David Southwick | |
|---|---|
 Southwick | |
| Deputy Leader of theLiberal Party in Victoria | |
| In office 7 September 2021 – 27 December 2024 | |
| Leader | |
| Preceded by | Cindy McLeish |
| Succeeded by | Sam Groth |
| Member of theVictorian Legislative Assembly forCaulfield | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2010 | |
| Preceded by | Helen Shardey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1968-03-31)31 March 1968 (age 57) Melbourne, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Hayley Southwick |
| Children | 2 |
| Profession |
|
| Website | davidsouthwick |
David James Southwick (born 31 March 1968[1]) is an AustralianLiberal politician, and has been the member forCaulfield in theVictorian Legislative Assembly since 2010. Southwick has been the Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services. He has also held positions of Shadow Minister for Youth and Youth Justice, Trade and Investment, Shadow Minister for Transport Infrastructure, Shadow Minister for Major Projects and Shadow Minister for Cost of Living. As of October 2025, Southwick is the Shadow Minister for Police and Corrections and Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention.[2] From 7 September 2021 until 27 December 2024, Southwick was the Deputy Leader of theLiberal Party in Victoria.
Southwick was born in Caulfield, one of three children born to Beryl and Stuart Southwick. His father ran a soap business inLaverton and served on theWerribee City Council for nearly 30 years.[3][4]
Southwick completed his high school certificate atCaulfield Grammar and studied a Bachelor of Business atVictoria University, later pursuing a postgraduate study at theMonash University Caulfield campus.[5]
While at university Southwick started his business career including being founding and serving as managing director of The Body Collection. In this business, he employed 50 staff.[5]
Southwick also worked as a lecturer at both Victoria University and RMIT. He served as RMIT's first Entrepreneur in Residence in 2003.
He has previously the Chair of the Ardoch Youth Foundation.[6]
Southwick was the unsuccessful Liberal candidate for theDivision of Melbourne Ports in the2004 federal election, achieving a swing of almost 2 points against the incumbent MPMichael Danby. In the2006 state election he was a Liberal candidate for theSouthern Metropolitan Region, but did not win election.
Southwick was elected as the member forCaulfield in 2010.
In November 2012, it was revealed that Southwick had provided misleading information on his website, claiming to have been an 'Adjunct Professor' atRMIT, and having a graduate diploma in marketing fromMonash University, despite being several units short. Both universities stated that Southwick had never obtained the qualifications referred to. The information was subsequently removed from his website.[7][8][9] Southwick responded to the claims by saying that 'Adjunct Professor' was a title used to refer to him while undertaking teaching overseas on behalf of the RMIT Graduate School of Business in Hong Kong, when he was an Adjunct Lecturer.[10]
In April 2013, Southwick was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services.[11]
After the defeat of the Napthine Government in November 2014, Southwick was appointed Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Shadow Minister for Renewables, and Shadow Minister for Innovation.[12]
In December 2018, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Police; Community Safety; and Corrections with his portfolio expanding to include Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention and Youth Justice in March 2021.[12]
In September 2021, Southwick was elected deputy leader of thestate Liberal Party[13] and held this position until the2024 Victorian Liberal Party leadership spill.
In a 2015conscience vote, Southwick was one of just 13 lower house MPs to vote against the creation ofsafe access zones outside abortion clinics.[14] He was praised for this decision by the anti-abortion groupRight to Life Australia[15]
In a 2018conscience vote, Southwick voted against the legalisation of voluntary assisted dying.[16]
During the 2018 Victorian state election, Southwick opposed theSafe Schools anti-bullying program, claiming “really young children [are] being exposed to sexual education”. In 2019, Southwick voted against a bill that would allow transgender people to change their gender on their birth certificate.[17]
In 2020, Southwick was critical of the Victorian Department of Education forantisemitic and anti-Israeli bullying in a Melbourne school, accusing the Department of “systemic failings”.[18]
Southwick criticised the government for its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming that mismanagement of hotelquarantine caused the death of 800 Victorians.[19]
Amidst the2022 Victorian state election campaign,The Guardian reported that video ads posted by Southwick's campaign to social media featured his employees, including his campaign manager, without disclosure of their connection to Southwick. When asked by a journalist if the videos were misleading, opposition leaderMatthew Guy disagreed, stating that Southwick worked hard as a local MP.[20][21]
On 14 October 2025, Southwick was one of a number of Liberal MPs who applauded the speeches of Aboriginal activists who spoke in favour of treaty, during parliamentary debate on the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025.[22]
Southwick is ofPolish-Jewish andHungarian-Jewish heritage.[23]
As of March 2025, Southwick had an interest in 16 properties, including his primary home, receiving rental income from five of them.[24]
David Southwick highlighted his Polish and Hungarian Jewish roots and Trung Luu his Vietnamese refugee background
| Victorian Legislative Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forCaulfield 2010–present | Incumbent |
