Terry Griffiths (politician)
Encyclopedia
Terence Allan "Terry" Griffiths (22 June 1944 – 18 June 2009), a former Australia
n politician, was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
representing Georges River
from 1988 to 1995 initially for the Liberal Party
and then as an independent
member. During his political career with the Liberal Party, Griffiths held a number of portfolios including Minister for Justice, Minister for Police and Minister for Emergency Services.
, New South Wales
; his father was Richard Patrick Griffiths, an Officer of the Cadet School Portsea. He was educated at Liverpool
Boys High School and the School of Military Engineering in Portsea. By 1962 he was a commissioned army officer with the rank of Major, and was also Chief Executive of the New South Wales branch of the Scout Association. In 1965 he married Jann Mariette Hart, with whom he had two children. He served in South Vietnam
1969–70; he and his wife divorced, and he remarried Diane Maree von Westernhagen on 19 January 1974, with whom he had three children (they would be divorced in 2000). Griffiths was an army attache
in Washington
1978–81. He joined the Liberal Party of Australia in 1987.
member for Georges River
in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
, defeating sitting Labor
MP Frank Walker. He was re-elected easily in 1991 and became Minister for Justice, moving to the Police Ministry in 1993. In 1994, he was forced to resign from both the ministry and the Liberal Party over claims of sexual harassment. He retired at the 1995 election.
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 politician, was a member of 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...
representing Georges River
Electoral district of Georges River
Georges River was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1930 to 2007. It was replaced by Oatley.-Members for Georges River:-Election results:...
from 1988 to 1995 initially for the Liberal Party
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...
and then as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
member. During his political career with the Liberal Party, Griffiths held a number of portfolios including Minister for Justice, Minister for Police and Minister for Emergency Services.
Early years and background
Griffiths was born in MarrickvilleMarrickville, New South Wales
Marrickville, a suburb of Sydney's Inner West is located 7 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the state of New South Wales, Australia and is the largest suburb in the Marrickville Council local government area...
, 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...
; his father was Richard Patrick Griffiths, an Officer of the Cadet School Portsea. He was educated at Liverpool
Liverpool, New South Wales
Liverpool is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Liverpool is located 32 km south-west of the Sydney central business district, and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Liverpool...
Boys High School and the School of Military Engineering in Portsea. By 1962 he was a commissioned army officer with the rank of Major, and was also Chief Executive of the New South Wales branch of the Scout Association. In 1965 he married Jann Mariette Hart, with whom he had two children. He served in South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
1969–70; he and his wife divorced, and he remarried Diane Maree von Westernhagen on 19 January 1974, with whom he had three children (they would be divorced in 2000). Griffiths was an army attache
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
1978–81. He joined the Liberal Party of Australia in 1987.
Political career
In 1988, Griffiths was elected as the LiberalLiberal 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...
member for Georges River
Electoral district of Georges River
Georges River was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1930 to 2007. It was replaced by Oatley.-Members for Georges River:-Election results:...
in 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...
, defeating sitting Labor
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...
MP Frank Walker. He was re-elected easily in 1991 and became Minister for Justice, moving to the Police Ministry in 1993. In 1994, he was forced to resign from both the ministry and the Liberal Party over claims of sexual harassment. He retired at the 1995 election.