Riordan rewarded in reshuffle

MEMBER for Polwarth, Richard Riordan, has been elevated to the shadow ministry following a state Liberal Party leadership spill that saw Mathew Guy returned as opposition leader.

Announced last weekend, Mr Riordan is now the shadow minister for local government and the shadow minister for resources.

It’s an elevation from his previous outer shadow ministry roles of regional Victoria and agriculture, and the first time Mr Riordan’s served in the opposition cabinet.

“As a representative of a large rural electorate these two portfolios are hugely important and will give me the opportunity to better represent the people of Polwarth and the state of Victoria,” he said.

“It has been more than 20 years since serious reform and review of local government has occurred and I know that ratepayers across the state are continually frustrated by a rating system that has not kept up with the times.

Likewise, Mr Riordan’s new portfolio of resources was also an area where he said he could make a difference.

“A strong, sustainable and future driven focus on resource management will ensure Victoria maintains its value adding, community building resilience for future generations,” he said.

“I look forward to working with communities and industry to ensure Victoria has the plans in place to build on its abundant natural resources.”

While Mr Riordan was quiet on the recent leadership challenge, he has been vocal in the past on calls to move away from vanquished head Michael O’Brien.

However, Mr Riordan’s political ally, Western Victoria upper house MP Bev McArthur was less subdued in her support for returned party head Matthew Guy following the spill.

“I supported Matthew’s return to the leadership and, like him, will work every day to remind Victorians of the need for a government that understands that freedom is one of the fundamental traits of a democratic nation,” she said in a statement.

“Matthew’s leadership will remind Victorians that country Victoria matters – our hospitals matter, our roads desperately need repair, our children need to return to the classroom, that masks are not needed in isolated paddocks, borders are for crossing, and that lockdowns have critically damaged regional towns and tourism without need.”

Ms McArthur was subsequently handed a role in the outer ministry as shadow assistant minister for scrutiny of government.

“Scrutiny of government means scrutiny of every decision: it calls for explanation of the burgeoning bureaucracy,” she said.

“Victorians get swamped by the volume of data, reports and statistics coming at them, tsunami-like every day.

“To the best of my ability, I intend to make sense of this information on your behalf – and challenge it where required.”