Rick Wilson
Rick Wilson MP
Member for O’Connor
Richard (Rick) James Wilson is the Federal Liberal Member for O’Connor after he was elected in September 2013.
Born on 2 January, 1966, he is one of six children and was raised on the family’s farm “Indinup” (originally called “Springfield”) in Katanning which was cleared by his great-grandfather, William Grover, in 1867. Rick worked on the farm with his brother Alan for 25 years, and that was where he began to understand the challenges of running a dynamic business in regional Western Australia.
He was also a talented local sportsman excelling in Australian Rules Football with the Katanning Wanderers Football Club.
Rick and wife Tanya moved from Katanning to Albany in 2015, where they now raise their four children.
Rick has had a long association with agri-politics and was a former Chairman of Western Grain Growers. He has served on numerous industry and government advisory panels. He was inspired to run for Parliament following his involvement in a decade-long campaign to deregulate the wheat industry, which brought about the end of the Australian Wheat Board’s monopoly.
Small government and reduced bureaucracy, a higher standard of health, aged care and education services in the regions, and improving our communications network are some of the key areas Rick has focused on since entering Parliament.
Parliamentary service
Elected to the House of Representatives for O’Connor, Western Australia, 2013 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2019.
Committee service
Joint Statutory: Public Accounts and Audit from 4.7.2019; Public Works from 4.7.2019.
Joint Standing: Parliamentary Library from 4.12.2013 to 9.5.2016; Trade and Investment Growth from 14.9.2016 to 1.7.2019.
House of Representatives Standing: Agriculture and Industry from 4.12.2013 to 9.5.2016; Agriculture and Water Resources from 14.9.2016 (Chair from 3.10.2016); Indigenous Affairs from 14.9.2016 to 11.4.2019; Communications and the Arts from 14.9.2016 to 11.4.2019; Environment and Energy from 4.7.2019.
House of
Representatives Select: Regional Australia from 17.9.2019.
Liberal Party positions
President of the Liberal Party Katanning Branch.
Treasurer of the Liberal Party O’Connor Division.
President of the Liberal Party O’Connor Division.
Member of
the Liberal Party Rural Policy Committee.
Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
BBus(Ag) (Curtin University)
Self-employed farmer 1990-2013
Vice-Chairman, Pastoralists and Graziers Association Grains Committee 2000-08
Chairman, Pastoralists and Graziers Association Grains Committee 2008-11
Electorate
Description: O’Connor
Location: south-east Western Australia; it includes the Cities of Albany and Kalgoorlie-Boulder, and the Shires of Boyup Brook, Bridgetown-Greenbushes, Brookton, Collie, Coolgardie, Corrigin, Denmark, Dundas, Esperance, Kondinin, Laverton, Manjimup, Ngaanyatjarraku, Wandering and Williams.
Area: 868,576 Sq km
Electors enrolled: 101,778 (at 2.7.2016)
Industries: agriculture, fishing, forestry, aquaculture, mining and tourism.