Dr Richard Di Natale is a former Greens Senator for Victoria, serving in Parliament from 2011 to 2020. Richard was Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens from 2015 until 2020.
Prior to entering parliament, Richard was a general practitioner (GP) and public health specialist. He worked in Aboriginal health in the Northern Territory, on HIV prevention in India and in the drug and alcohol sector. His key health priorities include preventative health, public dental care, drug law reform and responding to the health impacts of climate change.
Richard's achievements in parliament so far include securing almost $5 billion towards Medicare-funded dentistry, winning a campaign to divest $250 million worth of tobacco stocks from the Future Fund, and spearheading campaigns into many issues of public significance such as dying with dignity, medicinal cannabis, and drug law reform. He is the co-convenor of the Parliamentary Friends for Drug Policy and Law Reform, the Parliamentary Friends of West Papua and the Parliamentary Friends of Medicine.
Richard became leader of the Australian Greens in May 2015 following the retirement of Senator Christine Milne. In February 2020 he decided to step back to spend more time with his young family. Richard, his wife Lucy and two young boys live on a working farm in the foothills of Victoria's Otway Range. The son of Italian migrants, Richard grew up in Melbourne. He played VFA football for six years and is a former long-suffering Richmond Tigers fan.
The choices we make reflect our values and aspirations. For those who choose for their precious places to be protected, for a smart economy based on education and innovation, for women to be safe to thrive and succeed in their chosen careers, for younger people to get a fair go in the housing market, for children and future generations, for a just settlement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, for poverty alleviated not entrenched in our society, for equal access to first class education, health and social services, and for a vibrant, prosperous and creative Australia — your choice is the Greens
