Richard Marles
Richard Marles was elected to Federal Parliament as Member for Corio in November 2007.
He served as Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry from 2009 until his appointment as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs in 2010. In March 2012 he was appointed to the additional role of Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
Richard was born in 1967, raised in Geelong, and educated at Geelong Grammar School. He has a LLB (Hons) and BSc from Melbourne University.
He began his career with law firm Slater and Gordon. In 1998, he became Federal Assistant Secretary of the Transport Workers’ Union where he was responsible for bargaining with national transport companies and managing the union’s activities in the Australian Industrial Relations Commission.
In 2000, he became Assistant Secretary of the ACTU and ran the Working Hours Case which gave workers the right, for the first time, to refuse unreasonable amounts of overtime. He was a member of the National Occupational Health and Safety Commission and led the ACTU’s work on OHS. He also led an innovative program of co-operation between the Australian and Papua New Guinea union movements.
He was Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Affairs from February 2008 to June 2009.
He lives in Geelong with his wife Rachel and has four children, Sam, Isabella, Harvey and Georgia.
Articles by Richard Marles
We’re serious about our tilt at a UN Security Council seat
Recently I visited Andorra, Albania and San Marino. The trip elicited sideways glances from odd spot type gossip columnists who,…... Read more
Our Budget blade didn’t cut aid, it’s being paid in spades
Ten million children vaccinated. 2.5 million people with access to safe drinking water. And 30 million people supported through humanitarian…... Read more
Albania, a country which actually is “moving forward”
It was a country that banned beards. Travellers arriving at the border sporting facial hair would be shaved on the…... Read more
His love of his pooch could see him sent to the dog house
As a teacher’s kid I grew up on a school campus. This was idyllic for children but, for dogs, it…... Read more
A heroic young Aussie whose spirit lives on in the Pacific
Last weekend the Melanie Jewson Foundation was formally launched to honour the life of Melanie Jewson, a Geelong teenager who…... Read more
My bittersweet relationship with a sweet brown mistress
A new person entering a small workplace will inevitably alter the human equilibrium. Just as chaos theory predicts the fluttering…... Read more
Fresh elections could pave a pathway to PNG prosperity
The events of the last twelve months in Papua New Guinea have been extraordinary and unexpected – even by the…... Read more
Jamaicans Bolting away from traditional bat and ball
When England robbed us of the Ashes last summer, the sense of malaise that fell across the country was palpable.…... Read more
Foreign diplomatic service a deadly serious business
The Mexican Ambassador to Venezuala was recently kidnapped. A ransom demand ensued and after five or six hours he was…... Read more
Sometimes Santa isn’t that good at choosing presents…
Holding a foreign affairs portfolio in the Federal Government means you travel… a lot. And with a young family this…... Read more
With enemies like these, who needs friends?
As a Labor MP who joined the party as a teenager it will be no surprise to learn that, for…... Read more
Our island influence is not specific to the Pacific
The common experience of flying into a small island is that the view from the window, until almost the last…... Read more
Air-raising stories of flights I didn’t fancy
A month or so ago an electrical storm over Melbourne had my 2.30pm flight from Sydney in all sorts of…... Read more
Let’s include our neighbour in the fun and games
One element of the Rugby World Cup came through loud and clear. This was a Pacific event. Three Pacific island…... Read more
Climate change poses a Pacific problem
The tiny nation of Tuvalu is facing a crisis. A number of the islands including the capital Funafuti are suffering…... Read more
Chasing the meaning of football and life
To become a member of the Geelong Football Club you need a name, a birth date and an address. In…... Read more
Our nearest neighbour is 36 and growing stronger
Last Friday, 16 September, Papua New Guinea celebrated the 36th anniversary of its independence. The last 36 years has been…... Read more
Our cemeteries bring life to the dead
When we think about the story of our nation and the way in which it is preserved and recorded, we…... Read more
A city the size of London in the middle of China
Have you heard of Changsha, Chengdu and Chongqing? How about Wuhan or Weifang? Indeed try a little test: name seven…... Read more
Fairybread, lolly bags, tears and hysteria
A four year old kid’s party is the organisational equivalent of climbing Everest. There are issues such as the theme,…... Read more
A forgotten Australian who’ll always be remembered
For the past two years, staff in my electorate office have been joined by a volunteer who helped with filing…... Read more
Touched by the angel of the PNG AIDS ward
A couple of Sundays ago in Port Moresby, Stephanie Copus-Campbell – the head of AusAID’s program in PNG – invited…... Read more
Turning 50: When age does start to weary me
Recently I had dinner with a senior diplomat who spoke bravely about confronting the sheer horror of turning 50. The…... Read more
