Luba Grigorovitch
The Honorable Luba Grigorovitch MP | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Kororoit | |
| Assumed office 27 November 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Marlene Kairouz |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Labor |
Luba Norma Grigorovitch (born 5 June 1985) is an Australian Labor Party politician and former trade union official.
Luba has, since the 2022 state election, been the representative of the district of Kororoit in the Victorian Legislative Assembly.[1] Prior to her election, she was a state secretary of the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU). She is a formal member of the Labor Left political faction.[note 1]
She is married to Ben Gray, a founding partner of private equity firm BGH Capital, son of the former Premier of Tasmania Robin Gray.
Early life and education
Luba was born in Altona to a Russian father and Australian mother, Robyn Joan Grigorovitch.[2] Her parents separated when she was young, due to family violence.[Hansard 1] She was raised in Altona, mostly by her mother, who cared for her as well as her brother Robbie, and her uncle Ken who required care due to an intellectual disability.[3]
She attended high school at Mount St Joseph Girls' College. While at school, when she was twelve, she was present during a visit by Joan Kirner, the first female premier of Victoria. Her mother was an ALP member and noticed Luba's enthusiasm about this encounter, and encouraged her to attend a party branch meeting. After this, Luba became an active member of her local branch.[Hansard 1][3]
Luba attended Melbourne's Victoria University completing a double bachelor degree in Arts and Business.[Hansard 1][4][5]
Career
In 2009 she was elected as a Councillor for the City of Hobson's Bay. In 2012 she was re-elected and assumed the role of Deputy Mayor.[6]
Luba's career in the RTBU union began in 2010, prior to her role as Deputy Mayor. Her initial role at the union was as an industrial officer and women's officer in its Victorian branch. In 2011, she became an elected organiser and women's officer for one of its divisions.[note 2]
In 2014 she became the first female, and youngest appointed State Secretary of the RTBU.[note 3][7] During her tenure as the state secretary the union undertook industrial action in pursuit of enterprise agreements with Metro Trains and Yarra Trams. There was also a campaign in 2017 to pressure the Andrews Labor Government to return Victoria's railways to public ownership, however, this campaign was unsuccessful.[8][9]
In 2015 she was elected to the national body of the ACTU executive.
In 2019 she was appointed national president of the RTBU, serving until December 14 2022. She was the first female national president of the union.[10]
In December 2021 Luba was preselected as Labor's candidate for the safe seat of Kororoit. The incumbent member, Marlene Kairouz, attempted to retain preselection, but was defeated in internal party processes.[11] Following this, Luba retired as the state secretary of the RTBU in April 2022. She was succeeded as the RTBU state secretary by Vik Sharma.[12]
Parliamentary career
Luba was elected as the state member for Kororoit at the 2022 Victorian state election.[13]
Personal life
According to Luba's parliamentary register of interests, she is a landlord, as she owns a rental property in Southbank. She is also the owner of industrial land in Altona. The register also notes that her partner runs the Australian private equity firm BGH capital.[14][note 4]
In 2016 Luba attended the Australian American Leadership Dialogue. Whilst attending, she met and befriended Ben Gray, who at the time was a regional head at the American private equity firm TPG. In 2020, their romantic involvement became publicly known.[15] During the intervening period, Ben retired from TPG, and founded the Australian private equity firm BGH capital alongside partners Robin Bishop and Simon Harle.[16]
In January 2023 Luba and Ben were married in a public ceremony at their $30m Portsea mansion, the 'Westside'.[17][18] The best man at the wedding was Alan Tudge, who at the time had recently resigned from the federal LNP frontbench in disgrace. Former Greens MLC Colleen Hartland officiated. Luba’s dress was designed by Karen Willis Holmes.[19]
The wedding was attended by many of Victoria's political, business, and union power elite.[19] Amongst the politicians in attendance was the Premier Daniel Andrews and his wife Catherine, and Minister Ben Carroll.[20] Union attendees included John Setka, Mem Suleyman, and Earl Setches. Other attendees included various colleagues from Ben Gray's business career. Reportedly, Mem Suleyman[note 5] and Earl Setches[note 6] were placed at tables at opposite ends of the venue, due to a recent physical altercation between them both; guests were apparently amused at one point by a 'closely watched tense scene' between the two.[20][21] John Setka was placed at a table with a prominent barrister and silk that is regularly an opponent of his union, Stuart Wood KC.[22] Guests described the wedding as 'opulent' with 'absolutely no expense spared'. Reportedly, the event remained a popular topic of discussion on Spring St even a week after the date.[20]
