Andrew McDonald (Australian politician)
Encyclopedia
Andrew Dominic McDonald (born 1 March 1955) is an Australia
n doctor and politician. He attended St. Leo's Catholic College
in Wahroonga
, before studying medicine at the University of Sydney
. He worked as a paediatrician at Campbelltown Hospital for 17 years prior to joining the Labor Party. In this period, he was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as a critic of the State Labor government's health policies.
On 23 January 2007, he was preselected for the New South Wales
electoral district of Macquarie Fields
by the Australian Labor Party
, following the resignation of former sitting MP Steven Chaytor
. He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
on 24 March 2007. Although Labor retained the seat, there was a 12% two-party preferred swing against the party, the highest anti-Labor swing in the state.
During his tenure in Parliament, Imre Salusinszky
recommended that he be appointed Health Minister. He is a member of the Macarthur Boys, described as 'a new powerful force emerging from within the once powerful Right.'. After the resignation of Morris Iemma
, it was speculated that he might resign to return to work as a paediatrician. However, McDonald re-contested his seat of Macquarie Fields in the New South Wales state election, 2011
.
McDonald was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Health on 23 September 2008. He lost this position upon the defeat of the Keneally government in the New South Wales state election, 2011
.
McDonald was re-elected in the New South Wales state election, 2011
for the electoral district of Macquarie Fields, suffering a 9.9% swing towards the Liberal Party of Australia
; Macquarie Fields is now the third-most marginal seat held by the Labor Party in New South Wales
. He was appointed as Shadow Minister for Health by newly-elected Opposition Leader John Robertson
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n doctor and politician. He attended St. Leo's Catholic College
St. Leo's Catholic College
St Leo's Catholic College is a secondary Catholic college in the North Shore suburb of Wahroonga in Sydney, Australia.- Alumni :* Luke Davies, author* American-Australian actor Mel Gibson attended St Leo's Catholic College in the early 1970s....
in Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
, before studying medicine at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
. He worked as a paediatrician at Campbelltown Hospital for 17 years prior to joining the Labor Party. In this period, he was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald as a critic of the State Labor government's health policies.
On 23 January 2007, he was preselected for the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
electoral district of Macquarie Fields
Electoral district of Macquarie Fields
Macquarie Fields is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales, located in the outer south-western suburbs of Sydney. It is currently represented by Dr Andrew McDonald of the Australian Labor Party....
by the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, following the resignation of former sitting MP Steven Chaytor
Steven Chaytor
Steven John Chaytor is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Labor Party member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2007, representing the southwest Sydney electorate of Macquarie Fields....
. He was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
on 24 March 2007. Although Labor retained the seat, there was a 12% two-party preferred swing against the party, the highest anti-Labor swing in the state.
During his tenure in Parliament, Imre Salusinszky
Imre Salusinszky
Imre Salusinszky in an Australian journalist and English literature academic with a strong literary interest in Northrop Frye, a Canadian poet.-Background and career:...
recommended that he be appointed Health Minister. He is a member of the Macarthur Boys, described as 'a new powerful force emerging from within the once powerful Right.'. After the resignation of Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma
Morris Iemma , is a former Australian politician and 40th Premier of New South Wales, succeeding Bob Carr after he resigned on 3 August 2005. Iemma led the Australian Labor Party to victory in the 2007 election before resigning as Premier on 5 September 2008, and as a Member of Parliament on 19...
, it was speculated that he might resign to return to work as a paediatrician. However, McDonald re-contested his seat of Macquarie Fields in the New South Wales state election, 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
.
McDonald was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Health on 23 September 2008. He lost this position upon the defeat of the Keneally government in the New South Wales state election, 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
.
McDonald was re-elected in the New South Wales state election, 2011
New South Wales state election, 2011
Elections to the 55th Parliament of New South Wales were held on Saturday, 26 March 2011. The 16-year incumbent Australian Labor Party government led by Premier Kristina Keneally was defeated in a landslide by the Liberal-National coalition opposition led by Barry O'Farrell.New South Wales has...
for the electoral district of Macquarie Fields, suffering a 9.9% swing towards the Liberal Party of Australia
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
; Macquarie Fields is now the third-most marginal seat held by the Labor Party in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. He was appointed as Shadow Minister for Health by newly-elected Opposition Leader John Robertson
John Robertson (New South Wales politician)
John Cameron Robertson MP , an Australian politician, is the Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales and the Leader of the Opposition. Robertson is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Blacktown for Labor since 2011...
.