Craig Bildstien

Craig Bildstien is Director, Media & Stakeholder Relations, External Affairs Branch, with the Australian Government Workplace Ombudsman based in Melbourne. Previously, he was an account director with Adelaide's Ball Public Relations. He is a former journalist, politician, media strategist and political adviser. Originally from Victoria, he was a member of the Legislative Assembly, representing Mildura from 1988 to 1996. Between 1992 and 1996, he was Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture in Jeff Kennett's first Government. Since leaving politics, he has mainly worked in South Australia. From 2003 to the end of 2007 he was a senior investigative journalist at "The Advertiser". Previously, he was chief-of-staff to former Premier John Olsen, chief-of-staff to former Environment Minister Iain Evans and senior advisor to former Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Chris Gallus. He also had a short stint as a strategic communications adviser at the Adelaide City Council. Before entering politics, Bildstien was the chief political reporter at the now defunct "Adelaide News" tabloid daily newspaper. His media career includes four years at Albury's "Border Mail" and was chief sub editor of Mildura's "Sunraysia Daily". He has experience working in both radio and television as well, previously reading the news on Mildura's regional network. He has worked for a string of MPs, including former Victorian Tourism Minister Louise Asher, Agriculture Minister Tom Austin and Sports Minister Tom Reynolds. He was recruited by Ball Public Relations in December 2007 after relinquishing his position as City Editor at the "Advertiser" and now acts as Director Media & Stakeholder Relations for the Commonwealth Workplace Ombudsman.