David Ridgway (politician)

{{BLP unreferenced section|date=April 2019}}

Ridgway was elected state president of the South Australian Rural Youth Movement in 1982–83. In 1984 he won a six-month youth study tour to the UK. This experience heightened his interest in politics, especially in primary industries and regional development.

Ridgway began working on the family farm and at 19 he took on management of the family's horticultural business. After purchasing the business in 1997 with his wife Meredith, they expanded the operation to become the largest producer of gladioli corms in Australia and New Zealand.

{{BLP sources|date=March 2018}}

Ridgway was elected from fourth position on the Liberal ticket at the 2002 election and from first position on the Liberal ticket at the 2010 election.

Ridgway was appointed a Shadow Parliamentary Secretary in 2005, and after the 2006 election was appointed Shadow Minister for Environment and Conservation, the River Murray and Urban Development & Planning, under the leadership of Iain Evans. A leadership change in April 2007, in which Martin Hamilton-Smith assumed Liberal Party leadership, prompted a re-shuffle of the Party's Shadow Cabinet, at which point Ridgway was made Shadow Minister for Police and Mineral Resources Development, whilst retaining his Shadow Urban Development & Planning post. David Ridgway also assisted the Leader of the Opposition with the Multicultural Affairs portfolio. In February 2013, Ridgway was further promoted to the crucial portfolios of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Forests and Tourism. Between 2007 and 2018 Ridgway served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council.

Following the 2018 state election Ridgway was appointed as Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment.{{cite news |url=https://indaily.com.au/news/politics/2018/03/22/ministries-merged-marshall-unveils-new-cabinet/ |title=Marshall unveils new Cabinet |first=Bension |last=Siebert |date=22 March 2018 |access-date=23 March 2018 |newspaper=InDaily}}

Ridgway was relieved{{cite news |title=SA Premier will head tourism-led recovery in fire-ravaged Kangaroo Island and Adelaide Hills |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-11/premier-to-take-over-tourism-portfolio-after-bushfires/11860042 |website=ABC News |date=11 January 2020 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=11 January 2020}} of his Tourism ministerial responsibilities in the immediate aftermath of the devastation of Kangaroo Island and other South Australian tourist areas during the 2019–20 bushfires when the Premier, Steven Marshall assumed that ministerial role on 11 January 2020. On 13 January 2020, by proclamation of the Governor, Ridgway was relieved of the Tourism portfolio in his ministerial position.[https://governmentgazette.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/public/documents/gazette/2020/January/2020_004.pdf South Australian Government Gazette, 13 January 2020] In July 2020, Ridgway resigned from cabinet, indicating he was unwilling to serve in a reshuffled ministry following the resignation of Stephan Knoll and Tim Whetstone over an expenses scandal.{{cite news |title=Three SA ministers resign from cabinet – Australian Associated Press |url=https://www.aap.com.au/three-sa-ministers-resign-from-cabinet/ |access-date=26 July 2020 |agency=AAP |date=26 July 2020 |language=en}}

Ridgway resigned from the Legislative Council in June 2021 in order to be appointed as South Australia's Agent-General in London.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-01/david-ridgway-appointed-new-sa-agent-general/100259820|title=Former minister David Ridgway appointed South Australia's new agent-general in London|last=Boisvert|first=Eugene|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=1 July 2021}}

He currently resides in Adelaide and has three children.{{citation needed|date=March 2018}}

{{reflist}}

• {{cite SA-parl |pid=1820 |name=Ridgway, David |former=yes |access-date=19 August 2022}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-off}}

{{s-bef |before=Leon Bignell |as=Minister for Tourism }}

{{s-ttl |title=Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment |years=2018–2020 |rows=2}}

{{s-aft|after=Steven Marshall |as=Premier of South Australia}}

{{s-bef |before=Martin Hamilton-Smith |as=Minister for Investment and Trade}}

{{s-aft|after=Himself |as=Minister for Trade and Investment}}

{{s-bef |before=Himself |as=Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment }}

{{s-ttl |title=Minister for Trade and Investment |years=2020}}

{{s-aft|after=Stephen Patterson}}

{{s-bef|before=Rob Lucas}}

{{s-ttl|title=Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council|years=2007{{ndash}}2018}}

{{s-aft|after=Kyam Maher}}

{{s-dip}}

{{s-bef|before=Bill Muirhead}}

{{s-ttl|title=Agent-General for South Australia|years=2021–present}}

{{s-inc}}

{{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ridgway, David}}

Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of South Australia

Category:1960 births

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the South Australian Legislative Council

Category:21st-century Australian politicians