Reece Whitby

{{short description|Australian politician}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}

{{Use Australian English|date=March 2017}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Reece Whitby

| honorific-suffix = MLA

| image =

| assembly = Western Australian Legislative

| constituency_AM = Baldivis

| term_start = 11 March 2017

| term_end =

| predecessor = new seat

| successor =

| majority =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1964|5|29}}

| birth_place = Perth, Western Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Labor

| occupation = Journalist

| website = {{URL|https://www.reecewhitby.com.au/}}

}}

Reece Raymond Whitby (born 29 May 1964) is an Australian politician. He has been a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since the 2017 state election, representing Baldivis. Shortly after the 2017 election, Whitby was appointed by Premier of Western Australia Mark McGowan as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer and Minister for Energy and Finance, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Environment and Disability Services. Whitby was re-elected to the seat of Baldivis in the 2021 state election, and he was appointed to the Second McGowan Ministry, becoming the Minister of Emergency Services; Racing and Gaming, Small Business and Volunteering.{{cite news |last1=de Kruijff |first1=Peter |last2=Hastie |first2=Hamish |title=Mark McGowan makes himself Treasurer in sweeping cabinet changes |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/western-australia/mark-mcgowan-makes-himself-treasurer-in-sweeping-cabinet-changes-20210318-p57bx1.html |work=Brisbane Times |date=18 March 2021|access-date=11 April 2021}}

10 months into the second McGowan Ministry, Whitby was elevated to the Environment and Climate Action portfolio, having been left vacant by Amber-Jade Sanderson taking on the Health portfolios. At the end of 2023, Whitby added the Energy portfolio to his area of responsibility.

Whitby was raised in Balga, Western Australia, and attended North Balga Primary School and Greenwood Senior High School. Before entering politics he was a journalist at the South Western Times in Bunbury, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Nine Network and Seven Network.{{cite web |last1=Whitby |first1=Reece |title=Inaugural Speech, Mr Reece Whitby, MLA (Member for Baldivis) |url=https://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/parliament/Memblist.nsf/(MemberPics)/3267C830905B28F6482580F1001224A7/$file/ReeceWhitbyInaugral2017.pdf |website=Parliament of Western Australia |publisher=Hansard |access-date=13 April 2021 |location=Perth, WA |date=17 May 2017}}{{cite news |title=Reece Whitby |url=https://www.businessnews.com.au/Person/Reece-Whitby |access-date=11 April 2021|location=Perth, WA |work=Business News}} In 2008 and 2013 he ran unsuccessfully as the Labor candidate for the state Legislative Assembly electoral district of Morley.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/wa-election-2017/guide/bald/|last=Green|first=Antony|author-link=Antony Green|title=Baldivis|work=ABC Elections|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|year=2017}}

Whitby is married to Supreme Court of Western Australia Justice Natalie Whitby.{{cite web |title=Barrister, Supreme Court Registrar appointed to District Court |url=https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2021/06/Barrister-Supreme-Court-Registrar-appointed-to-District-Court.aspx |publisher=Dept of the Premier and Cabinet |access-date=8 June 2021 |location=Perth, WA |date=1 June 2021 |archive-date=8 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210608123847/https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2021/06/Barrister-Supreme-Court-Registrar-appointed-to-District-Court.aspx |url-status=dead }} They have four children.{{cite web |title=Reece Whitby MLA |url=https://www.reecewhitby.com.au/ |publisher=ALP (WA Branch) |access-date=11 April 2021 |location=East Perth, WA}}

Whitby is one of four Labor MPs in state parliament that is not factionally aligned as of 2025.{{cite web |last1=Hastie |first1=Hamish |title=WA Labor’s factional makeup has changed dramatically since Saturday. Here’s what we know |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/politics/western-australia/wa-labor-s-factional-makeup-has-changed-dramatically-since-saturday-here-s-what-we-know-20250312-p5lizv.html |website=WAtoday |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=12 March 2025}}

Whitby worked for the Seven Network before his political career.