Victorian politics: Danny O’Brien replaces Peter Walsh as Nats’ leader

New Victorian Nats’ leader Danny O’Brien has been described as having a “masters’ degree in life experience”. Read about his journey.

In many ways new Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien was destined for a career in politics.

His dad, Pat, was a Democratic Labor Party member before making the switch to the Nationals, which he stood for in the federal seat of McMillan in 1987.

Pat was also a prolific letter writer on political issues to local newspapers including the one where his youngest of seven children scored his first job, The Gippsland Times.

Mr O’Brien, 50, also worked in regional television news before a career-changing switch.

His first political job was working for the man he replaced as Gippsland South MP, lawyer Peter Ryan, and this week followed in becoming the party’s state leader.

But before his entry into parliament, Mr O’Brien’s apprenticeship included working for federal MPs Mark Vaile and Barnaby Joyce and the National Irrigators’ Council.

Mr Ryan said Mr O’Brien had a “masters’ degree in life experience” with past roles conditioning him perfectly for party leadership.

“He’s just taken up all those experiences in previous jobs like a sponge,” he said.

“In the years he worked with me, we did a lot of miles together, travelling Victoria extensively.

“I don’t think I know someone who knows country Victoria, the huge geography of it, and it’s people, better than Danny O’Brien.”

Danny O’Brien has replaced Peter Walsh as Victorian Nationals’ leader. (AAP Image/James Ross)

Mr O’Brien’s roots are planted deep in Gippsland with his great-great-grandparents leaving Ireland to establish Negoura Station near Swifts Creek in the 1880s.

His dad was a shearer and farmhand and his late mum Ann was a schoolteacher in the high country when she met her future husband.

Mr O’Brien met his wife Vicki when they worked together at WINTV in Traralgon and they have two teenage children, Harvey and Milly.

The city-country divide has been a source of frustration since a young age.

“I was always miffed that country people were often just forgotten,” he said.

“I remember having to fill in forms as a kid that often had name, street, suburb, and it really annoyed me.

“Why was it assumed we all live in a suburb in the city?”

Mr O’Brien said the Nationals’ leadership change after nine years under Peter Walsh would be “evolution rather than revolution”.

“Our reason for being is to fight for rural and regional Victoria,” he said.

“It’s not only realistic that we can win the next election, but we have to win it.

“Not only for the state broadly, but particularly the people of regional Victoria who have just been neglected for 10 years now.

“Our roads, our hospitals, energy prices, all those things, heavily impact on regional Victoria.

“We’ve also seen a very anti-regional Victoria government when it comes to shutting down things like native timber harvesting.”

New Victorian Nationals leader Danny O’Brien. Picture: Supplied

Outside of politics, the Carlton fan remains actively involved in his local community.

He has been a committee member of an annual Big Blokes Barbecue from its inception nine years ago, raising a total of $750,000 to date to fund a prostate cancer nurse in Wellington Shire.

“He gives back to the community in his own time and it’s great people see he does those other things aside from being a politician,” committee president Ian Bye said.

“But he’s at every community event going around.

“He’s just a great bloke.”