Grace Grace
Ignazia Graziella "Grace" Grace (née Farfaglia;[lower-alpha 1] born 12 August 1958) is an Australian politician from the state of Queensland. She has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the seat of McConnel and its predecessor seat, Brisbane Central, for all but two years since 2007. She is a member of the Labor Party.
Grace Grace | |
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Minister for Education of Queensland | |
Assumed office 12 December 2017 | |
Premier | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
Preceded by | Kate Jones |
Minister for Industrial Relations of Queensland | |
Assumed office 7 December 2015 | |
Premier | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
Preceded by | Curtis Pitt |
Minister for Racing of Queensland | |
Assumed office 12 November 2020 | |
Premier | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
Preceded by | Stirling Hinchliffe |
In office 7 December 2015 – 11 December 2017 | |
Premier | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
Preceded by | Bill Byrne |
Succeeded by | Stirling Hinchliffe |
Minister for Employment of Queensland | |
In office 7 December 2015 – 11 December 2017 | |
Premier | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
Preceded by | Curtis Pitt |
Succeeded by | Shannon Fentiman |
Minister for Multicultural Affairs of Queensland | |
In office 7 December 2015 – 11 December 2017 | |
Premier | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
Preceded by | Shannon Fentiman |
Succeeded by | Stirling Hinchliffe |
Deputy Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly | |
In office 24 March 2015 – 16 February 2016 | |
Preceded by | Mark Robinson |
Succeeded by | Di Farmer |
Member of the Queensland Parliament for McConnel Brisbane Central (2007–2017) | |
Assumed office 31 January 2015 | |
Preceded by | Robert Cavallucci |
In office 13 October 2007 – 24 March 2012 | |
Preceded by | Peter Beattie |
Succeeded by | Robert Cavallucci |
Personal details | |
Born | Ignazia Graziella Farfaglia 12 August 1958 Brisbane, Queensland |
Political party | Labor |
Spouse | Michael Grace |
Signature | |
Website | www |
Grace was born in Brisbane, Queensland, the daughter of an Italian migrant cane cutter. She was an industrial relations advisor to the Keating government until 1995 when she was elected as assistant general secretary, and in 2000 the first female general secretary, of the Queensland Council of Unions.[1]
Grace was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2007 Brisbane Central state by-election following the resignation of Premier Peter Beattie. The Coalition did not field a candidate. She won the seat again in the 2009 state election, despite an 8.4 percent swing to the newly merged Liberal National Party (LNP).
Grace was a notable supporter of the ALP government's decision to legislate civil partnerships for homosexual couples in Queensland. New Farm and Fortitude Valley, the main centres for Brisbane's gay community, are both in her electorate and she has built close ties with gay rights organisations.
In the 2012 state election she lost her seat to the LNP's Robert Cavallucci. She regained her seat in the 2015 Queensland state election. She was elected Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, under Peter Wellington, and was given three Ministerial portfolios in a cabinet reshuffle on 7 December 2015.[2]
Notes
- In Italian, her birth name is pronounced [iɲˈat͡sia ɡrat͡sjˈɛlla farfˈaʎa].
References
- Notable unionist tipped for seat Archived 14 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, The Australian, 12 September 2007.
- Agius, Kim (7 December 2015). "Queensland Cabinet reshuffle: Who's going where?". ABC News. ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.