Richard Marles
Richard Marles | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Donald Marles July 13, 1967 Geelong, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, politician |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Known for | 19th Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Minister for Defence |
Richard Donald Marles (born 13 July 1967) is an Australian lawyer and politician currently holding the positions of the 19th deputy prime minister of Australia and Minister for Defence since May 2022. Since 2019, he has served as the deputy leader of the Labor Party and has represented the Victorian electorate of Corio in Parliament beginning in 2007.
Originating from Geelong, Victoria, Marles is a qualified legal professional who was assistant secretary at the Australian Council of Trade Unions between 2000 and 2007. He won Labor preselection for Corio by defeating incumbent Gavan O'Connor and secured the seat in the 2007 federal election. Marles was appointed parliamentary secretary in 2009 and briefly held the position of Minister for Trade in 2013, backing Kevin Rudd’s return as prime minister. After Labor’s defeat in 2013, he joined the shadow cabinet and became a prominent member of the Labor Right faction.
Following the 2019 election, Marles was elected deputy leader alongside Anthony Albanese, becoming deputy opposition leader. Upon Labor’s victory in the 2022 federal election, he assumed the roles of Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister.
Early life
Born on 13 July 1967 in Geelong, Victoria, Marles is the son of Donald Marles, who served as headmaster at Trinity Grammar School, and Fay Marles (), Victoria’s inaugural Equal Opportunity Commissioner and later Chancellor of the University of Melbourne.
He attended Geelong Grammar School, where his father had been a housemaster, followed by studies at the University of Melbourne, residing at Ormond College. During his first week at university, Marles joined the Melbourne University Labor Club and was elected president of the Melbourne University Student Union in 1988. The following year, he served as general secretary of the National Union of Students. He earned a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Laws with Honours before starting his legal career at Melbourne industrial law firm Slater and Gordon. In 1994, he became a legal officer for the Transport Workers Union (TWU) and was elected TWU national assistant secretary in 1998. From 2000 until 2007, he held the position of assistant secretary at the Australian Council of Trade Unions.
Early career
In March 2006, Marles challenged sitting member for Corio, Gavan O'Connor, for Labor preselection as part of a right-wing Labor Unity faction effort. He won 57% in the local ballot and received endorsement from the party’s selection committee.
Marles was elected to represent Corio on 24 November 2007 during Labor’s return to government under Kevin Rudd. Between February 2008 and June 2009, he chaired the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs.
Parliamentary secretary and Minister for Trade
In June 2009, Marles was named Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry. After successfully defending his seat in the 2010 election, he took on the role of Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs within the First Gillard Ministry on 14 September 2010. In July 2011, he became the first Australian MP to visit Wallis and Futuna, attending a ceremony with King Kapiliele Faupala in Mata-Utu commemorating fifty years since the islands were designated a French Overseas collectivity. Prior visits included trips to New Caledonia in October 2010 and French Polynesia in March 2011.
During a ministerial reshuffle on 2 March 2012 (Second Gillard Ministry), Marles was additionally appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs. On 21 March 2013, he resigned from these posts after expressing support for Kevin Rudd’s potential leadership challenge to Julia Gillard, which ultimately did not occur.
In June 2013, following a leadership spill that reinstated Kevin Rudd as Labor leader, Marles joined Cabinet as Minister for Trade, succeeding Craig Emerson.
Shadow minister
Following the Australian Labor Party's loss in the 2013 federal election, Marles was named Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection under opposition leader Bill Shorten. Beginning in February 2016, he co-hosted the weekly television show Pyne & Marles on Sky News Live alongside Liberal MP Christopher Pyne. After the 2016 election, Marles transitioned to the role of Shadow Minister for Defence. He is recognized for his pro-American stance and is often described as "somewhat hawkish."
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
In the aftermath of Labor's defeat at the 2019 federal election, Marles contested the deputy leadership position in May 2019. With Clare O'Neil withdrawing her candidacy, he was elected unopposed. On 30 May, he officially assumed the deputy leadership under Anthony Albanese, maintaining his shadow cabinet responsibility for Defence.
