Garry Edwards

Garry Edwards
Member of the New South Wales Parliament
for Swansea
In office
26 March 2011 – 6 March 2015
Preceded by Robert Coombs
Succeeded by Yasmin Catley
Personal details
Born Garry Keith Edwards
6 April 1950
Nationality Australian
Political party Independent
Other political
affiliations		 Liberal (until 2014)
Residence Belmont, New South Wales
Occupation Property conveyancer

Garry Keith Edwards (born 6 April 1950) is a former Australian politician who represented the electoral district of Swansea in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the Liberal Party of Australia from 2011 to 2015.

Early career and background

A property conveyancer, Edwards was elected to Council for the City of Lake Macquarie in 2008 and serves as Deputy Mayor.[1] He is an active member of the Belmont 16 ft Sailing Club and serves as Director of the Club. He is also a patron of Swansea Football Club.

Political career

Edwards won the previously very safe Labor seat from the incumbent member Robert Coombs at the 2011 state election after his second attempt for the same seat at the 2007 state election. Edwards was elected with a swing of 14.0 points and won the seat with 51.1 per cent of the two-party vote.[2][3] Following his election, Edwards stated that he is yet to make a decision about whether he will continue to sit both on Council and as a member of parliament.[4]

On 14 August 2014, Edwards stood aside from the parliamentary Liberal Party following the ICAC testimony of Newcastle mayor and property developer Jeff McCloy, who told the Commission he had donated $1,800 cash-in-hand to Edwards' campaign. It is illegal in New South Wales to receive political donations from property developers.[5]

Edwards stood as an independent candidate for the seat Swansea at the 2015 state election. He received 14% of the primary vote and lost the seat to the Labor candidate Yasmin Catley.

References

  1. ↑ "Liberal Party Announces Garry Edwards as Candidate for Swansea". Media release. Liberal Party of Australia. 20 October 2010. Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  2. ↑ Green, Antony (5 April 2011). "Swansea". NSW Votes 2011 (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  3. ↑ Kirkwood, Ian (2 April 2011). "MP promises on police". The Newcastle Herald (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 3 April 2011.
  4. ↑ Kirkwood, Ian (2 April 2011). "Back to polls for Lake voters". The Newcastle Herald (Fairfax Media). Retrieved 26 April 2011.
  5. ↑ Whitbourn, Michaela (14 August 2014). "Swansea MP Garry Edwards becomes the latest Liberal to stand aside after ICAC revelations". Sydney Morning Herald.

External links

Parliament of New South Wales
Preceded by
Robert Coombs		 Member for Swansea
2011–2015 		Succeeded by
Yasmin Catley