Richard Marles

Richard Donald Marles (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian politician and the current Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. He was briefly the Minister for Trade from July to September 2013 and has been the member for the Victorian federal seat of Corio, based on Geelong, since 2007. Marles previously served as Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs between 2012 and 2013.

Background and early career

Marles was born in Geelong, Victoria. He is the son of Donald Marles, a former headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, and Faye Marles, Victoria's first Equal Opportunity Commissioner and later Chancellor of the University of Melbourne. He was also the General Secretary of the National Union of Students in 1989

Marles was educated at Geelong Grammar School and the University of Melbourne where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws with Honours. He started his career as a solicitor with Melbourne industrial law firm Slater and Gordon. In 1994, he became legal officer for the national office of the Transport Workers' Union (TWU). He was elected TWU National Assistant Secretary four years later. In 2000 he joined Australia's peak national union body, the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), as Assistant Secretary.