Ross Vasta Politician

Ross Xavier Vasta (born 8 October 1966), Australian politician, was elected to the House of Representatives as member for the Division of Bonner, Queensland for the Liberal Party of Australia at the 2004 federal election. He defeated the former Labor minister and candidate Con Sciacca.Vasta was educated at Villanova College in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo, and attended Griffith University, where he graduated with a commerce degree. He started and operated three Italian Restaurants by the name of Elio's and worked as a company director before entering politics. At the 2001 federal election, Vasta was the Liberal Party candidate for the Division of Griffith. He was defeated by the sitting member, Kevin Rudd, who in November 2007, became Prime Minister of Australia.Vasta was a member of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Workplace Relations and Workforce Participation, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing, and the Government Backbench Policy Committee – Health and Ageing.In the Australian federal election, 2007, Vasta was defeated by Labor candidate Kerry Rea on a swing of 4.75 points, the lowest against a Liberal incumbent in Queensland.Following his election defeat, Vasta successfully contested Liberal Party preselection for the Brisbane City Council ward of Wynnum-Manly on Brisbane's west. He was defeated by the Labor incumbent, polling 36% of the primary vote.Vasta decided once again to stand for election as Liberal National Party candidate in Australian federal election, 2010 for Bonner. On 21 August, he defeated the woman who had defeated him in 2007, Labor Incumbent Kerry Rea, by a 53% to 47% margin. Vasta achieved a 7-point swing towards him, one of the highest to any Liberal candidate in Queensland.