David Southwick

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David James Southwick (born 31 March 1968) is an Australian Liberal politician who has represented Caulfield in the Victorian Parliament since 2010. He is the Deputy Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party, a role he currently holds after winning a leadership contest in January 2026; he previously served as deputy leader from September 2021 to December 2024.

Background
Southwick was born in Melbourne, one of three children of Beryl and Stuart Southwick. His father ran a soap business and served on the City of Werribee council for almost 30 years. He went to Caulfield Grammar School, earned a Bachelor of Business from Victoria University, and studied at Monash Caulfield. He started a business, The Body Collection, employing about 50 people, and worked as a lecturer at Victoria University and RMIT. He was RMIT’s first Entrepreneur in Residence in 2003 and chaired the Ardoch Youth Foundation.

Political career
He ran unsuccessfully for Melbourne Ports in 2004 and for the Southern Metropolitan Region in 2006 before being elected for Caulfield in 2010. In 2012 it was revealed he had listed fake qualifications on his website; he removed the claims and explained they referred to an overseas teaching role.

In Parliament, Southwick has held many shadow minister posts, including Police and Emergency Services, Corrections, Crime Prevention, Youth and Youth Justice, Trade and Investment, Transport Infrastructure, Major Projects and Cost of Living. He served as Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services in 2013. After the Liberal defeat in 2014, he was Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Renewables and Innovation, and later for Police, Community Safety and Corrections, with additional responsibilities for Crime Prevention and Youth Justice. As of late 2025 he was Shadow Minister for Planning and Housing and Building.

Positions and public record
- 2015: Opposed safe access zones outside abortion clinics.
- 2018: Voted against legalising voluntary assisted dying and opposed the Safe Schools program.
- 2019: Voted against allowing transgender people to change the gender on their birth certificates.
- 2020: Criticised the education department over antisemitic and anti-Israeli bullying.
- 2022: Campaign ads drew criticism for featuring staff without disclosure.
- 2025: Supported Aboriginal activists calling for a treaty.

Personal life
Southwick is married to Hayley and has two children. He has Polish-Jewish and Hungarian-Jewish heritage. By early 2025, he owned 16 properties, with rental income from five.