Gary Hardgrave

Gary Douglas Hardgrave (born 5 January 1960), Australian politician, was the Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until 2007, representing the Division of Moreton, Queensland. He was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and was educated at Griffith University, Queensland. In the 1980s he began his career as a broadcaster, co-hosting the Australian children's television show "Wombat". He continued radio and television broadcasting, and worked as a media adviser to Liberal politicians, before entering politics.

Hardgrave initially ran for election to the Queensland parliament in the 1992 state election and lost. He contested Moreton in 1996 against ALP incumbent Garrie Gibson and won. He has since won the seat in 1998, 2001 and 2004. Recent boundary redistributions have eaten away at his margin. Hardgrave was Australia's first ever Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs from 2001 to 2004. He was Minister for Vocational and Technical Education since October 2004 to early 2007, and was widely tipped to gain the high-profile Immigration portfolio in a speculated mid-2006 cabinet reshuffle. On 23 January 2007 Hardgrave was dropped from the ministry and demoted to the backbench and stripped of his Vocational and Technical Education Portfolio. Kevin Andrews instead received the Immigration portfolio. [ cite news
title=Fifth poll win a big ask, PM says
publisher=news.com.au
date=23 January 2007
url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21103905-2,00.html
accessdate=2007-12-02 ]

On 2 March 2007 the Australian Federal Police raided Hardgrave's office. [ cite news
title=Qld Liberal MPs deny wrongdoing after police raids
publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation
date=6 March 2007
url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200703/1863934.htm?brisbane
accessdate=2007-12-02 ] In relation to the same investigation the Federal Police also raided the offices of Ross Vasta MP and Andrew Laming MP. Hardgrave has claimed he is the "meat in the sandwich" in a Queensland Liberal plot to destroy backbencher Andrew Laming. Hardgrave and Laming are both members of the Liberal Party of Australia. "Someone's out to bury him," Hardgrave told The Age, referring to Laming. "This is another example of how stupid the faction-driven Queensland Liberal Party can be" Hardgrave said. cite news
title=Disgruntled Qld Lib 'meat in sandwich in plot' to destroy Laming
publisher=The Age
date=9 March 2007
url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/disgruntled-qld-lib-meat-in-sandwich-in-plot-to-destroy-laming/2007/03/08/1173166895572.html
accessdate=2007-12-02 ] On 11 September 2007, the Australian Federal Police officially cleared both Hardgrave and fellow Liberal Colleague Ross Vasta of any wrong-doing. cite news
title=Two Qld Federal MPs cleared of rorts charges
publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation
date=11 September 2007
url=http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/11/2030004.htm
accessdate=2007-12-02 ]

Hardgrave lost his seat to Graham Perrett in the 2007 election.

References

Persondata
NAME=Hardgrave, Gary Douglas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australian politician
DATE OF BIRTH=5 January 1960
PLACE OF BIRTH=Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
DATE OF DEATH=living
PLACE OF DEATH=