Richard Wynne

Richard Wynne was elected to the Melbourne City Council representing North Melbourne wards from 1986 to 1991, and was elected as Lord Mayor of Melbourne from 1990 to 1991. During his term as Lord Mayor, he was part of Melbourne's unsuccessful bid for the 1996 Olympic Games (that was won by Atlanta).[3] A keen sports fan, Wynne oversaw plans to rebuild the Great Southern Stand at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

He served as electorate officer (1988–90) to the Honourable Barry Pullen MLC, state member for Melbourne Province, (in the Cain state Labor government), and as ministerial adviser to Pullen when he was Minister for Housing in the succeeding Kirner Labor government 1990–91. He was an adviser to the Hon. Andrew McCutcheon, MLA for St Kilda (abolished), Victorian Minister for Planning and Housing, from 1991 to 1992. The Kirner Labor government was defeated by the Liberal Party led by Jeff Kennett at the state election of 1992.

Richard served as senior adviser to Hon. Brian Howe MHR, federal member for Batman, Australian Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services, 1993–96. The Keating federal Labor government was defeated by the Liberal Party led by John Howard at the federal general election of 1996. In the years 1996–99 Richard Wynne was a consultant to local councils, preparation for his later career as Minister for Local Government.

The state member for Richmond (1988–99), Demitri Dollis, was disendorsed by the Labor Party (Victorian Branch) in August 1999 after an extended stay out of the country, working with the newly elected Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) government in Greece.[4] Richard Wynne was preselected for the now vacant seat of Richmond.[5]

At the September 1999 Victorian state election, the statewide result was decided by three independents who supported the formation of the minority Bracks State Labor Government. Richard Wynne won the then safe Labor seat of Richmond comfortably. Richard Wynne was elected to the sub-cabinet post of Parliamentary Secretary for Justice after the election and served until the state election in 2002. The role assisting the reformist Attorney General Rob Hulls gave Richard the opportunity to push for law reform in the area of Gay and Lesbian Rights (a strong constituency in his inner-city seat).

The Bracks state Labor government was returned in a landslide result in 2002, but the new phenomenon of the Victorian Greens Party scoring strong results in the inner city seats of Melbourne saw Wynne go to preferences in the once-safe Labor seat.[6] Previously Labor candidates in inner city seats would either win in their own right, or be helped over the line against Liberal candidates by (preferentially eliminated) Greens (and other) preferences. Richard was promoted to Cabinet Secretary in the Bracks state Labor government following the 2002 election, which he held until 2006.

At the 2006 Victorian state election, he achieved a better result than in 2002, after contesting the seat against the Greens and other opponents in a hard-fought campaign.

Following the successful re-election of the Bracks Labor Government in Victoria in November 2006, Richard Wynne was appointed by the Premier Steve Bracks to the twin roles of Minister for Housing (following in the footsteps of his mentor, Barry Pullen) and Minister for Local Government.

One of Wynne's stated goals as Minister for Housing is to solve the current rent crisis sweeping Australia, as investors turn to booming commodities and share markets for better return over the property market.[7] In April 2007, Richard Wynne, as Local Government Minister, was central to the development of the groundbreaking Victorian Statewide Relationship Register as part of his ongoing involvement in Gay and Lesbian law reform.

After the unexpected resignation of Premier Steve Bracks and the subsequent appointing of new Premier John Brumby, Wynne was given a third portfolio as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, as well as maintaining his previous roles of Minister for Housing and Minister for Local Government in Premier Brumby's new cabinet.