{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Gordon Rich-Phillips | image = 200px | image_size = | caption = Gordon Rich-Phillips | office = Assistant Treasurer | term_start = 2 December 2010 | term_end = 4 December 2014 | successor = Ministry abolished | office2 = Minister for the Aviation Industry | term_start2 = 2 December 2010 | term_end2 = 4 December 2014 | predecessor2 = inaugural | successor2 = Ministry abolished | office3 = Minister for Technology | term_start3 = 2 December 2010 | term_end3 = 4 December 2014 | predecessor3 = John Lenders | successor3 = Adem Somyurek | office4 = Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for South Eastern Metropolitan Region | parliament4 = Victorian | term_start4 = 25 November 2006 | term_end4 = 26 November 2022 | predecessor4 = | successor4 = | office5 = Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Eumemmerring Province | parliament5 = Victorian | term_start5 = 19 September 1999 | term_end5 = 24 November 2006 | predecessor5 = Ron Wells | successor5 = Seat abolished | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|7|8|df=y}} | birth_place = Dandenong, Victoria, Australia | death_date = | death_place = | party = Liberal Party | alma_mater = Monash University <br /> RMIT University | website = [http://www.rich-phillips.com.au/ Rich-Phillips.com.au] | term_end6 = 26 November 2022 }} '''Gordon Kenneth Rich-Phillips''' (born 8 July 1974) is a former Australian politician. He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council between 1999 and 2022, representing the Eumemmerring Province (1999–2006) and the South Eastern Metropolitan Region (2006–2022).
First elected at the age of 25, he was the youngest person elected to the Legislative Council.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/old-enough-to-drive-how-about-parliament/2006/08/21/1156012474750.html Old enough to drive? How about Parliament?], ''The Age'', 22 August 2006.</ref> He was Assistant Treasurer, Minister for Technology and Minister for the Aviation Industry from 2010 to 2014, serving in the Baillieu and Napthine governments.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/details/148-hon-gordon-rich-phillips | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140812200542/http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/details/148-hon-gordon-rich-phillips | url-status=dead | archive-date=12 August 2014 | title=Gordon Rich-Phillips | publisher=Parliament of Victoria | access-date=4 December 2014}}</ref> He was elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council in December 2014.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/victoria-state-election-2014/matthew-guy-elected-as-leader-of-the-victorian-liberal-party-20141204-11zzzu.html | title=Matthew Guy elected as leader of the Victorian Liberal Party | work=The Age | date=4 December 2014 | access-date=4 December 2014 | author=Gordon, Josh}}</ref>
==Early life and career== Rich-Phillips was educated at Eumemmering Secondary College, where he was school dux. He studied aerospace engineering at RMIT University and Monash University, and subsequently studied business at Monash University. He worked in economic research and analysis before entering politics, and was aviation manager for the Department of State Development at the time of his election. He also holds a commercial pilot's license, and was actively involved in a number of campaigns with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Australia.<ref name="about">{{cite web|title=Gordon Rich-Phillips MLC – About Gordon |url=http://www.rich-phillips.com.au/about_Gordon.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110304180000/http://www.rich-phillips.com.au/about_Gordon.asp |archive-date=4 March 2011 }}</ref>
He was elected to the Legislative Council for Eumemmerring Province at the 1999 state election, succeeding retiring Liberal Ron Wells. He transferred to the new South Eastern Metropolitan Region upon the reorganisation of the Legislative Council in 2002. Rich-Phillips was elected secretary of the parliamentary Liberal Party in 2002, and served as Liberal spokesperson for sport and recreation (2002–2004), Commonwealth Games (2002–2005), and manufacturing and exports (2004–2005). He was promoted to shadow cabinet in December 2005, and served as shadow minister for finance, the Transport Accident Commission and Commonwealth Games (2005–2006), finance (2006–2007 and 2008–2009) information technology (2007–2010), community development (2008–2010), and assistant shadow treasurer, shadow minister for the aviation industry and shadow minister for federal/state relations (2009–2010).
Rich-Phillips was appointed Assistant Treasurer, Minister for WorkCover, Minister for the Aviation Industry and Minister for Technology upon the Liberal-National coalition victory at the 2010 state election.<ref name=about/>
In 2014, Rich-Phillips was criticised when as Aviation Industry Minister he oversaw the awarding of a $1m grant to the privately owned Peninsula Aero Club, where he stored his plane and was an active member.<ref> {{Cite web |title=Government grant to aero club raises questions |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/government-grant-to-aero-club-raises-questions-20141008-10rtao.html |access-date=2023-10-11 |website=amp.theage.com.au|date=8 October 2014 }}</ref><ref> {{Cite news |date=2014-10-07 |title=Minister defends million-dollar grant to aero club |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-08/minister-defends-million-dollar-grant-to-aero-club/5797840 |access-date=2023-10-11}}</ref>
On 17 June 2022, Rich-Phillips announced that he would not be recontesting his seat at the 2022 Victorian state election.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lucadou-Wells |first1=Cam |title=Long-serving MP takes flight |url=https://dandenong.starcommunity.com.au/news/2022-06-20/long-serving-mp-takes-flight/ |website=Star Journal |date=19 June 2022 |access-date=21 June 2022}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://vic.liberal.org.au/People/OurTeam.aspx.aspx?id=GordonRich-Phillips Liberal Party biography]
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-vic-lc}} {{s-bef|before=Inaugural}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for South Eastern Metropolitan Region|years=2006–2022}} {{s-aft|after=Ann-Marie Hermans}} {{succession box | title=Member for Eumemmerring Province | before=Ron Wells | years=1999–2006 | after=Province abolished}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rich-Phillips, Gordon}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council for Eumemmerring Province Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council for South Eastern Metropolitan Region Category:Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology alumni Category:Monash University alumni Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:People from Dandenong Category:Assistant treasurers of Victoria