Garry West (politician)

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Garry West, known to friends as Gazza, was the representative in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Electoral District of Orange from 1976 to 1995. During this time he was a member of the Country Party, later to be renamed the National Party of Australia. He rose in the final days of the Liberal Party Government of Nick Greiner and then John Fahey to become the Minister for Police. After the defeat of the Liberal/National coalition government in 1995, Garry West resigned causing a subsequent by-election. Despite a well defined and reasonable argument from the Australian Labor Party candidate Tim Sullivan, the former Mayor of Orange, that there was going to be a Labor Government regardless of the result of the by-election and that the constituents of Orange may as well have a voice in that government, Russell Turner of the National Party was subsequently elected and has been the member for Orange ever since. Prior to Garry West holding the seat of Orange it was held for many years by Sir Charles Cutler. Only these three men have represented the electorate in over sixty years.