{{Short description|Australian politician (1972/1973 – 2022)}} {{for|the American actor, model and neuroscientist|Billi Gordon}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Billy Gordon | honorific_suffix = | image = | constituency_AM = Cook | assembly = Queensland Legislative | term_start = 31 January 2015 | term_end = 25 November 2017 | predecessor = David Kempton | successor = Cynthia Lui | majority = | birth_date = {{Birth based on age at death|49|2022|11|25}} | birth_place = Innisfail, Queensland, Australia | death_date = {{death date and given age|2022|11|25|49|df=y}} | death_place = | constituency = | party = Labor (until 2015) <br /> Independent (2015–2022) | spouse = | children = | university = | profession = | signature = | footnotes = | website = }}
'''William John Gordon''' ({{Birth based on age at death|49|2022|11|25|noage=1|mos=1}} – 25 November 2022) was an Indigenous Australian politician. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2015 to 2017, representing the electorate of Cook.
==Career== Hailing from Innisfail, Queensland, Gordon first entered politics as the Labor candidate in the federal seat of Leichhardt for the 2013 election, losing to Liberal National incumbent Warren Entsch. However, he increased his profile enough that he was able to successfully stand in the state seat of Cook, essentially the far northern portion of the federal seat. Gordon was elected as a Labor candidate at the 2015 election before becoming an independent two months later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/qld-election-2015/guide/cook/|title=Cook|work=Queensland Election 2015|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|last=Green|first=Antony|authorlink=Antony Green|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205051724/http://www.abc.net.au/news/qld-election-2015/guide/cook/|archive-date=5 February 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> He retired at the 2017 election.
Gordon was one of the first Indigenous Queensland state MPs in a generation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/mp-billy-gordon-is-the-man-who-could-crash-the-queensland-government/story-fnj4alav-1227283236023|title=MP Billy Gordon is the man who could crash the Queensland government|work=News.com.au|date=29 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329055740/http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/mp-billy-gordon-is-the-man-who-could-crash-the-queensland-government/story-fnj4alav-1227283236023|archive-date=29 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Controversy== In 2015, tip-offs to the media led to Gordon publicly acknowledging a criminal history dating back to the 1980s which he had not disclosed to his colleagues,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-29/labor-turmoil-after-mp-billy-gordon-admits-to-criminal-history/6356424|title=Billy Gordon: Queensland Labor thrown into turmoil after Cook MP admits to undisclosed criminal history|work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=29 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329192828/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-29/labor-turmoil-after-mp-billy-gordon-admits-to-criminal-history/6356424|archive-date=29 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> including driving and breaking-and-entering offences, a breach of bail and probation, and an apprehended violence order taken out by his mother.
Gordon's former de facto partner accused him of domestic violence<ref name=Nine>{{Cite news|url=http://www.9news.com.au/national/2015/03/29/09/48/queensland-labor-mp-cites-far-from-perfect-family-after-allegations-of-domestic-violence-surface|title=Queensland MP Billy Gordon sacked from Labor party after allegations of domestic violence|access-date=30 March 2015|work=Nine News|publisher=ninemsn Pty Ltd|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150331005046/http://www.9news.com.au/National/2015/03/29/09/48/Queensland-Labor-MP-cites-far-from-perfect-family-after-allegations-of-domestic-violence-surface|archive-date=31 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and routinely not filing tax returns to avoid child support payments for his five children.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/former-partner-of-new-labor-mp-billy-gordon-claims-he-has-dodged-child-support-payments/story-fnihsrf2-1227280409823|title=Former partner of new Labor MP Billy Gordon claims he has dodged child support payments |first=Steven |last=Wardill |access-date=30 March 2015 |date=27 March 2015 |work=The Courier-Mail |publisher=News Corp}}</ref>
In response, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expelled Gordon from the Labor caucus, and asked the state party organisational wing to have Gordon expelled from the party altogether. She also demanded Cook's resignation. Although Palaszczuk was well aware that the loss of the Cook electorate could put her premiership in jeopardy, she said that, given the circumstances, she had no other choice.<ref name=Nine/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-29/queensland-premier-annastacia-palaszczuk-sacks-billy-gordon-mp/6356718|title=Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expels Cook MP Billy Gordon over criminal record|work=ABC News |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=29 March 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329190633/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-29/queensland-premier-annastacia-palaszczuk-sacks-billy-gordon-mp/6356718 |archive-date=29 March 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
