Legislative Assembly · District of Caulfield
David Southwick
Last verified 30 Sept 2026
Seat context — Caulfield›
Caulfield covers the suburbs of Caulfield, Caulfield North, Caulfield South, Caulfield East, Elsternwick, Gardenvale, Ripponlea and Balaclava, plus parts of St Kilda East, St Kilda, Glen Huntly and Ormond in inner south-east Melbourne. Created in 1927, it has been held by the Liberal Party continuously since 1979. At the 2022 election David Southwick was re-elected with 52.07% of the two-candidate-preferred vote against Labor, a margin of roughly 2.1 points.
Background
Before entering Parliament, Southwick owned and operated small businesses in the events, marketing, hospitality and manufacturing industries, per his official parliamentary biography. SSelf-stated — POV-DSParliament of Victoria, "David Southwick MP"View source
He also worked as a university lecturer and served as RMIT's first Entrepreneur in Residence, advising students on ways to commercialise their business ideas. SSelf-stated — POV-DSParliament of Victoria, "David Southwick MP"View source
Wikipedia states he founded and was managing director of a business called The Body Collection, which employed 50 staff, and dates his RMIT Entrepreneur in Residence appointment to 2003. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
His official parliamentary biography states he served as President of the Ardoch Youth Foundation, a children's education charity, and that this role motivated his decision to enter Parliament. SSelf-stated — POV-DSParliament of Victoria, "David Southwick MP"View source
Wikipedia separately describes him as having chaired the Ardoch Youth Foundation board; the discrepancy in title (President vs. Chair) between the two sources was not resolved. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Says he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services in April 2013. SSelf-stated — LIBV-DAVID-SOUTHWICKLiberal Victoria, "David Southwick — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Jan 2026)View source
Says he chaired and served on parliamentary committees including Education and Training, and Law Reform, Drugs and Crime Prevention. SSelf-stated — LIBV-DAVID-SOUTHWICKLiberal Victoria, "David Southwick — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Jan 2026)View source
Says he was a parliamentary representative on the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation. SSelf-stated — LIBV-DAVID-SOUTHWICKLiberal Victoria, "David Southwick — Liberal candidate profile" (27 Jan 2026)View source
His official parliamentary biography states he has "lived in Caulfield all his life," which he cites as motivating his focus on the electorate receiving a fair share of government funding. SSelf-stated — POV-DSParliament of Victoria, "David Southwick MP"View source
Wikipedia states he was born in Caulfield and attended Caulfield Grammar for his secondary schooling. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Wikipedia describes him as being of Polish-Jewish and Hungarian-Jewish heritage, relevant given Caulfield's significant Jewish community, though this has not been independently corroborated beyond the encyclopedia entry. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Per Wikipedia, his father ran a soap business in Laverton and served almost 30 years as a City of Werribee councillor — family civic involvement, though located in a different part of Melbourne from Caulfield. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Wikipedia states Southwick completed secondary school at Caulfield Grammar and obtained a Bachelor of Business from Victoria University. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
In November 2012, the Herald Sun and The Age reported that Southwick's official biography had claimed he held the title of "Adjunct Professor" at RMIT and a postgraduate marketing qualification from Monash University. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAIN, HS-2012, AGE-2012Wikipedia, "David Southwick"View sourceHerald Sun, "Liberal MP David Southwick defends false qualifications in official biography" (16 Nov 2012)View sourceThe Age, "MP sorry for padding his resume" (16 Nov 2012)View source
Both universities said he had not completed the requirements for either, and he subsequently removed the claims from his official material and apologised. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAIN, HS-2012, AGE-2012Wikipedia, "David Southwick"View sourceHerald Sun, "Liberal MP David Southwick defends false qualifications in official biography" (16 Nov 2012)View sourceThe Age, "MP sorry for padding his resume" (16 Nov 2012)View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
"My focus is ensuring that every single Victorian is represented and I will fight for every single Victorian like I always have."
Since the November 2025 shadow cabinet reshuffle under new leader Jess Wilson, Southwick has been Shadow Minister for Planning and Shadow Minister for Housing and Building — the portfolio areas he heads into the 2026 election responsible for.
