James Griffin (Australian politician)

James Henry Griffin is an Australian politician. He is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the electoral district of Manly for the Liberal Party. Griffin was elected on 8 April 2017 at the Manly state by-election held to replace the previous member, former Premier of New South Wales Mike Baird. He is the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Veterans[1] and NSW Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment.[2]

James Griffin MP
Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Manly
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 April 2017
Preceded by	Mike Baird
Deputy Mayor of Manly
In office 5 October 2015 – 12 May 2016
Mayor	Jean Hay
Preceded by	Steve Pickering
Succeeded by	Council abolished
In office 8 September 2012 – 12 May 2016
Personal details
Born	Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party
Alma mater	University of Notre Dame Australia
Occupation	Director KPMG Australia
Website	https://www.jamesgriffinmp.com/

Identified as a rising star in the NSW Parliamentary Liberal Party,[3] Griffin was appointed a Member of the Legislation Review Committee in June 2017, and subsequently appointed Chair of the same committee in November 2017. The Legislation Review Committee reviews all Bills introduced into Parliament and reports on the impact of these Bills on personal rights and liberties.[4]

In September 2018 Griffin was elected Chairman of the NSW Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Planning.[5] The Committee tabled the Land Release and Housing Supply in NSW report in October 2018.

Griffin went to school at St Mary's Cathedral College, and in 2006 was one of the first students to enrol at the Sydney campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 2008.[6]

Griffin was also involved in local government, serving a single term as a councillor on Manly Council, and as deputy mayor under Mayor Jean Hay from 2015 to 2016 when the council was amalgamated into the Northern Beaches Council. His mother, Cathy Griffin, was a Major in the Australian Army, and also served one term as a councillor in Manly, albeit as a member of the NSW Greens.[7]

He is the son of Australian Army Officer Brigadier Michael Griffin AM (Ret) who was the Australian Commissioner for Law Enforcement Integrity.[8]

Griffin was appointed as an Adjunct Lecturer in the School of Business at the University of Notre Dame, Sydney. He has also served as a board member of the University of Sydney Innovation Hub. Griffin co-founded SR7, a digital risk consulting company, in 2009.[9] In February 2014, SR7 was acquired by professional service group KPMG, with Griffin joining the firm as a Director in the Risk Consulting Practice.[10]