A reshuffle of the shadow cabinet in January 2021 promoted Marles to oversee a newly formed "super portfolio" dedicated to Australia's post-COVID-19 recovery. This portfolio encompassed national rebuilding efforts, employment, skill development, small business support, and scientific advancement.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister
Two days after the 2022 federal election, Albanese, Marles, and three other senior Labor members were sworn in as an interim five-member government. Since no other party could establish government, Marles acted as Prime Minister during Albanese’s official visit to Tokyo for the Quad summit and continues to fulfill this role whenever Albanese travels abroad.
On 1 June 2022, Marles was formally sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence. Among his initial strategic initiatives was relocating 500 Australian Defence Force personnel to Townsville starting in 2025, aiming to enhance the Australian Army's operational capabilities across the Pacific region. This decision drew criticism from Townsville’s mayor due to insufficient consultation concerning military housing arrangements. On 29 September 2023, Marles declared the retirement of the MRH-90 Taipan helicopter fleet following a fatal accident during Exercise Talisman Sabre.
In February 2024, Marles and Foreign Minister Penny Wong hosted their New Zealand counterparts in Melbourne for a bilateral meeting. They agreed to strengthen security collaboration and briefed New Zealand officials on AUKUS Pillar Two, which concentrates on advanced military technologies. New Zealand’s nuclear-free stance excludes it from participation in AUKUS Pillar One.
On 6 May 2024, Marles publicly condemned a Chinese J-10 fighter jet for deploying flares near an Australian MH60R Seahawk helicopter conducting operations off in international waters enforcing United Nations sanctions against North Korea.
In June 2024, Marles, Wong, and Minister Pat Conroy participated in the 30th Australia-Papua New Guinea Ministerial Forum held in Port Moresby. They confirmed intentions to establish a bilateral security agreement and acknowledged ongoing support efforts following the 2024 Enga landslide.
On 11 July 2024, Marles announced a $250 million military assistance package to Ukraine, marking Australia's largest aid contribution since Russia's invasion in 2022.
On 12 September 2024, acting on the final recommendation from the Brereton Report, Marles revoked distinguished service medals from nine commanding officers implicated in unlawful killings during the Afghanistan conflict based on credible evidence.
In February 2025, Marles and New Zealand Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed surveillance of three Chinese naval vessels within Australia's exclusive economic zone near Sydney. After China conducted live-fire exercises in the Tasman Sea without prior notification—Australia was only informed ten minutes after initial detection via a Virgin Australia pilot—Marles criticized this communication failure as "disconcerting" for both civilian air traffic and defence operations.
Following US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s initiation of an AUKUS review, Marles stated it was "entirely reasonable" for a new government to undertake such an evaluation. In July 2025, Marles and UK Defense Minister John Healey signed a fifty-year nuclear submarine agreement, reinforcing enduring defense cooperation between their nations.
Political positions
Marles holds a prominent role within the Labor Right faction of his state.
Refugees and asylum seekers
He advocates for turning back asylum seekers arriving by boat and supports implementing a Pacific Solution approach for refugee resettlement. Marles endorsed the establishment of an Australian War Memorial honoring Operation Sovereign Borders naval personnel who worked to prevent boat arrivals, a position that drew criticism from various Labor Left members and the Greens.
National defence
During his tenure as shadow defence minister in 2020, Marles condemned the Morrison administration's management of the French submarine deal, stating it had "seriously undermined" Australia's national security. Nevertheless, he generally endorsed bipartisan agreement on defence-related issues.
Fossil fuels and energy
In a 2019 interview on Sky News, Marles remarked that the decline of Australia's thermal coal industry would be "a positive development," though he later admitted this comment was "insensitive." Following the 2019 Federal Election, he reiterated that public funding should not support coal projects, emphasizing Labor's stance against investing in coal-fired power plants while clarifying that private enterprises pursuing approved coal initiatives would not face opposition.
Personal life
Marles lives in Geelong with his wife, Rachel Schutze. Together they have three children, and he has an additional child from his previous marriage to Lisa Neville, a former state minister who was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly in 2002.
He is also an active supporter and member of the Geelong Football Club.