Grant McBride

Grant Anthony McBride (29 December 1949 – 12 February 2018) was an Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of The Entrance on the New South Wales Central Coast for the Labor Party between 1992 and 2011.

The Honourable
Grant McBride
Minister for Racing and Gaming
In office
2 April 2003 – 2 April 2007
Preceded byMichael Egan
Succeeded byGraham West
Minister for the Central Coast
In office
1 February 2005 – 2 April 2007
Preceded byJohn Della Bosca (as Minister Assisting the Premier for the Central Coast)
Succeeded byJohn Della Bosca
Assistant Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
In office
8 May 2007 – 4 March 2011
Preceded byAlison Megarrity
Succeeded byAndrew Fraser
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for The Entrance
In office
18 January 1992 – 26 March 2011
Preceded byBob Graham
Succeeded byChris Spence
Personal details
Born(1949-12-29)29 December 1949
Died12 February 2018(2018-02-12) (aged 68)
Wyong, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLabor
Children8, including Emma McBride
ProfessionCivil engineer

Political career

McBride won Australian Labor Party preselection for The Entrance in the 1991 state election, losing to Liberal incumbent Bob Graham by 116 votes.[1] However, due to the late completion of the 1991 redistribution, hundreds of voters received absentee ballots for Gosford. As a result, the Court of Disputed Returns ordered a by-election for 1992, which was won by McBride.[2]

In 2003, McBride was appointed Minister for Gaming and Racing and, in 2005, appointed Minister for the Central Coast.[3] As Minister for Gaming and Racing, in 2005, he proposed a ban on Dutch beer Shag, claiming its name was offensive to Australians. McBride said the beer's name linked it, "directly with sexual intercourse".[4] McBride held both Ministerial positions until a controversy arose during 2006, when he was accused of wasting $50,000 on an overseas trip in November 2005. It was alleged that McBride was accompanied by former Gosford City Councillor, Daniel Cook and his former chief of staff (and son of former Police Minister Paul Whelan) John Whelan. Media reports of the incident suggested McBride had taken the trip knowing he might be removed from the Cabinet. McBride lost his position as Minister for Gaming and Racing and Minister for the Central Coast in April 2007.[5]

In May 2007, McBride was appointed Assistant Speaker of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.[3] On 8 November 2010, McBride announced that he would not contest the 2011 state election.[6][7]

Personal life and death

McBride was a qualified engineer who worked as an electorate officer to former prime minister, Gough Whitlam.[3] He was married and lived in The Entrance with his wife and eight children, and was an avowed teetotaller and non-gambler.[4] His daughter, Emma McBride, is the current federal MP for Division of Dobell.

He died on 12 February 2018 from Alzheimer's disease at the age of 68.[8][9]

References
  1. "Voting by district - Adam Carr's Election Archive". Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  2. "The Entrance (Key Seat)". Election Guide. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 17 February 2007.
  3. "The Hon. Grant Anthony McBride (1949-2018)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. Mitchell, Alex (5 June 2005). "Beer's blue bottle faces ban". The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  5. Clennell, Andrew (11 March 2006). "After $50,000 trip, Minister is minus his department". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  6. Smith, Alexandra (9 November 2010). "Time's up for central coast Labor MPs". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  7. AAP (8 November 2010). "Two more NSW Labor MPs bow out". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 November 2010.
  8. "Grant McBride, Former The Entrance MP, Dies At 68". 13 February 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  9. "Former Central Coast Minister Grant McBride dies after battle with Alzheimer's". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 13 February 2018.
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