Grace Grace

The Honourable Grace Grace MP
Minister for Racing of Queensland
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 December 2015
Preceded by	Bill Byrne
Minister for Multicultural Affairs of Queensland
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 December 2015
Preceded by	Shannon Fentiman
Minister for Employment and Industrial Relations of Queensland
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 December 2015
Preceded by	Curtis Pitt
Deputy Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
In office 24 March 2015 – 7 December 2015
Preceded by	Mark Robinson
Succeeded by	Di Farmer
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Brisbane Central
In office 13 October 2007 – 24 March 2012
Preceded by	Peter Beattie
Succeeded by	Robert Cavallucci
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 January 2015
Preceded by	Robert Cavallucci
Personal details
Born	Ignazia Graziella Farfaglia (1958-08-12) 12 August 1958 Brisbane, Queensland
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Michael Grace

Ignazia Graziella Grace, usually known as Grace Grace (born 12 August 1958) is an Australian politician who represents the electoral district of Brisbane Central in the Queensland Legislative Assembly. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party.

She was born Ignazia Graziella Farfaglia^[1] in Brisbane, Queensland, the daughter of an Italian migrant cane cutter. She was an industrial relations advisor in the government of Prime Minister Paul Keating, until 1995 when she was elected as assistant general secretary, and in 2000 the first female general secretary, of the Queensland Council of Unions.^[2] "Grace" is an Anglicised version of "Graziella" and also her husband's surname.

Grace was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2007 Brisbane Central 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.^[3]

References