Luke Donnellan


Luke Anthony Donnellan is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2002, representing Narre Warren North. He is the Minister for Child Protection and the Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers in the Second Andrews Ministry since December 2018. He also served as the Minister for Roads and Road Safety and Minister for Ports in the First Andrews Ministry from December 2014 to December 2018. He was a key figure in the lease of the Port of Melbourne, and led negotiations with cross benchers to enable the legislation to pass through the Victorian Parliament. He is associated with the Labor Unity faction.
Donnellan was born in Melbourne, and attended Xavier College 1977-84 where he was involved in sports, captaining the hockey team and competing in 1sts rowing. He received a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne in 1987 and became a commercial real estate agent. After periods as a planning finance consultant and a client services manager, he became an advisor to various Labor MPs, and was a member of the Administrative Committee from 1999.

Political career

Entry into politics

In 2002, Donnellan was preselected as the Labor candidate for Narre Warren North, a new seat with a notional Liberal majority. He defeated the Liberal candidate and has held the seat since. In 2006, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Treasury and Finance, and was promoted in August 2007 to Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier.

Andrews Government

Following Labor's win at the 2014 Victorian state election, Donnellan was appointed Minister for Roads and Road Safety and Minister for Ports by Premier Daniel Andrews.
After Labor's reelection in 2018 Donnellan was appointed Minister for Child Protection and Minister for Disability, Ageing and Carers.