Bougainvillians deserve the chance to say “it’s mine”
By the time Francis Ona and the various factions of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army permanently laid down their arms on…... Read more
Women have a vital role in Pacific politics
Recently in the Cook Islands I had the opportunity of having breakfast with some of the Cook Islands’ most prominent…... Read more
Not pricing carbon would cost us dearly
On the eastern side of Geelong is Point Henry. On it stands a fifty-year-old aluminium smelter and accompanying rolling mill.…... Read more
Chewing the fat is a dangerous occupation
Politics has been bad for my waistline. My weight gain would have been less severe had I landed a job…... Read more
Some enchanted evening, we’ll acknowledge Sth Pacific
Most Australians have a vague awareness of the countries of the Pacific. Given their significance to our national interest these…... Read more
Twenty20 Golf: Long games need short versions
Herald Sun golf reporter, Mark Hayes, opened his Monday piece on Scott Laycock’s win in the inaugural Surf Coast Knockout,…... Read more
The whole world in the palm of your hand
I collect snow domes. I admit it. In fact I have about 250 of them. There is just something about…... Read more
The power of sport to cross cultural divides
In so many ways it looks familiar. Players lining up for their turn to lead, mark the ball, and pass…... Read more
Small islands + climate change = big problem
While the international spotlight on Cancun may not have shone as brightly as it did in Copenhagen a year ago,…... Read more
Nauru: we should treat our neighbour with more respect
Nauru has been struggling to get a good run in the press of late. Tales of business largesse, overseas trips,…... Read more
PNG, a forgotten neighbour
It has a population of 6.3 million. It is one of Australia’s two really large recipients of aid. We are…... Read more
Gary is just fine but Ablett is chasing his tail
He’s gone. Over the course of the season the inevitability of it has been crushing. Now it has happened. In…... Read more
A Cats fan concedes it’s the changing of the guard
After months of uncertainty last week had about it a sense of clarity. With all the incessant talk about the…... Read more
Labor diary: the difference between Julia and Tony
Note: Labor MP Richard Marles and Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella are among our favourite contributors to The Punch, and we…... Read more
Labor diary: the economic killer fact of this campaign
The last few weeks have clearly demonstrated the dignity of our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. A photo from last Saturday…... Read more
Labor Diary: Tony, Brian and the Straightjacket
Note: Labor MP Richard Marles and Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella are among our favourite contributors to The Punch, and we…... Read more
Labor diary: Tony Abbott, scud missile of public policy
This week has greatly illuminated Tony Abbot’s unique relationship with public policy. As the first hint of a proposed massive…... Read more
Labor diary: Tony’s brutal battle with his own brain
Note: Labor MP Richard Marles and Liberal MP Sophie Mirabella are among our favourite contributors to The Punch, and we…... Read more
Why a vote for Labor is a vote for science
I recently learned a few things about the desert. You think you know about its vastness, but it is another…... Read more
Australia’s starring role in the next great eye on the sky
If you haven’t heard about the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) it’s time to tune in. Along with its cousins the…... Read more
If clothes maketh the man then hair maketh the poodle
Next week is Hair Expo. The very best stylists in the land will gather in Sydney to show off their…... Read more
The exciting world of measuring stuff
Doubtless, last Wednesday night you were struggling to get to sleep. Having marked May 20 on the calendar weeks in…... Read more
Release the bats! Standing between us and an outbreak
In recent months a glance upward at dusk has revealed the chaos of a giant flock of bats blackening the…... Read more
Showcases for nature and some sticky situations
Years ago, hosting an American, I was confronted with a challenge. George Washington is clearly the great unifying figure of…... Read more
Our link to the far reaches of human achievement
Just beyond the south western extremities of urban Canberra is the Canberra Deep Space Communications Complex at Tidbinbilla. Surrounded by…... Read more
Rehab 1916-style for a future Prime Minister
The ABC drama “Curtin” put into focus the life of John Curtin – one of Australia’s greatest Prime Ministers. Like…... Read more
Scared to the back teeth, then blessed relief
Speaking became difficult. Laughing was out of the question. My gums were so sore that my tongue was banned from…... Read more
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Abbott’s crass logic: trash the Parliament in order save it
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Change Up! says:
I have no problem paying my taxes. As a single, childless person on a very decent income, I can afford it and not have my life severely altered. Plus I understand that my taxes paying for things like schools, childcare and infrastructure is ultimately a good thing. A better community is better for me… [read more]Gentle jabs to the ribs
They must pay for one’s bitter disappointments
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