His mother registered him as an Italian citizen by descent when he was a child, but he renounced it prior to his first run for parliament in 2001.

[3] Vasta was educated at Villanova College in the Brisbane suburb of Coorparoo, and attended Griffith University, where he graduated with a commerce degree.

[4] He ran and operated three family-owned Italian cuisine restaurants named Elio's and worked as a company director before entering politics.

In the 2004 federal election, Vasta stood for the Liberals in the Division of Bonner, and defeated former Labor minister Con Sciacca.

Vasta was nominated to the speaker's panel in 2013 and has served as chair of the standing committees on privileges and parliamentary procedure.