Daniel David O'Brien (born 2 April 1974) is an Australian politician who currently serves as the member
Gippsland South in the
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the states and territories of Australia, state lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the state upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament H ...
. He has been the leader of the
Victorian National Party since November 2024.
Career
O'Brien was born and raised in
Traralgon
Traralgon ( , ) is a city located in the east of the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia and the most populous city in the City of Latrobe and the region. The urban population of Traralgon at the ...
in Victoria's Gippsland region’s Latrobe City. He began his career as a journalist, and later became chief of staff to
Peter Ryan, then a senior advisor to Deputy Prime Minister
Mark Vaile, and worked in the trade department of the Australian Embassy in Jakarta. He then became chief of staff to Senator
Barnaby Joyce
Barnaby Thomas Gerard Joyce (born 17 April 1967) is an Australian politician who was the leader of the National Party of Australia from 2016 to 2018 and again from 2021 to 2022. Joyce was the 17th deputy prime minister of Australia during both ...
, but within six months was preselected to replace the Nationals then-member for
Eastern Victoria Region,
Peter Hall, who had resigned from the
Victorian Legislative Council
The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...
on 17 March 2014. O'Brien was appointed to replace Hall at a joint sitting of the Victorian Parliament on 26 March.
In February 2015, O'Brien sought and gained pre-selection for the lower house seat of
Gippsland South, in the
March 2015 by-election brought about by the resignation of Peter Ryan.
He won the by-election on 14 March.
On 25 November 2024,
Peter Walsh resigned as the leader of the
Victorian National Party. O'Brien was
elected unopposed as his replacement.
References
External links
Parliamentary biography
1974 births
Living people
Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Victoria
Australian political consultants
People from Traralgon
21st-century Australian politicians
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