In September 2015, Queensland Police dropped the domestic violence charges against Gordon, citing insufficient evidence.<ref name=nocharge>{{cite news|title=Queensland MP Billy Gordon will face no charges over domestic violence allegations|url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/24/queensland-mp-billy-gordon-cleared-of-domestic-violence-allegations|access-date=25 September 2015|work=The Guardian|date=24 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925150132/http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/sep/24/queensland-mp-billy-gordon-cleared-of-domestic-violence-allegations|archive-date=25 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> On the same day, police charged a woman with extortion for allegedly attempting to blackmail Gordon by claiming he had sent her an explicit image by SMS.<ref name=extortion>{{cite news|title=Billy Gordon: Woman charged with extorting Queensland MP|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/woman-charged-with-extorting-queensland-mp-billy-gordon/6803682|access-date=25 September 2015|work=ABC News|date=25 September 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925124735/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-25/woman-charged-with-extorting-queensland-mp-billy-gordon/6803682|archive-date=25 September 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
On 1 June 2016, Gordon was charged with drink driving and unlicensed driving when pulled over at a random traffic stop on the Kennedy Highway at Kuranda, on the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns. He was taken to the Kuranda police station and allegedly returned a blood-alcohol content reading of 0.094.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/billy-gordon-charged-with-drink-driving-reports-20160601-gp9k9i.html|title=Billy Gordon charged with drink driving|date=2016-06-02|website=Brisbane Times|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-02|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604041627/http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/billy-gordon-charged-with-drink-driving-reports-20160601-gp9k9i.html|archive-date=4 June 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
On 1 July 2016, Gordon pleaded guilty to both charges in the Brisbane Magistrates Court. He was fined $750 and disqualified from driving for four months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-01/billy-gordon-sentenced-brisbane-court-drink-driving/7560132|title=Billy Gordon fined, disqualified for drink-driving|date=2016-07-01|website=ABC News|language=en-AU|access-date=2016-07-01|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701131707/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-01/billy-gordon-sentenced-brisbane-court-drink-driving/7560132|archive-date=1 July 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Retirement== Gordon retired from politics at the 2017 election, having confirmed that he would not recontest his seat on 31 October 2017 following the calling of the election.<ref name="retirement">{{cite news|last1=Akers|first1=Trenton|title=Billy Gordon quits politics|url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/cook-mp-billy-gordon-quits-politics/news-story/8003bfff2696ddab865095bac3c82743|access-date=31 October 2017|work=The Courier-Mail|date=31 October 2017|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103014314/http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/state-election-2017/cook-mp-billy-gordon-quits-politics/news-story/8003bfff2696ddab865095bac3c82743|archive-date=3 November 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
Gordon died on 25 November 2022, aged 49. It was understood that he was being treated for kidney disease.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dinnen |first1=Richard |title=Former State MP Billy Gordon dead |url=https://www.tropicnow.com.au/2022/november/26/former-state-mp-billy-gordon-dead |access-date=2025-08-25 |work=Tropic Now |date=2022-11-26}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *{{Official website|http://www.billygordon.com.au}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|au-qld}} {{s-bef|before=David Kempton}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Cook|years=2015–2017}} {{s-aft|after=Cynthia Lui}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Billy}} Category:Year of birth missing Category:1970s births Category:2022 deaths Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Category:Indigenous Australian politicians Category:People from Innisfail, Queensland Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Queensland Category:Australian politicians convicted of crimes Category:Independent members of the Parliament of Queensland Category:21st-century Australian politicians