Ted Grace

{{Short description|Australian politician (1931–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Ted Grace | honorific_suffix = | image = | constituency_MP = Fowler | parliament = Australian | majority = | predecessor = ''New seat'' | successor = Julia Irwin | term_start = 1 December 1984 | term_end = 31 August 1998 | birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1931|3|13}} | birth_place = Swansea, Wales | death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2020|8|22|1931|3|13}} | death_place = | spouse = | party = Australian Labor Party | relations = | children = | alma_mater = | occupation = Air-conditioning consultant | profession = | signature = | website = | footnotes = }} '''Edward Laurence Grace''' (13 March 1931 – 22 August 2020)<ref name="condolence">{{cite web |title=GRACE, Mr Edward Laurence (Ted) |url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansardr%2F3b94a6bd-87fb-43ab-85ed-81ebdcb4940b%2F0141;page=0;query=edward%20grace;rec=0;resCount=Default |website=Hansard |publisher=Parliament of Australia |accessdate=27 August 2020}}</ref> was an Australian politician. He represented the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the House of Representatives from 1984 to 1998, holding the New South Wales seat of Fowler.

==Early life== Grace was born on 13 March 1931 in Swansea, Wales. He served in the British Merchant Navy before moving to Australia, where he became a self-employed air-conditioning consultant in Sydney. He served on the Fairfield City Council from 1977 to 1985 and was also a board member of the Prospect County Council electricity utility, including as chair from 1981 to 1984.<ref name=aph>{{cite news|url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22handbook/allmps/ZG4%22|title=Biography for GRACE, Edward Laurence|publisher=Parliament of Australia|access-date=23 August 2020}}</ref>

==Politics== Grace was elected to parliament at the 1984 federal election, and subsequently re-elected on four occasions.<ref name=aph/> He retired at the 1998 election and was succeeded by his former staffer Julia Irwin.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.womenaustralia.info/biogs/AWE0174b.htm|title=Irwin, Julia Claire (1951 - )|publisher=The Australian Women's Register|access-date=23 August 2020}}</ref>

Grace served as an ALP whip from 1990 to 1998. He also served on various standing committees, including as chair of the members' interests committee from 1993 to 1996.<ref name=aph/> He was president of the Australian-Croatian Parliamentary Friendship Group.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/118168889|title=Chamber music and pictures to commemorate Croatia|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=6 June 1994}}</ref> In 1992, he and Brian Courtice were the only two members of an ALP caucus committee to oppose allowing gay people to serve in the Australian Defence Force.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126943715|title=Cabinet to lift services' ban on gays 'within weeks'|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=19 September 1992}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{s-start}} {{s-par|au}} {{s-new|seat}} {{s-ttl | title=Member for Fowler | years=1984–1998}} {{s-aft | after=Julia Irwin}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grace, Ted}} Category:1931 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Fowler Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives Category:Politicians from Swansea Category:New South Wales local councillors Category:Welsh emigrants to Australia Category:Australian MPs 1984–1987 Category:Australian MPs 1987–1990 Category:Australian MPs 1990–1993 Category:Australian MPs 1993–1996 Category:Australian MPs 1996–1998