Brendon Grylls

Brendon John Grylls (born 5 June 1973) is an Australian politician. He has been a National Party of Western Australia member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since 2001, representing the electorates of Merredin (2001-2008), Central Wheatbelt (2008-2013), and Pilbara (2013-present). He was the leader of the National Party from 2005 to 2013, and was Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Lands in the Barnett Ministry from 2008 until his resignation in November 2013.^[1][2]

Grylls was born in Perth, Western Australia, and educated at Wesley College, Perth.

His political career began in November 2001 when he contested and won a state by-election following the retirement of former Nationals leader Hendy Cowan to become the member for Merredin. Following a redistribution in 2008, Merredin was largely incorporated into the new Central Wheatbelt Electoral district.

Grylls was the Shadow Minister for Environment and the Wheatbelt in the Liberal-National Coalition prior to the 2005 election. In June 2005 Grylls challenged then Leader Max Trenorden to become the new leader of the Parliamentary National Party of Australia (WA).

Announcing that he would vacate the Electoral district of Central Wheatbelt for the 2013 state election, Grylls instead ran for the Electoral district of Pilbara against Kelly Howlett who had replaced the retired sitting member Tom Stephens. ^[3] Grylls easily won with seat with 61.5% of the two party preferred vote.^[4]

On 17 November 2013, Grylls announced he would be resigning as leader of the WA Nationals, and from the Barnett cabinet.^[5]

Platform

Since becoming party leader, Grylls has pushed for an independent National Party and had refused to enter into a coalition with either of the major parties before the 2008 state election.

During vote counting on election night when it was apparent that the party was likely to hold a balance of power, possibly in both houses, Grylls reiterated his stance of requiring that the Government deliver 25 per cent of mining and petroleum royalties for reinvestment in regional projects, as outlined in the Royalties for Regions policy. He also said that he would have no problem forming a coalition with the Australian Labor Party if it promised to deliver under the policy.^[6]

Since the Coalition came into power in 2008, Grylls has implemented the Royalties for Regions scheme, which sees the equivalent of 25 per cent of the State's mining and petroleum royalty revenue (capped at $1 billion per annum) invested into Western Australia's regional infrastructure, services and projects.^[7]

References