Gary Maas Explained

Gary Maas
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Constituency Am:Narre Warren South
Assembly:Victorian Legislative
Term Start:24 November 2018
Predecessor:Judith Graley
Party:Labor Party
Committees:Chair, Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee since August 2023[1]

Member, Legislative Assembly Legal and Social Issues Committee March 2023 - February 2024[2]

Chair, Integrity and Oversight Committee February 2023 - March 2023[3]

Chair, Integrity and Oversight Committee August 2022 - November 2022[4]

Member, Public Accounts and Estimates Committee March 2019 - November 2022[5]

Mark Gary Maas is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2018, where he represents the seat of Narre Warren South. He has been a member of the party since 1998.

Background and Early Career

Maas holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A Honours) from Monash University and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from La Trobe University. He also holds a Diploma in Financial Planning and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Maas has previously worked as a touring and recording musician, an educator and a private-practice lawyer. He has been a board member on commercial and not-for profit boards.

For 16 years, he worked at the powerful private sector union, National Union of Workers (now United Workers Union) where for the last four years he was its Victorian Secretary.

Political Career

In November 2018 Maas was elected to the seat of Narre Warren South [6], successfully retaining the seat for Labor.

In November 2022 he was re-elected in a third term Andrews Labor Government[7] .

Maas has an interest in many public policy areas including education, law reform, climate change action, industrial relations, housing, trade, and creative industries.

Controversy

Maas has been criticized alongside several other Victorian MPs of residing a significant distance from the area and constituents he represents. [8]

Personal Life

Maas was born, raised and public school educated in the Melbourne south-eastern suburb of Springvale. He is the youngest son of Sri-Lankan migrants, who settled in Australia just 18 months earlier.

He co-parents his two daughters from a previous marriage. He is still an active member of local music and creative communities. Maas has previously lived within the electorate while serving as Member for Narre Warren South but relocated due to personal reasons to be closer to his children.

Notes and References

  1. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/sarc
  2. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/lsic-la
  3. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/ioc
  4. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/ioc
  5. https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/paec
  6. Web site: Narre Warren South. Victorian State Election 2018. Green. Antony. Antony Green. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2018.
  7. Web site: Narre Warren South. Victorian State Election 2022. Green. Antony. Antony Green. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2022.
  8. Web site: The Vic MPs who live in upmarket suburbs a long way from. The Australian. 2024-06-19.