Di Rule | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of the Borough of Queenscliffe | |
| Assumed office 25 November 2024 | |
| Deputy | Brendan Monahan |
| Preceded by | Ross Ebbels |
| Councillor of the Borough of Queenscliffe | |
| Assumed office 26 October 2024 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Dianne Etches 1959 or 1960 (age 65) |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Andrew Rule |
Dianne Rule (born Dianne Etches,1959 or 1960) is an Australian politician who currently serves as a councillor and mayor of the Borough of Queenscliffe. A member of the Victorian Liberal Party,she has twice unsuccessfully stood as a candidate in state elections,and served as an advisor to Liberal leader Ted Baillieu. Rule has served in a number of positions in the public and private sector.
Dianne Etches grew up in the Borough of Queenscliffe,attending Point Lonsdale Primary School and Queenscliff High School before leaving for university. [1] While her exact date of birth is unclear,she was aged 39 as of July 1999 and 64 as of October 2024,meaning she was born in either 1959 or 1960. [2] [3] Her brother is Brendan Etches,a former cadet in the Australian Army. [4]
Rule worked as an electoral officer for Karen Synon during Synon's brief tenure in the Senate. [2] Rule first stood as a political candidate at the 1999 Victorian state election,representing the Liberal Party in the Legislative Assembly district of Seymour. [5] She defeated Jeff Kennett staffer Gavin Clancy and former MP Max Turner in a Liberal preselection ballot. [2] Although Rule polled a plurality of primary votes,she was overtaken by Labor candidate Ben Hardman following the distribution of preferences,and was unsuccessful. [6] At the 2002 state election,she contested Burwood,also for the Liberal Party. [5] However,Rule came second on primary votes to Labor incumbent Bob Stensholt,falling further behind on the final two-party-preferred count. [7]
Rule later became an electorate officer to Ted Baillieu,becoming Baillieu's senior adviser after he was elected leader of the Victorian Liberals in May 2006. [8] [9] Rule was appointed to the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority under the Baillieu government. [10] She was appointed as the chair of the James Macready-Bryan (JMB) Foundation in 2015,which was initially established in 2006 to help young people with brain injuries. [11] [12] Rule served as chair until 2021. [13] From 2015 to 2018,Rule was a member of the Cancer Australia Advisory Council. [14] [15] Rule also sat on the advisory council for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 2020 to 2023. [16]
Rule stood as a candidate for the 2024 Victorian local elections,contesting the sole multi-member ward in the Borough of Queenscliffe. Rule was not endorsed by any political party,although she remained a member of the Liberal Party. [1] [3] [17] She stated her support for a platform of value for ratepayers and protecting the environment of the borough. [1] [3] Rule was elected as the fourth candidate in the five-member ward,becoming a councillor for the Borough of Queenscliffe. [18] Following a special council meeting in November 2024,Rule was elected as the mayor of the Borough of Queenscliffe for a one-year term,alongside deputy mayor Brendan Monahan. She succeeded Ross Ebbels as mayor,who was unsuccessful in his bid for re-election to council. [19]
Rule has 3 children. [2] She is married to Andrew Rule,a journalist who has worked for the Herald Sun and The Age . [20] Rule lives in Point Lonsdale. [1]
The other problem with having Andrew Rule beat up on Wilkie is that his wife, Di Rule, is a two-time unsuccessful Victorian Liberal candidate.