David Southwick

David James Southwick (born 31 March 1968[1]) is an Australian politician, and has been the member for Caulfield in the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2010. In December 2018, Southwick was appointed the Shadow Minister for Police, Shadow Minister for Community Safety, and Shadow Minister for Corrections.[2] He is a member of the Liberal Party.

David Southwick

MP
Member of the Victorian Parliament for Caulfield
Assumed office
27 November 2010
Preceded byHelen Shardey
Personal details
Born (1968-03-31) 31 March 1968
Melbourne
Political partyLiberal Party
ProfessionManaging director, lecturer
Websitedavidsouthwick.com.au

Early life

Southwick was born and raised in Caulfield and completed his high school certificate at Mount Scopus Memorial College. He studied a Bachelor of Business at Victoria University.

Business career

While at university Southwick started his business career including being founding and serving as managing director of The Body Collection. In this business, he employed 50 staff. Southwick has also been the director or managing director of The Market Stars Group, ICE Events Pty Ltd and David James Investments Pty Ltd but currently is neither.

Political career

Southwick was the Liberal candidate for the Division of Melbourne Ports in the 2004 federal election, achieving a swing of almost 2 points against the incumbent MP Michael Danby. In the 2006 state election he was a Liberal candidate for the Southern Metropolitan Region, narrowly missing out on being elected.

He was elected in 2010 as the Member for Caulfield and delivered his first speech on 8 February 2011. He is also Chair of the Parliament's Education and Training Committee and one of the Parliament's inaugural representatives on the board of the Victorian Responsible Gaming Foundation (VRGF).

In November 2012, it was revealed that Southwick had misleading personal information on his website. He claimed to have been an 'Adjunct Professor' at RMIT, and that he had a graduate diploma in marketing from Monash University, despite being several units short. Both universities stated that Southwick had never obtained the qualifications referred to. The information was subsequently removed from his website.[3][4][5] Southwick responded to the claims by saying that 'Adjunct Professor' was a title used to refer to him while undertaking teaching overseas on behalf of the RMIT Graduate School of Business in Hong Kong, when he was an Adjunct Lecturer.[6]

During July 2013, in a first for Victorian members of parliament, Southwick launched David Southwick.TV. The purpose of the website was to provide video updates to Caulfield residents about local events and issues in Victorian politics.[7] At the time Southwick said: "As a fan of technology and emerging new media I have established this website so that local residents can access up to date and engaging video content including what is going on in their own neighbourhood. This content is delivered in a way that the viewer can watch in their own time as if they are part of the action"[7]

Policy positions

Southwick has been critical of the Victorian education department for allowing repeated anti-Semitic bullying following an incident at a school in Melbourne where students and teachers refused to acknowledge Israeli heritage and demanding the students remove their kippah.[8] Southwick has also accused the Victorian Department of education for “systemic failings… that has enabled repeated cases of anti-Semitic bullying to occur” [9]

Southwick has a keen interest in the environment and its long-term future. Focussing on sustainability and open spaces around his electorate.

Southwick is a supporter of reducing Government intervention in people's lives and promotes ideas of smaller government through lowering taxes, household costs, and rates.

In the vote to legalise voluntary assisted dying, which was a conscience vote, Southwick voted against the legislation because of the lack of safeguards it had in its present form. [10]

During the 2018 Victorian state election, Southwick opposed the Safe Schools program claiming that “really young children [are] being exposed to sexual education”. In 2019 Southwick, who is Jewish, voted in parliament against a bill that would allow transgender people to change their gender on their birth certificate. [11]

In 2020, Southwick has led a campaign to ban the Nazi Swastika in Victoria, a symbol of hate which is too often used not only against Jewish people but those of all faiths.

In 2020, he has come out vocally in support of the Liberal policy of Zero to Landfill and Cash for Containers to encourage recycling and then ensure that no landfill is ending up in the environment and rather used as a source of energy to reduce the need for fossil fuels.

In 2020, he has vocally come out against the Government and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that its mismanagement in hotel quarantine caused the death of 800 Victorians, and a second wave which crippled small businesses and mental health. He has pledged to remind Victorians of this until the election in 2022.

References
  1. "Mr David Southwick". Parliament of Victoria. Retrieved 14 December 2010.
  2. "Victorian Coalition announces shadow cabinet of 24, with 10 new faces, led by Matthew Guy". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. Arup, Tom (16 November 2012). "MP sorry for padding his resume". The Age. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  4. "Liberal MP David Southwick defends false qualifications in official biography". Herald Sun. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  5. "Remember the name David Southwick?". 3AW. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
  6. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/liberal-mp-david-southwick-defends-false-qualifications-in-official-biography/story-e6frf7kx-1226517696924
  7. "David Southwick.TV brings politics to the people through new video website". Digital Journal. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. jwire.com.au/antisemitic-bullying-mps-say-enough-is-enough/
  9. https://www.jwire.com.au/antisemitic-bullying-mps-say-enough-is-enough/
  10. "Coalition the 'unrepresentative swill' on VAD | DyingForChoice.com". www.dyingforchoice.com. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  11. "David Southwick". Aleph Melbourne. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
Victorian Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Helen Shardey		 Member for Caulfield
2010–present		 Incumbent
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