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
From October 2023, Southwick's shadow portfolio explicitly covered energy costs, property taxes and government debt reduction as part of a dedicated cost-of-living brief.
Defending his own extensive property holdings against claims he was out of touch on affordability, Southwick said: "I don't turn away from the fact that, you know, I had a life before politics."
Herald Sun reported in March 2025 that Southwick, a landlord with multiple rental properties, was quoted describing household finances as under severe strain; the full quoted context could not be independently verified beyond the headline.
Crime and community safety
Southwick was Shadow Minister for Police, Community Safety and Corrections from 2018, then Shadow Minister for Crime Prevention and Youth Justice from 2021, giving him extensive portfolio responsibility for law-and-order policy.
In the November 2025 shadow cabinet reshuffle, Southwick's police, corrections and crime-prevention responsibilities were reassigned to another MP as new leader Jess Wilson restructured the frontbench toward planning and housing.
Housing affordability and supply
Since November 2025, Southwick has been Shadow Minister for Housing and Building, giving him direct current responsibility for Liberal housing-supply and affordability policy heading into the 2026 campaign.
Southwick's own residential property holdings (17 properties disclosed on the parliamentary register as of February 2023) became a point of public scrutiny given his cost-of-living-adjacent portfolio roles.
State government debt and fiscal management
Government debt reduction was an explicit named part of Southwick's cost-of-living shadow portfolio from October 2023, though no detailed public statements from him quantifying debt targets were found in sources reviewed.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Major projects and transport infrastructure oversight formed part of Southwick's shadow portfolio remit between October 2023 and November 2025, though no project-specific positions attributable to him personally (e.g. on Suburban Rail Loop or North East Link cost overruns) were found in sources reviewed.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
In 2018, Southwick opposed the Safe Schools anti-bullying program, saying it exposed "really young children" to inappropriate content.
By contrast, a 2023 parliamentary speech summarised by Aleph Melbourne describes Southwick speaking in support of the Safe Schools program and highlighting mental-health disparities affecting LGBTIQ+ students — an apparent shift from his 2018 position that could not be further reconciled from sources reviewed.
Health and healthcare access
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Urban planning and housing density
Since November 2025, Southwick has held the Shadow Minister for Planning portfolio, the lead Liberal opposition role on zoning, density and planning approvals statewide going into 2026.
Climate and energy transition
Southwick held the Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources and Shadow Minister for Renewables and Innovation portfolios in 2014, but no current (2025-2026) statements from him on renewable targets, offshore wind or the SEC were found in sources reviewed.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
In August 2023, The Age reported Southwick was among seven Victorian Liberal MPs who had "yet to settle on their public position" on the Indigenous Voice, distinct from colleague Jess Wilson, then the sole Liberal MP publicly backing a Yes vote.
In October 2025 he was noted applauding Aboriginal activists in the Legislative Assembly gallery during debate on the Statewide Treaty Bill 2025, per Wikipedia — not independently corroborated elsewhere.
The Liberal Coalition's reported October 2025 commitment to scrap Victoria's statewide treaty with First Peoples if elected is a party position Southwick shares institutional ownership of as deputy leader from January 2026, though no individually attributed personal quote from him on the treaty was found (source accessible at headline level only).
