Neale Burgess


Neale Ronald Burgess is an Australian politician. He has been a Liberal Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 2006, representing the electorate of Hastings.

Political career

Burgess was preselected as the Liberal candidate for the Labor-held seat of Hastings for the 2006 state election, and succeeded in winning back the traditionally conservative district for the Liberal Party.
Voted against the Abortion Law Reform Bill 2008.
Burgess voted for banning anti abortion protesters from protesting outside abortion clinics. In May 2018 he revealed he had changed his mind on the issue and now is opposed buffer zones.
Burgess is opposed to the AGL Energy proposal for a floating storage regasification unit at Crib Point. Burgess supports electrification of the train line from Frankston to Baxter. Burgess also stated his support for electrifying the train line to Stony point after it has been done at Baxter, as extending to Baxter is only the first stage.
The claim from the Leader of the Victorian Opposition Matthew Guy that those who attended the Lobster Cave dinner that alleged Mafia member Tony Madafferi attended, had not given donations to the Liberals was contradicted by one of the dinner's guests, Frank Lammatina, being present at an event for Burgess.
In April 2015 Burgess and Opposition police spokesman Edward O'Donohue were accused by Police Minister Wade Noonan of misleading the public over the status of the new Somerville police station.
Burgess supports the ban on plastic bags.
In May 2018 Burges claimed the Andrews Labor government had destroyed multiple small cleaning organisations and replaced it with something that "rips off workers."
Burgess supported his community by writing to Labor Minister Luke Donnellan about the Hawkins road near Baxter regarding the condition of the road.

Personal life

Burgess was born in Melbourne and grew up in Tocumwal. He is the father of three children.
In 1994, Burgess completed a Bachelor of Laws at the Queensland University of Technology, and was later admitted to the Bar. He worked for a number of years as a criminal law barrister. He operated a technology consulting business before entering politics.