Grace Grace

Ignazia Graziella "Grace" Grace (née Farfaglia; born 12 August 1958) is an Australian politician from the state of Queensland. She has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the seat of McConnel and its predecessor seat, Brisbane Central, for all but two years since 2007. She is a member of the Labor Party.

The Honourable

Grace Grace

MP
Minister for Education
of Queensland
Assumed office
12 December 2017
Preceded byKate Jones
Minister for Industrial Relations
of Queensland
Assumed office
7 December 2015
Preceded byCurtis Pitt
Minister for Racing
of Queensland
In office
7 December 2015 – 11 December 2017
Preceded byBill Byrne
Succeeded byStirling Hinchliffe
Minister for Multicultural Affairs
of Queensland
In office
7 December 2015 – 11 December 2017
Preceded byShannon Fentiman
Succeeded byStirling Hinchliffe
Minister for Employment
of Queensland
In office
7 December 2015 – 11 December 2017
Preceded byCurtis Pitt
Succeeded byShannon Fentiman
Deputy Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
In office
24 March 2015 – 7 December 2015
Preceded byMark Robinson
Succeeded byDi Farmer
Member of the Queensland Parliament for McConnel
Assumed office
25 November 2017
Preceded byNew seat
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Brisbane Central
In office
13 October 2007 – 24 March 2012
Preceded byPeter Beattie
Succeeded byRobert Cavallucci
In office
31 January 2015 – 25 November 2017
Preceded byRobert Cavallucci
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Personal details
Born
Ignazia Graziella Farfaglia

(1958-08-12) 12 August 1958
Brisbane, Queensland
Political partyLabor
Spouse(s)Michael Grace

Grace was born in Brisbane, Queensland, the daughter of an Italian migrant cane cutter. She was an industrial relations advisor to the Keating Government until 1995 when she was elected as assistant general secretary, and in 2000 the first female general secretary, of the Queensland Council of Unions.[1]

Grace was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2007 Brisbane Central state by-election following the resignation of Premier Peter Beattie. The Coalition did not field a candidate. She won the seat again in the 2009 state election, despite an 8.4 percent swing to the newly merged Liberal National Party (LNP).

Grace was a notable supporter of the ALP government's decision to legislate civil partnerships for homosexual couples in Queensland. New Farm and Fortitude Valley, the main centres for Brisbane's gay community, are both in her electorate and she has built close ties with gay rights organisations.

In the 2012 state election she lost her seat to the LNP's Robert Cavallucci. She regained her seat in the 2015 Queensland state election. She was elected Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, under Peter Wellington, and was given three Ministerial portfolios in a cabinet reshuffle on 7 December 2015.[2]

References
  1. Notable unionist tipped for seat Archived 14 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, The Australian, 12 September 2007.
  2. Agius, Kim. "Queensland Cabinet reshuffle: Who's going where?". ABC News. ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by
Peter Beattie		 Member for Brisbane Central
2007–2012		 Succeeded by
Robert Cavallucci
Preceded by
Robert Cavallucci		 Member for Brisbane Central
2015–2017		 Abolished
New seat Member for McConnel
2017–present		 Incumbent
Preceded by
Mark Robinson		 Deputy Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
2015		 Incumbent
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