Ross Vasta
Encyclopedia
Ross Xavier Vasta Australian politician, was elected to the House of Representatives
as member for the Division of Bonner
, Queensland for the Liberal Party of Australia
at the 2004 federal election. He defeated the former Labor
minister and candidate Con Sciacca
.
Vasta was educated at Villanova College
in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo, and attended Griffith University
, where he graduated with a commerce
degree. He started and operated three Italian Restaurants by the name of Elio's and worked as a company director before entering politics. At the 2001 federal election, Vasta was the Liberal Party
candidate for the Division of Griffith
. He was defeated by the sitting member, Kevin Rudd
, who in November 2007, became Prime Minister of Australia
.
Vasta was a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, and the Government Backbench Policy Committee – Health and Ageing.
In the Australian federal election, 2007, Vasta was defeated by Labor candidate Kerry Rea
on a swing of 4.75 points, the lowest against a Liberal incumbent in Queensland.
Following his election defeat, Vasta contended Liberal Party preselection for the Brisbane City Council ward of Wynnum-Manly on Brisbane's west. He was defeated by the Labor incumbent, polling 36% of the primary vote.
Vasta decided once again to stand for election as Liberal National Party candidate in Australian federal election, 2010 for Bonner. On 21 August, he defeated the woman who had defeated him in 2007, Labor Incumbent
Kerry Rea
, by a 53% to 47% margin. Vasta achieved a 7-point swing towards him, one of the highest to any Liberal candidate in Queensland.
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
as member for the Division of Bonner
Division of Bonner
The Division of Bonner is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 2004 and is named after Neville Bonner, the first Aborigine to serve in the Australian Parliament. Bonner served in the federal Senate as a Queensland Liberal Senator...
, Queensland for the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
at the 2004 federal election. He defeated the former Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
minister and candidate Con Sciacca
Con Sciacca
Concetto Antonio "Con" Sciacca AO , Australian politician, was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from July 1987 to March 1996 and again from October 1998 to October 2004, representing the Division of Bowman, Queensland...
.
Vasta was educated at Villanova College
Villanova College
Villanova College is a private and catholic school for boys located in Coorparoo, a southern suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The school has a non-selective enrolment policy for all years and caters for approximately 1,150 boys in three schools, Junior, Middle and Senior from year five to...
in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo, and attended Griffith University
Griffith University
Griffith University is a public, coeducational, research university located in the southeastern region of the Australian state of Queensland. The university has five satellite campuses located in the Gold Coast, Logan City and in the Brisbane suburbs of Mount Gravatt, Nathan and South Bank. Current...
, where he graduated with a commerce
Commerce
While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...
degree. He started and operated three Italian Restaurants by the name of Elio's and worked as a company director before entering politics. At the 2001 federal election, Vasta was the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
candidate for the Division of Griffith
Division of Griffith
The Division of Griffith is anAustralian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1934, when the old seat of Oxley was abolished, and is named for Sir Samuel Griffith, 9th Premier of Queensland and principal author of the Australian Constitution...
. He was defeated by the sitting member, Kevin Rudd
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd is an Australian politician who was the 26th Prime Minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010. He has been Minister for Foreign Affairs since 2010...
, who in November 2007, became Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
.
Vasta was a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, and the Government Backbench Policy Committee – Health and Ageing.
In the Australian federal election, 2007, Vasta was defeated by Labor candidate Kerry Rea
Kerry Rea
Kerry Marie Rea is an Australian politician. She was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2007 to 2010, representing the Division of Bonner in Queensland.Rea was born in Bundaberg, Queensland....
on a swing of 4.75 points, the lowest against a Liberal incumbent in Queensland.
Following his election defeat, Vasta contended Liberal Party preselection for the Brisbane City Council ward of Wynnum-Manly on Brisbane's west. He was defeated by the Labor incumbent, polling 36% of the primary vote.
Vasta decided once again to stand for election as Liberal National Party candidate in Australian federal election, 2010 for Bonner. On 21 August, he defeated the woman who had defeated him in 2007, Labor Incumbent
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
Kerry Rea
Kerry Rea
Kerry Marie Rea is an Australian politician. She was an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2007 to 2010, representing the Division of Bonner in Queensland.Rea was born in Bundaberg, Queensland....
, by a 53% to 47% margin. Vasta achieved a 7-point swing towards him, one of the highest to any Liberal candidate in Queensland.