Luba and her partner's ownership of a $30m mansion has been a source of discussion amongst Victoria's political circles, with some speculating that it may be used by opponents to claim she lacks working class credentials.[23] In response to a request for comment from the Herald Sun regarding this issue in 2022, Luba said she was 'proudly a woman from the west', and pointed to her situation of being encumbered by a mortgage paid in her own name.[23]
Notes
- ↑ Within the labor left faction, Luba is a member of the 'industrial left' subfaction
- ↑ The union's Administration, Salaried, Technical and Professional Division
- ↑ In February of that year she was appointed to the position, and in November was elected by the union's membership
- ↑ Whilst the declaration lists the firm as "Australia's largest private equity firm", this is in fact incorrect, as reported by the Herald Sun on 20 February 2023. (See: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/backroom-baz-daniel-andrews-invited-on-tour-of-victorias-damaged-roads/news-story/07cf6110905ee0414838883117f37b43)
- ↑ Transport Workers Union assistant secretary as at Jan 2023
- ↑ Head of Victoria’s plumbing union as at Jan 2023
References
- ↑ "Kororoit - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results". abc.net.au. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
- ↑ "Shilling Wall - G". Queen Victoria Women's Centre. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Luba Grigorovitch can stop every tram in Melbourne". Australian Financial Review. 2019-08-02. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ "Around-laverton-issue-342-mar-2014 by Around Laverton Community Newspaper - Issuu". Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Young leader | Victoria University".
- ↑ https://www.starweekly.com.au/uncategorized/1389965-rail-tram-and-bus-union-hobsons-bay-deputy-mayor-puts-women-on-map/[dead link]
- ↑ "RTBU Executive". Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ↑ "RTBU calls for public ownership of public transport". 6 February 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ↑ "Metro Trains and Yarra Trams win new $7b contracts with tougher targets". ABC News. 12 September 2017. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ↑ https://meltonmoorabool.starweekly.com.au/news/labors-luba-grigorovitch-catched-kororoit/ Accessed on 1 December, 2022
- ↑ "Politics comes full circle for Luba Grigorovitch". 14 December 2021. Retrieved May 27, 2022.
- ↑ https://www.rtbuvic.com.au/wp-content/uploads/RTBUExpress_VOL9_ISSUE-4.pdf Accessed on 8 May 2022
- ↑ https://meltonmoorabool.starweekly.com.au/news/labors-red-wall-stands/ . 28 November 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022
- ↑ "Legislative Assembly Primary Returns - Register of Interests Returns submitted by Members of the Legislative Assembly" (PDF). 16 January 2023.
- ↑ Hutchinson, Stephen Brook, Samantha (2020-12-07). "Private equity giant's love match with union boss". The Age. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ "Ben Gray's BGH Capital is gunning for Pacific Equity Partners". Australian Financial Review. 2017-10-02. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ "Private equity owner Ben Gray marries Labor MP Luba Grigorovitch". Australian Financial Review. 2023-01-22. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ "Ben Gray sets Portsea clifftop record with $30m sale". Australian Financial Review. 2022-01-19. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 Byrne, Fiona (21 January 2023). "Politicians and business leaders at power couple Ben Gray and Luba Grigorovitch's Mornington Peninsula wedding". The Herald Sun.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Baz, Backroom (30 January 2023). "Sloppy spelling plaguing Liberal Party leader - Luba". The Herald Sun.
- ↑ "Union heavyweight 'headbutts rival' at Christmas party". The Age. 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2023-02-20.
- ↑ Setka, John (12 December 2017). "CFMEU boss John Setka banned from picketing Melbourne wharf". The Herald Sun.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 Baz, Backroom (24 January 2022). "Union boss Luba Grigorovitch's link to Sorrento mansion a hot topic". The Herald Sun.
Hansard
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Luba Grigorovitch, Member for Kororoit (8 February 2023). "ADDRESS TO PARLIAMENT" (PDF). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). 60th Parliament. Parliament of Victoria: Legislative Assembly. Search this book on
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