen Institute of Continuing Legal Education and performed pro bono work.

Political career

O'Brien served as a senior adviser to the former Federal Treasurer Peter Costello for five years.^[2]

He stood for the Liberal Party of Australia in the blue-ribbon seat of Malvern at the 2006 state election, winning with over 60 per cent of second-preference votes.^[3]

On 6 December 2006, he was appointed to the Shadow Cabinet by the State Opposition leader, Ted Baillieu, to the position of Shadow Minister for Gaming.^[4] He was one of three newly elected Liberal MPs who were immediately promoted to Shadow Cabinet following the 2006 election, the others being Mary Wooldridge and Matthew Guy.^[4]

In August 2007, he was promoted to Shadow Minister for Consumer Affairs—taking over from Wendy Lovell—in addition to his responsibilities for gaming.^{[citation needed]} In April 2009, he called for the Brumby Government to change company share laws so that apartment owners could take consumer cases to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, instead of having to go the Supreme Court.^[5]

In November 2009, O'Brien was promoted in a shadow cabinet reshuffle. He had been tipped to gain a "senior portfolio" but ended up in charge of three separate economic portfolios: infrastructure and public-private partnerships; energy and resources; and exports and trade.^[6] He told a local newspaper that he was "delighted with the changes" and was looking forward to "developing a better alternative to Labor's poor performance [in energy security and improved infrastructure]".^[7] He retained the gaming and consumer affairs portfolios.

Following the election of the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition at the 2010 state election, O'Brien was sworn in on 2 December 2010 as Minister for Energy and Resources, Minister for Gaming and Minister for Consumer Affairs.^[8]

In 2011 the Victorian Government proposed changing the Gaming Regulation Act to make it an offence to insult O'Brien. The Opposition responded by calling him "Windscreens O'Brien - because this proves he's got a glass jaw".^[9]

Personal life

O'Brien barracks for the Carlton Football Club in the Australian Football League and is a co-founder of the Spring Street Blues, a Victorian MP supporter group for Carlton.^[10]

Notes

1. ^ Law Institute of Victoria website.
2. ^ Malvern Prahran Leader, October 7, 2009.
3. ^ Malvern Prahran Leader, November 29, 2006.
4. ^ ^{a b} Main source is The Age, December 7, 2006. Brief mention in the Herald Sun, December 7, 2006. "Three new MPs—Mary Wooldridge, Michael O'Brien and Matthew Guy—have picked up frontbench positions. Both Ms Wooldridge and Mr O'Brien are being touted as potential future state leaders."
5. ^ Sunday Herald Sun, March 29, 2009. "Under the company share system... if an [apartment owner] does not agree with [a decision by the board of management], they must take legal action in the Supreme Court. [...] Mr O'Brien said it was time laws were changed to prevent neighbourly fights clogging up court time, especially when there was a tribunal to deal with such disputes."
6. ^ The Age, November 6, 2009. Quote taken from an article in the Herald Sun, October 21, 2009.
7. ^ Malvern Prahran Leader, November 25, 2009.
8. ^ ABC online, December 02, 2010.
9. ^ http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/surely-this-is-a-joke/story-fn7x8me2-1226167552466
10. ^ Carlton Football Club website.

References

Bibliography

• O'Brien, Michael (2010-03-25). "New deal for safer society". Geelong Advertiser: p. 23. http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/03/25/158075_opinion.html. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 

News articles

• Austin, Paul (2009-11-06). "Baillieu reshuffles with eye on crime". The Age: p. 4. http://www.theage.com.au/national/baillieu-reshuffles-with-eye-on-crime-20091105-i08b.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
• Drill, Stephen (2009-03-29). "MP backs pooch". Sunday Herald Sun: p. 20. 
• Ker, Peter (2006-12-07). "New boys and girl go straight to top". The Age: p. 8. http://www.theage.com.au/news/vicelection06news/new-boys-and-girl-go-straight-to-top/2006/12/06/1165081019835.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
• Lappin, David (2006-11-29). "Voters reject change". Malvern Prahran Leader: p. 1. 
• McMahon, Stephen (2009-10-21). "Slack Libs face purge; Baillieu's last-ditch bid to win next election". Herald Sun: p. 12. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/opposition-leader-ted-baillieu-to-axe-underperforming-mps-ahead-of-victorian-election/story-e6frf7kx-1225788962729. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
• Ryan, Jon; Bruce-Rosser, Kate; Sheridan, Ainsleigh; Maher, Cassie (2009-10-07). "Local reaction: Costello stands down". Malvern Prahran Leader. http://stonnington-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/costello-to-stand-down/. Retrieved 2010-06-13. 
• Whinnett, Ellen (2006-12-07). "Shadows flit in new deals". Herald Sun: p. 12. 
• Unattributed (2009-11-25). "MP attains new portfolios". Malvern Prahran Leader: p. 9. 

Online resources

• "Law Institute of Victoria; 2006 Legal Award Winners" (PDF 452 KB). Law Institute of Victoria. 2006. http://www.liv.asn.au/PDF/Education-Events/2006PastWinners.aspx. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
• "The Spring Street Blues". Carlton Football Club. 2007. Archived from the original on 2010-06-13. http://www.webcitation.org/5qRYPl7YU. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 

External links

• Liberal Party profile
• Parliamentary Handbook profile

Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by Robert Doyle	Member for Malvern 2006–present	Succeeded by Incumbent

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Name	Obrien, Michael
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