Tony Issa
{{Short description|Australian politician (1955–2025)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Use Australian English|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix =
| honorific-suffix = OAM
| image = File:Mr (Tony) Antoine ISSA, OAM.jpg
| constituency_MP = Granville
| parliament = New South Wales
| term_start = 26 March 2011
| term_end = 6 March 2015
| predecessor = David Borger
| successor = Julia Finn
| office1 = Lord Mayor of Parramatta Council
| predecessor1 = Paul Barry Barber
| successor1 = Paul Garrard
| term_start1 = 29 September 2008
| term_end1 = September 2009
| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1955|08|14}}
| birth_place = Barsa, Lebanon
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2025|03|30|1955|08|14}}
| death_place = Auburn, New South Wales, Australia
| party = Liberal Party
| relations =
| spouse = Sue Issa
| children =
| residence = Merrylands
| nationality = Australian
| occupation = Self-employed
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
Antoine Khalil Issa {{post-nominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (14 August 1955 – 30 March 2025) was an Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Granville for the Liberal Party from 2011 until the 2015 election when he lost the seat to Labor's Julia Finn.{{Cite NSW Parliament |id=2212 |name=Mr (Tony) Antoine Issa OAM |former=Yes |access-date=23 June 2019}} Issa died in Auburn, New South Wales on 30 March 2025, at the age of 69.{{cite news |via=The Daily Telegraph |work=Parramatta Advertiser |access-date=31 March 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250330053309/https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/parramatta/tony-issa-former-granville-mp-parramatta-lord-mayor-dies-aged-69/news-story/694b992a96b2d67e767161706e2aa7c4?amp&nk=94dbda2fa05f385781a7d54a20fcda74-1743312803 |url=https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/parramatta/tony-issa-former-granville-mp-parramatta-lord-mayor-dies-aged-69/news-story/694b992a96b2d67e767161706e2aa7c4?amp&nk=94dbda2fa05f385781a7d54a20fcda74-1743312803 |archive-date=30 March 2025 |title=Tony Issa: Former Granville MP, Parramatta Lord Mayor dies aged 69 |date=30 March 2025 |first=Joanne |last=Vella |url-access=subscription}}
Early years and background
Issa migrated to Australia with his father in 1973, as one of seven children of Lebanese Maronite Catholic background. Issa has extensive community involvement including:
- President, Bkerkacha Charitable Association (1989)
- Treasurer, Granville Multicultural Centre (1984–1987)
- President, Granville Multicultural Centre (1987–1991)
- Board member, Australian Lebanese Welfare Group (2004–2008)
- School representative, Catholic Diocesan Parramatta Regional Council ({{circa}}1992)
- Member, Bicentenary Committee (1988)
- Member, Western Sydney Assistant Services Ranking Committee
- Board member, Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils (WSROC)
- Chairman, Sister City Organisation{{when|date=March 2025}}
- Representative, Finance Complaint Services Board{{when|date=March 2025}}
- Committee member, Our Lady of Lebanon Church, Sydney{{when|date=March 2025}}
Local government career
Elected to Parramatta City Council in 1988, Issa served as an independent councillor until 1998 and then as a Liberal party councillor from 1998 to 2012.
Issa was elected as deputy mayor from 2000 to 2001 and became the first Liberal Party lord mayor in New South Wales, serving between 2008 and 2009.{{cite news
| last = Mills
| first = Alison
| title = Parramatta's Lebanese lord mayor a family man
| url = http://www.parramattasun.com.au/news/local/news/general/parramattas-lebanese-lord-mayor-a-family-man/1327341.aspx
| accessdate = 3 April 2011
| newspaper = Parramatta Sun
| publisher = Fairfax Media
| date = 7 October 2008
| archive-date = 24 July 2011
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110724102052/http://www.parramattasun.com.au/news/local/news/general/parramattas-lebanese-lord-mayor-a-family-man/1327341.aspx
| url-status = dead
| url = http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2011/guide/gran.htm
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211019224535/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nsw/2011/guide/gran.htm
| archive-date=19 October 2021
| url-status=dead
| title = Granville
| work = NSW Votes 2011
| publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
|via=ABC News
| author = Green, Antony
| author-link = Antony Green
| date = 5 April 2011
| access-date = 30 April 2011}}
State political career
In 1994, Issa contested unsuccessfully as an independent in the Parramatta by-election.
In 2011, he contested the normally safe Labor seat of Granville in the Sydney's western suburbs. Running against the incumbent and high-profile{{cite news
| last = Bartok
| first = Di
| title = Liberals' Tony Issa believes he can upset Labor MP David Borger
| url = http://parramatta-advertiser.whereilive.com.au/news/story/liberals-tony-issa-believes-he-can-upset-labor-mp-david-borger/
| accessdate = 30 April 2011
| newspaper = Parramatta Advertiser
| publisher = News Limited
| date = 5 November 2010
| archive-date = 7 August 2011
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110807204420/http://parramatta-advertiser.whereilive.com.au/news/story/liberals-tony-issa-believes-he-can-upset-labor-mp-david-borger/
| url-status = dead
}} sitting member and Minister, David Borger.
Issa was elected with a swing of 13.1 points and won the seat with 52.7 per cent of the two-party vote.{{cite news
| last = Pender
| first = Liam
| title = First Liberal prays for wisdom
| url = http://www.parramattasun.com.au/news/local/news/general/first-liberal-prays-for-wisdom/2120075.aspx
| access-date = 3 April 2011
| newspaper = Parramatta Sun
| publisher = Fairfax Media
| date = 31 March 2011
| archive-date = 24 July 2011
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110724102130/http://www.parramattasun.com.au/news/local/news/general/first-liberal-prays-for-wisdom/2120075.aspx
| url-status = dead
}}
Honours
Issa was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1995 for service to local government and to the Lebanese community.{{cite web
| title = Councillor Antoine (Tony) ISSA
| at=Australian Honours Search Facility
| url = https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/871664
| accessdate = 30 April 2011
| work = It's an Honour
| publisher = Commonwealth of Australia
| date = 12 June 1995
| archive-date = 29 October 2020
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201029162702/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/871664
| url-status = live
}}
Issa was awarded the Order of Local Government for more than 20 years service as a councillor on Parramatta City Council.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-nsw-la}}
{{s-bef | before=David Borger }}
{{s-ttl | title=Member for Granville | years = 2011–2015}}
{{s-aft|after=Julia Finn}}
{{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Issa, Tony}}
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of New South Wales
Category:Members of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Category:Lebanese emigrants to Australia
Category:21st-century Australian politicians
Category:Mayors and lord mayors of Parramatta