{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Matt Bach | honorific_suffix = MLC | image = Matthew_Bach.png | office1 = Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the Victorian Legislative Council | term_start1 = 8 December 2022 | term_end1 = 31 August 2023 | leader1 = Georgie Crozier | predecessor1 = Georgie Crozier | successor1 = Evan Mulholland | office2 = Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for North-Eastern Metropolitan | term_start2 = 5 March 2020 | term_end2 = 7 December 2023 | predecessor2 = Mary Wooldridge | successor2 = Richard Welch | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1983|3|31|df=y}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Australia | death_date = | death_place = | party = Liberal Party | occupation = Politician, Teacher, Historian | website = https://www.matthewbach.com.au/ | spouse = }}
'''Matthew Donald Andrew Bach''' (born 31 March 1983)<ref>{{cite Hansard |title=Members Dr Bach Inaugural speech |page=1154-1157 |url=https://hansard.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Council_2020/Legislative_Council_2020-03-18.pdf |speaker=Dr Bach (Eastern Metropolitan) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211085453/https://hansard.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Council_2020/Legislative_Council_2020-03-18.pdf |jurisdiction=Victoria |publisher=Victorian Government Printer |date=18 March 2020 |house=Legislative Council |hansard=Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live |access-date=4 February 2021}}</ref> is an Australian teacher, historian, and former politician. He served as a Liberal Member of the Victorian Parliament from 2020 to 2023, representing the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region in the Legislative Council. Bach also served as Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, and as a frontbencher in the Shadow Cabinets of Michael O'Brien, Matthew Guy, and John Pesutto.
In 2023, Bach retired from politics to resume his teaching career in the United Kingdom, where he will be teaching at Brighton College.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/victorian-liberal-mp-matt-bach-quits-parliament-to-become-teacher-in-uk/video/0a72fd4bc3fc7c9c1d0c8de592e2881b |title=Victorian Liberal MP Matt Bach quits parliament to become teacher in UK |date=2023-12-08 |last=December 09 |last2=2023 - 9:11am |language=en |access-date=2024-04-10 |via=www.skynews.com.au}}</ref>
== Personal life ==
Bach was born in Melbourne in 1983 and spent the beginning of his life in the foster care system before his adoption.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bach |first1=Matthew |title=Child protection needs radical rethink |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/child-protection-needs-radical-rethink-20210510-p57qdl.html |url-access=registration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211073614/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/child-protection-needs-radical-rethink-20210510-p57qdl.html |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live |website=The Age |access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref> He attended Melbourne Grammar School, graduating in 2001.
Bach attended the University of Melbourne and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts. He also holds a Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning from Charles Darwin University. In 2018, he was awarded a PhD in History from the University of Melbourne. Bach's research explored the existence of a criminal class in Victorian London and the effectiveness of measures to counter it.<ref>{{cite web |title=Matthew Bach PhD Completion Seminar |url=https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/school-of-historical-and-philosophical-studies/news-and-events/past-news/phd-completion-seminar-matthew-bach,-combating-recidivist-crime-in-london-the-origins-and-effectiveness-of-legislation-against-habitual-criminals,-1869-to-1895 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230110013200/https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/school-of-historical-and-philosophical-studies/news-and-events/past-news/phd-completion-seminar-matthew-bach,-combating-recidivist-crime-in-london-the-origins-and-effectiveness-of-legislation-against-habitual-criminals,-1869-to-1895 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 January 2023 |publisher=University of Melbourne}}</ref> In 2020, Bach published a book based on his doctoral thesis.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/combating-londons-criminal-class-9781350156210/ |date=6 August 2020|title=Combating London's Criminal Class |isbn=9781350156210 |edition=1st |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231211084100/https://www.bloomsbury.com/au/combating-londons-criminal-class-9781350156210/ |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live |first=Matthew |last=Bach |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |series=History of Crime, Deviance and Punishment}}</ref>
After graduating, Bach worked as a schoolteacher in the United Kingdom and as a Ministerial Advisor to Mary Wooldridge when she was the Minister for Community Services, Mental Health, and Women's Affairs in the Baillieu Government.<ref name="HSLiberal">{{cite news|last=Preiss|first=Benjamin|date=29 February 2020|title=High school leader takes plum Liberal seat|newspaper=The Age|url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/high-school-leader-takes-plum-liberal-seat-20200229-p545n7.html |url-access=registration |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211073824/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/high-school-leader-takes-plum-liberal-seat-20200229-p545n7.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Bach then worked as a senior leader, staff board representative and teacher of History and Politics at Carey Baptist Grammar School. He was later the Deputy Principal and Head of the Senior School at Ivanhoe Girls' Grammar School, where he taught English and History.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}
