He moved to Australia in 1952, subsequently studying education at the University of Melbourne.
[1] Van Vliet had made two previous unsuccessful attempts to enter parliament as the Labor candidate for the Legislative Assembly seat of Noble Park at the 1976 election and 1979 election before deciding to run for the Legislative Council in 1982.
He won Labor preselection to contest the marginal Liberal-held Legislative Council seat of Waverley Province at the 1982 state election and was successful in the state election, winning the open seat amidst Labor's statewide victory under John Cain.
He fell ill soon after, and was unable to be sworn in to take his seat before his sudden death on 16 October.
The resulting by-election was won by Labor candidate Brian Mier.