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
In April 2025, a swastika and the words "Libs = Nazis" were spray-painted on a campaign corflute for an Indigenous candidate displayed at Southwick's own home. Southwick, who is Jewish, called it "very, very confronting and something I wouldn't have expected." SSelf-stated — AGE-2025-CORFLUTEThe Age, "Swastika drawn on Liberal corflute of Indigenous candidate at home of MP David Southwick" (17 Apr 2025)View source
Caulfield, with a significant Jewish population, saw neo-Nazi antisemitic flyers distributed in the electorate in April 2025, and Jewish-Israeli commemorative plaques stolen from Caulfield Park in April 2026 — both accessible only at headline/date level in sources reviewed. RReported — AJN-2025-FLYERS, AJN-2026-PLAQUESThe Australian Jewish News, "Antisemitic flyers distributed by neo-Nazis in Caulfield" (30 Apr 2025)View sourceThe Australian Jewish News, "Thieves remove Jewish-Israeli plaques at Caulfield Park" (14 Apr 2026)View source
The future of Caulfield Racecourse — a long-running planning controversy since at least 2022, with 2024 speculation about a possible Melbourne Football Club relocation there — sits directly within Southwick's current Shadow Minister for Planning portfolio. RReported — AGE-2022-RACECOURSE-PLANNING, AGE-2024-RACECOURSE-DEMONSThe Age, "'Planning mess': Outcry over Caulfield Racecourse redevelopment" (1 Feb 2022)View sourceThe Age, "What would the Demons' move to Caulfield Racecourse mean for locals?" (28 Feb 2024)View source
No personally attributed position from him on the racecourse issue was found; sources on this topic are accessible at headline level only. RReported — AGE-2022-RACECOURSE-PLANNING, AGE-2024-RACECOURSE-DEMONSThe Age, "'Planning mess': Outcry over Caulfield Racecourse redevelopment" (1 Feb 2022)View sourceThe Age, "What would the Demons' move to Caulfield Racecourse mean for locals?" (28 Feb 2024)View source
In August 2026, The Australian Jewish News reported Southwick was critical of government silence regarding an antisemitism-related Royal Commission — full article content was blocked by bot-detection and could not be verified beyond the headline. RReported — AJN-2026-ROYALCOMMThe Australian Jewish News, "Southwick critical about Royal Commission silence" (17 Aug 2026)View source
New Liberal leader Jess Wilson framed the November 2025 shadow cabinet reshuffle that gave Southwick his current Planning/Housing portfolio as being "focused on the most pressing issues facing Victorians today." SSelf-stated — NEWS24-2025-SHADOWCABnews24.com.au, "Jess Wilson makes huge call in new Vic shadow cabinet announcement" (30 Nov 2025)View source
On Indigenous recognition, Southwick was historically more cautious than Wilson: in 2023 she was the sole Liberal MP publicly backing a Yes vote on the Voice, while Southwick remained undecided — suggesting he sits closer to the party's mainstream position than its most progressive wing. RReported — AGE-2023-VOICEThe Age, "The sole Victorian Liberal MP publicly backing the Voice" (12 Aug 2023)View source
As deputy Liberal leader (September 2021–December 2024, and again from January 2026), Southwick is a senior figure in setting statewide platform positions, including the Coalition's reported commitment to scrap the statewide treaty with First Peoples if elected. RReported — AUS-2026-DEPUTY, GUARDIAN-2025-TREATYThe Australian, "David Southwick elected Jess Wilson's deputy" (28 Jan 2026)View sourceThe Guardian, "Victorian Coalition vows to scrap Australia's first statewide treaty with First Peoples if it wins government" (13 Oct 2025)View source
Track record & prior candidacies
First elected to Caulfield at the 27 November 2010 election, succeeding retiring Liberal MP Helen Shardey, who endorsed him as her successor. He won 61.53%–38.47% two-candidate-preferred against Labor's Heather Abramson, a +3.90-point swing to Liberal amid the Coalition's statewide 2010 win. VVerified — WIKI-CAULF-RESULTS, WIKI-SHARDEYWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Caulfield"View sourceWikipedia, "Helen Shardey"View source
Re-elected at the 29 November 2014 election, defeating Labor's Josh Burns (later a federal MP) 54.9%–45.1% two-candidate-preferred — a −4.9-point swing against him as the Liberal-National Coalition lost government statewide. VVerified — WIKI-CAULF-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Caulfield"View source
Re-elected at the 24 November 2018 election by just 205 votes, beating Labor's Sorina Grasso 50.27%–49.73% two-candidate-preferred — a −4.61-point swing against him, making Caulfield one of Victoria's closest results that year amid a heavy statewide swing against the Coalition. VVerified — WIKI-CAULF-RESULTS, WIKI-CAULF-DISTRICTWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Caulfield"View sourceWikipedia, "Electoral district of Caulfield"View source
