Ross Vasta

Biography

Ross Xavier Vasta is an Australian politician and member of the House of Representatives, representing the Division of Bonner for the Liberal Party. He has held this position since 2010, after previously representing the same seat from 2004 to 2007.

Born on October 8, 1966, Vasta is the son of Angelo Vasta, a former judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland who was stood down after his friendship with the disgraced Queensland Police Commissioner Terence Lewis became known. Both of his parents were born in Innisfail, Queensland, while his grandparents were all born in Sicily. His mother registered him as an Italian citizen by descent when he was a child, but he renounced it prior to his first run for parliament in 2001.

Vasta received his education at Villanova College in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo, and went on to attend Griffith University, where he earned a degree in commerce. Before entering politics, he ran and operated three family-owned Italian cuisine restaurants named Elio’s, and worked as a company director. Notably, Vasta is the brother of Salvatore Vasta, a judge of the Federal Circuit Court.

Vasta’s political career began in 2001 when he ran as the Liberal Party candidate for the Division of Griffith in the federal election. However, he was defeated by the incumbent, Kevin Rudd, who later became Prime Minister of Australia.

In the 2004 federal election, Vasta stood for the Liberals in the Division of Bonner, and defeated former Labor minister Con Sciacca. However, he was defeated by Labor candidate Kerry Rea in the 2007 election, experiencing the lowest swing against a Liberal incumbent in Queensland. Following his election defeat, Vasta won Liberal Party preselection for the Brisbane City Council ward of Wynnum-Manly in Brisbane’s east. However, he was defeated by the Labor incumbent, polling only 36% of the primary vote.

Vasta decided to run for the Division of Bonner once again at the 2010 federal election, and won with a 53% to 47% margin. He achieved a seven-point swing towards him, one of the highest of any Liberal candidate in Queensland.

Vasta has held numerous positions throughout his political career, including being nominated to the speaker’s panel in 2013 and serving as chair of the standing committees on privileges and parliamentary procedure. He was also a candidate to succeed Bronwyn Bishop as Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2015. Vasta is a member of the centre-right faction of the Liberal Party.