Bach campaigned for the Conservative Party in the 2010 United Kingdom general election; in his candidacy for the Eastern Metropolitan Region, he cited his experience campaigning in the United Kingdom and his success in winning back seats from opposition while successfully campaigning in marginal seats as a strength in support of his candidacy.<ref name="HSLiberal" />
== Political career ==
Bach won the Liberal Party's nomination to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mary Wooldridge, and was sworn in as Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region in March 2020.<ref>{{cite Parliament of Victoria Member Profile |id=matthew-bach |name=Dr Matthew Donald Andrew Bach |access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref> He served in the Shadow Cabinet under Liberal leaders Michael O'Brien and Matthew Guy across the Child Protection, Youth Justice, Youth Affairs, Higher Education, Early Childhood, and Attorney-General's portfolios.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dr Matthew Bach |url=https://new.parliament.vic.gov.au/members/matthew-bach/ |publisher=Parliament of Victoria |access-date=10 January 2023}}</ref> In the lead up to the 2022 election, Bach also served as the Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure and was a vocal opponent of the Andrews Government's Suburban Rail Loop, citing inadequate planning and significant cost overruns.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sciberras |first1=Alannah |title=Head-to-head: Transport Infrastructure Minister and Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure Victorian Election debate |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-election-2022-headtohead-transport-infrastructure-minister-and-shadow-minister-for-transport-infrastructure-debate/c62b607f-0234-40ef-8f73-c6cce33e0b6d |access-date=10 January 2023 |publisher=9 News |date=14 November 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211090621/https://www.9news.com.au/national/victoria-election-2022-headtohead-transport-infrastructure-minister-and-shadow-minister-for-transport-infrastructure-debate/c62b607f-0234-40ef-8f73-c6cce33e0b6d |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
Following a redistribution at the 2022 election, Bach was re-elected to Parliament as Member for North-Eastern Metropolitan Region. In December 2022, following the election of John Pesutto to the leadership of the Liberal Party, Bach was elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in the Legislative Council and was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Child Protection.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCubbing |first1=Gus |title=Pesutto appoints three MPs in their 30s to shadow cabinet |url=https://www.afr.com/politics/davis-dumped-as-pesutto-unveils-new-shadow-cabinet-20221218-p5c78i |access-date=10 January 2023 |publisher=Australian Financial Review |date=18 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211085208/https://www.afr.com/politics/davis-dumped-as-pesutto-unveils-new-shadow-cabinet-20221218-p5c78i |archive-date=11 December 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
In August 2023, Bach resigned from his leadership positions and announced his intention to retire from politics and resume his career as a teacher in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eddie |first1=Rachel |first2=Annika |last2=Smethurst |title=Pesutto ally Matt Bach quits Liberal shadow ministry, will leave parliament |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/pesutto-ally-matt-bach-quits-liberal-shadow-ministry-20230831-p5e14g.html |author2-link=Annika Smethurst |url-access=registration |work=The Age |access-date=8 September 2023 |archive-date=11 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231211083116/https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/pesutto-ally-matt-bach-quits-liberal-shadow-ministry-20230831-p5e14g.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Bach resigned from his seat in Parliament in December 2023, and was succeeded by Richard Welch.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baxendale |first1=Rachel |title=Businessman Richard Welch wins preselection to replace Matt Bach |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/businessman-richard-welch-wins-preselection-to-replace-matt-bach/news-story/bb7c0ff1adb3c0cd24733369833ff4d6 |website=The Australian |access-date=18 December 2023}}</ref>
During his time in parliament, Bach was considered to be an ally of John Pesutto,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Eddie |first1=Rachel |last2=Smethurst |first2=Annika |title=Pesutto ally Matt Bach quits Liberal shadow ministry, will leave parliament |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/pesutto-ally-matt-bach-quits-liberal-shadow-ministry-20230831-p5e14g.html |website=The Age |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Eddie |first1=Rachel |last2=Smethurst |first2=Annika |last3=Carmody |first3=Broede |title=Former MP who defied vaccine mandate joins Liberal preselection race |url=https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/former-mp-who-defied-vaccine-mandate-joins-liberal-preselection-race-20230913-p5e48p.html |website=The Age |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref> as well as holding moderate political positions in relation to his Liberal colleagues.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |title=Liberals need to reconsider negative gearing and housing policies, outgoing Victorian MP Matt Bach says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/dec/09/liberal-party-negative-gearing-housing-policy |website=The Guardian |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kolovos |first1=Benita |title=Where now for Victorian Liberals after 'massive loss' of Matt Bach? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/sep/01/matt-bach-quits-resigns-liberals-victoria |website=The Guardian |access-date=13 February 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{VicCurrentMLCs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bach, Matthew}} Category:Living people Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:1983 births Category:Schoolteachers from Victoria (state) Category:University of Melbourne alumni Category:Charles Darwin University alumni