Re-elected at the 26 November 2022 election, defeating Labor's Lior Harel 52.1%–47.9% two-candidate-preferred, a +2.0-point swing back to Liberal in a seat that had become one of the state's most marginal. VVerified — VEC-2022Victorian Electoral Commission, "Caulfield District results (2022 state election)" (1 Dec 2022)View source
Served as Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services from April 2013 until the Coalition's defeat at the November 2014 election — his only executive-adjacent role held while Liberal was in government. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
After the 2014 loss, held the opposition portfolio of Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Renewables and Innovation under leader Matthew Guy, and at another point in that term also shadowed Transport Infrastructure, Major Projects and Cost of Living. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
From December 2018 held the Police, Community Safety and Corrections portfolio in opposition; from March 2021, under leader Michael O'Brien, this was expanded to also cover Crime Prevention and Youth Justice. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Elected Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party on 7 September 2021 when Matthew Guy returned to the leadership, and retained the deputy role when John Pesutto became leader in December 2022. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAIN, WIKI-LEAD22Wikipedia, "David Southwick"View sourceWikipedia, "2022 Victorian Liberal Party leadership election"View source
Lost the deputy leadership when Pesutto was replaced by Brad Battin on 27 December 2024; under Battin he shadowed Police and Corrections, and Crime Prevention, but a bid to reclaim the deputy role failed 17–15 to Sam Groth on 18 November 2025 after Battin himself was ousted by Jess Wilson. VVerified — WIKI-BATTIN, WIKI-SPILL25Wikipedia, "Brad Battin"View sourceWikipedia, "2025 Victorian Liberal Party leadership spill"View source
Won the deputy leadership back on 28 January 2026, defeating Chris Crewther 23–6 after Groth's resignation from the role — independently corroborated by an Australian news report the same day — and the same reshuffle returned him to the shadow frontbench; he currently shadows Planning, Housing and Building, and Tourism and Major Events under leader Jess Wilson. VVerified — WIKI-CREWTHER, WIKI-SHADCAB, POV-DS, AUS-2026-DEPUTYWikipedia, "Chris Crewther"View sourceWikipedia, "Shadow cabinet of Victoria"View sourceParliament of Victoria, "David Southwick MP"View sourceThe Australian, "David Southwick elected Jess Wilson's deputy" (28 Jan 2026)View source
In 2015 Southwick was one of only 13 Legislative Assembly MPs to vote against introducing safe access zones around abortion clinics, a conscience vote on the Public Health and Wellbeing Amendment Bill. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
He voted against the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill when the Legislative Assembly passed it 47–37 on 20 October 2017, and in 2019 voted against reforms letting transgender Victorians alter the sex recorded on their birth certificate. VVerified — WIKI-VAD17, WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017"View sourceWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
In 2020 Southwick publicly criticised the Department of Education over what he called "systemic failings" in responding to antisemitic and anti-Israeli bullying in Victorian schools — advocacy tied to Caulfield's significant Jewish community. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
During the COVID-19 pandemic he was a vocal critic of the Andrews government's hotel quarantine program, at one point attributing roughly 800 Victorian deaths to its mismanagement. RReported — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Before entering state parliament, Southwick unsuccessfully contested the federal seat of Melbourne Ports for the Liberal Party at the 2004 federal election against sitting Labor MP Michael Danby, achieving roughly a 2-point swing against Danby but not enough to win. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
He also stood unsuccessfully for the Legislative Council region of Southern Metropolitan at the 2006 Victorian state election, four years before winning Caulfield. He has held Caulfield continuously at every election since 2010, with no gaps or losses in that record. VVerified — WIKI-DS-MAINWikipedia, "David Southwick"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's own guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-06), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected.
Funding is then calculated against the candidate's audited campaign-expenditure statement and vote count, up to legislated maximums indexed annually to CPI — currently $7.70 per vote for Legislative Assembly candidates and $3.84 per vote for Legislative Council candidates for 2026-27.
This eligibility rule remains unchanged despite the Hopper v Victoria [2026] HCA 11 decision and the subsequent Electoral Further Amendment Act 2026, though the VEC notes its funding pages are under review following that Act.