Duncan Gay
Australian politician (born 1950)
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Duncan John Gay AM (born 2 May 1950) is a former Australian politician who served as the Vice-President of the Executive Council of New South Wales and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council from May 2014 to January 2017; and the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight from April 2015 to January 2017.[1][2] Gay served as the Leader of the Nationals in the Legislative Council until January 2017 and was a member of the Council from 1988 to 2017, representing the Nationals.[3]
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Duncan Gay | |
|---|---|
Duncan Gay in 2013 | |
| Vice-President of the Executive Council | |
| In office 6 May 2014 – 30 January 2017 | |
| Premier | Mike Baird |
| Preceded by | Mike Gallacher |
| Succeeded by | Don Harwin |
| Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council | |
| In office 6 May 2014 – 30 January 2017 | |
| Leader | Mike Baird |
| Preceded by | Mike Gallacher |
| Succeeded by | Don Harwin |
| Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight | |
| In office 2 April 2015 – 30 January 2017 | |
| Premier | Mike Baird |
| Preceded by | himself (Roads and Freight) |
| Succeeded by | Melinda Pavey |
| Minister for Roads and Freight | |
| In office 23 April 2014 – 2 April 2015 | |
| Premier | Mike Baird |
| Preceded by | himself (Roads and Ports) |
| Succeeded by | himself (Roads, Maritime and Freight) |
| Minister for the North Coast | |
| In office 17 October 2014 – 2 April 2015 | |
| Premier | Mike Baird |
| Preceded by | Andrew Stoner |
| Succeeded by | portfolio abolished |
| Minister for Roads and Ports | |
| In office 3 April 2011 – 23 April 2014 | |
| Premier | Barry O'Farrell |
| Preceded by | David Borger (Roads) Eric Roozendaal (Ports and Waterways) |
| Succeeded by | himself (Roads and Freight) |
| Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council | |
| In office 3 May 2011 – 6 May 2014 | |
| Leader | Barry O'Farrell Mike Baird |
| Preceded by | Eric Roozendaal |
| Succeeded by | John Ajaka |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Council | |
| In office 19 March 1988 – 31 July 2017 | |
| Succeeded by | Wes Fang |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Duncan John Gay 2 May 1950 Crookwell, New South Wales, Australia |
| Party | The Nationals |
| Spouse | Katie Gay |
| Relations | Grandchildren, Autumn Starbird, Xanthe Starbird, Mhairi Wyllie, Emmeline Wyllie, Eleanor Wyllie |
| Children | Anna Gay, James Gay |
| Alma mater | Newington College |
He served as the Minister for Roads and Freight, and as the Minister for the North Coast between 2014 and 2015 in the first Baird government;[4][5][6] and the Minister for Roads and Ports in the O'Farrell ministry between 2011 and 2014.[7]
Early life
Gay was born and raised in Crookwell, New South Wales near Goulburn and educated at Crookwell District Rural School.[8] He attended Newington College from 1962 until 1967 in Sydney as a boarding student before studying accountancy and wool classing.[9] He is married to Katie and they have two children.[8]
Prior to his political career, Gay owned a small trucking company and managed his family's grazing property at Crookwell.[8]
Political career
Gay was elected as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Council in March 1988[10] and has been a member of the National Party since 1974;[8] and served in various portfolios and positions while in opposition.[7][8]
Following the election of the O'Farrell government at the 2011 election, Gay was appointed as the Minister for Roads and Ports in the New South Wales government. Following the resignation of Barry O'Farrell as Premier,[11] and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader,[4] in April 2014 the name of Gay's portfolio changed to Minister for Roads and Freight;[12] the responsibilities as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council were added in May 2014;[5][7] and as Minister for the North Coast added in October 2014.[6] Following the 2015 state election, Gay's portfolio responsibilities were amended slightly and renamed as Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight.
Major activities in Gay's term as Minister for Roads included Bridges for the Bush, Fixing Country Roads and Fixing Country Rail as well as commencement of planning for the introduction of the WestConnex;[13][14][15] a road project that has had its costs reported to be overrun by A$1.4 billion.[16] Gay announced the preferred construction contractor for the NorthConnex;[17][18][19] and the continued duplication of the Pacific Highway.[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][excessive citations]
As Roads Minister, he described himself as “the biggest bike lane sceptic in the government”. He cut funding to protected cycleway projects and quadrupled fines for cyclists.[32]
In January 2017 Gay was replaced in the reshuffle of the Berejiklian ministry.[33] He retired from politics at the end of July and took up a paid advisory role with private transport and infrastructure consultancy MU Group.[34] Gay is a Director of ARC Asia-Pacific Consortium and in September 2018 was appointed chairman of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.[35]
Honours
Gay was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the people and Parliament of New South Wales, and to the community".[36]