Bruce Notley-Smith

Bruce Notley-Smith MP
Notley-Smith at a 2012 Sydney Mardi Gras press conference
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Coogee
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 March 2011
Preceded by	Paul Pearce
Constituency	Coogee
Majority	8.2% (2011)
Personal details
Born	Bruce Neville Notley-Smith ca 1964[1]
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party of Australia
Domestic partner	Paul Weston
Occupation	Small business owner
Website	Parliamentary webpage

Bruce Neville Notley-Smith MP (born ca 1964^[1]), is an Australian politician and former Mayor of the City of Randwick, and is a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Coogee for the Liberal Party of Australia since 26 March 2011.^[2]

Early years and background

Bruce Notley-Smith grew up in Coogee, the son of Alan Notley-Smith and Gloria Peisley. His paternal grandparents, Neville and Lillian Notley-Smith, also lived in Coogee from the 1920s, where they operated an electrical contracting and appliance store. In 1940 Neville volunteered to serve in World War II. Initially refused as he was considered too old, he went to the next recruitment post and lied about his age. After seeing action in the Middle East, he was captured and spent the rest of the war working on the Thai-Burma railway.^[3] His maternal grandfather, Allen Peisley, served 42 years with New South Wales Railways and was elected to Griffith City Council in 1949 representing the Australian Labor Party. On his mother's side, Notley-Smith is descended from John Peisley, the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Orange from 1860 to 1862. Peisley was the son John Peisley, a farmer and former convict.^[3]

Bruce Notley-Smith was educated at Coogee Public School, then Randwick Boys High School, and Randwick TAFE.^[4] He commenced working in industrial first aid and as an officer in the NSW Ambulance Service, before running his own contract cleaning business.^[5][6]

Political career

Notley-Smith first entered politics when he unsuccessfully ran as an Independent candidate for Randwick City Council in 1995.^[3] Eventually, he was elected to local government for the East Ward in 2000. Notley-Smith became Deputy Mayor from 2004 to 2005 and then subsequently Mayor of the City of Randwick in 2007, a role which he served in for two years.^[5] In 2009, he stood down as Mayor and commenced working in the office of Malcolm Turnbull, MP, whilst remaining the Liberal Councillor for East Ward. In 2008 he declared his intention to run for the state seat of Coogee at the March 2011 election.^[7]

At the March 2011 NSW State Election, Bruce Notley-Smith was elected and received a swing of 11.4 per cent in the traditionally strong Labor seat, winning 58.2 per cent of the vote on a two-party preferred basis.^[6] Notley-Smith's main competitor was the incumbent, Paul Pearce, a former Mayor of Waverley City Council, who had held he seat since 2003.^[2]

Personal

Bruce Notley-Smith has been with his partner, Paul Weston, since 1990.^[8][9] Bruce is the first openly gay member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.^[1]

References

Other links

• Bruce Notley-Smith - campaign website
• Mr Bruce Neville NOTLEY-SMITH, MP - Parliament of New South Wales