Steph Ryan

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Steph Ryan
MP
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
for Euroa
Assumed office
29 November 2014
Preceded byNew seat
Personal details
Born (1986-06-20) 20 June 1986 (age 35)
Murchison, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyNational Party
Alma materRMIT University
OccupationJournalist, media advisor
Websitehttp://www.stephryan.com.au/

Stephanie Maureen Ryan (born 20 June 1986) is an Australian politician. She has been a National Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2014, representing the Legislative Assembly seat of Euroa.[1]

She had served as a country journalist and senior adviser to various state MPs including Liberal Premier Ted Baillieu[2] and members of the Victorian Nationals' leadership team prior to her own election. On 3 December 2014, Ryan was elected as deputy leader of the Nationals in the Victorian Parliament.[3] On 17 December, she was made Shadow Minister for Training, Skills and Apprenticeships and Shadow Minister for Young Victorians.[4] Following the 2018 election Ryan was given the portfolios of Water, Public Transport (Regional), Gaming and Liquor Regulation.[5]

In 2016 Ryan married her long-term partner, former Australian Labor Party City of Yarra Councillor Simon Huggins.[6][7] According to Ryan, it took her more than three years of asking before Huggins agreed to go out with her.[8] The relationship attracted much interest in the media given Ryan's status as deputy leader of Victoria's oldest anti-Labor political party and Huggins being a member of the Labor Left and strident advocate for LGBTI issues.[9][10]

Ryan was outed in 2019 as one of three Nationals MPs who had appointed family members to taxpayer-funded jobs in their electorate offices, having employed her mother on a casual basis at taxpayer expense between 2014 and 2018.[11]

Liberal MP Wendy Lovell castigated Ryan in a private WhatsApp group for Victorian Coalition MPs for engaging in "low tactics" and "hypocrisy" in mid-2021 after revelations emerged that the Nationals had engaged in the unlawful practice of cybersquatting on domain names using the name of independent Mildura MP Ali Cupper, which sought to redirect internet users to a National Party website containing negative material about Cupper.[12][13][14] Ryan denied that there was anything low about cybersquatting. Cupper, meanwhile, said that her constituents were not impressed by the games and distractions which the Nationals had engaged in.

In the aftermath of Barnaby Joyce returning as federal Nationals leader and deputy prime minister, Ryan publicly attacked Joyce, accusing him of being unfit to lead because he had engaged in sex outside of marriage and been the subject of unsubstantiated allegations of harassment.[15][16] It subsequently emerged that, in conjunction with state leader Peter Walsh, Ryan had attempted to orchestrate the Victorian Nationals' disaffiliation from the Federal Nationals in protest at Joyce's return, but was humiliated by the state party's management board and state council, which rejected the disaffiliation motion and instead resoundingly passed a motion welcoming Joyce's return to the federal leadership.[17] Ryan also expressed frustration that Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie had voted for Joyce's return to the leadership and had won promotion to Cabinet at the expense of Gippsland MP Darren Chester, even though McKenzie's promotion resulted in a new record being set for the number of women in an Australian federal cabinet.[18][19]

Ryan is a distant relative of Ned Kelly[20][21] and is the niece of former National Party federal president, John Tanner.[22]

References[]

  1. ^ "Lowan Results". ABC News. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Victorian Coalition puts up united front despite rift over Euroa contest". ABC News. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Walsh, Ryan new Vic Nats leadership duo". SBS News. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Victorian Coalition announces shadow cabinet of 24, with 10 new faces, led by Matthew Guy". ABC News. 17 December 2014. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  5. ^ "LIBERAL NATIONALS SHADOW CABINET". The Age. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  6. ^ "Ryan puts Heathcote high on her 'must' list". The McIvor Times. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  7. ^ "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen". Bella. The Riverine Times. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  8. ^ "If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen". Bella. The Riverine Times. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  9. ^ Price, Nic (13 June 2013). "Rainbow crossing tipped for Smith St, Collingwood under council plan". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  10. ^ Gray, Darren (3 December 2014). "New Nationals MP Stephanie Ryan breaks the country party's mould". The Age. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  11. ^ Minear, Tom (19 July 2019). "Several Victorian MPs have used family members in taxpayer-funded roles". Herald Sun. Herald & Weekly Times Ltd. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  12. ^ Smethurst, Annika (6 June 2021). "Leaked WhatsApp messages show Coalition infighting over 'low' tactics". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  13. ^ Taylor, Matt (9 June 2021). "Victorian Coalition regional MPs squabble over domain names". Sunraysia Daily. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Domain name row between Victorian Liberals and Nationals". 11 June 2021.
  15. ^ "Fears that Barnaby Joyce's return as Nationals leader will alienate women".
  16. ^ "Subscribe to the Weekly Times".
  17. ^ Baxendale, Rachel (2 July 2021). "Victorian Nationals sought disaffiliation from federal party over Barnaby Joyce". The Australian. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Barnaby Joyce shifts old foes and rewards Bridget McKenzie and Andrew Gee in Nationals ministerial reshuffle". TheGuardian.com. 27 June 2021.
  19. ^ "'Voters are asking us to do more': Victorian Nationals push back on Joyce's climate policy". ABC News. 2 July 2021.
  20. ^ Gray, Darren (16 May 2014). "Such is life for candidate". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  21. ^ Gray, Darren (3 December 2014). "New Nationals MP Stephanie Ryan breaks the country party's mould". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  22. ^ "Responses to recent stories - Real Freedom News". 19 January 2022.

External links[]

Victorian Legislative Assembly
New seat Member for Euroa
2014–present 		Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Deputy Leader of the National Party in Victoria
2014–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""