Richard Dalla-Riva

Richard Alex Gordon Dalla-Riva (born 6 April 1963) is an Australian former politician. He was a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2002 to 2018, representing East Yarra Province (2002–2006) and Eastern Metropolitan Region (2006–2018).

He served as Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations and Minister for Manufacturing in the Baillieu Ministry from 2010 to 2013, but was dropped in a reshuffle when Denis Napthine replaced Baillieu as Premier.

Early life Dalla-Riva was born in the regional town of Orbost, but grew up in Beechworth, before moving to Melbourne. After graduating from the Macleod High School (now Macleod College), he joined the police force, and was promoted to the rank of detective in 1988. He worked in a number of areas associated with financial crime, including the major fraud and asset recovery squads, and also spent time working for the National Crime Authority.

While still working in the police force, he studied business at the Phillip Institute of Technology (now part of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology). In 1995, after seven years as a detective, Dalla-Riva left the police force, and entered the private sector. He held various managerial roles at Woolworths, before becoming the General Manager for a national food manufacturer. Later, Dalla-Riva became the Group Manager for a large disability service before becoming the State Regional Manager for a US multi-national company. He received an MBA from the University of Southern Queensland in 1998.

As Minister, he has made a series of manufacturing related statements including: a Victorian manufacturing plant signing a contract to produce components for Nissan, the launch of a new TV series to promote Victoria's wine industry in China, a Victorian company securing a new major defence contract.