Jodi McKay

Infobox Politician
honorific-prefix = The Honorable
name = Jodi McKay
honorific-suffix =MP


imagesize =
caption =
order = Minister for Tourism
Minister for the Hunter
term_start = 8 September 2008
term_end =
predecessor = Matt Brown (Tourism)
Michael Costa(Hunter)
birth_date = Birth date and age|1969|8|16|df=y
birth_place = Gloucester, New South Wales
death_date =
death_place =
constituency = Newcastle
party = Australian Labor Party
spouse =
profession = TV news presenter


footnotes =
website =

Jodi Leyanne McKay (Born 16 August 1969 at Gloucester, New South Wales) is an Australian politician representing Newcastle in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since 2007. She is Minister for Tourism and Minister for the Hunter in the NSW State Government.

Prior to her election, McKay was the newsreader for Newcastle's NBN Television nightly news. She also served as an honorary director of the Hunter Medical Research Institute and the Hunter Manufacturers' Association.

McKay was narrowly chosen to be Labor's candidate for Newcastle over sitting member Bryce Gaudry, after Premier Morris Iemma personally intervened to ensure her selection. [cite news| last =Sikora |first =Kate |coauthors =Hildebrand, Joe |title =Rat in the ranks for ALP | work =The Daily Telegraph | pages = | publisher =News Ltd | date =2007-03-06 | url =http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,21329239-5011900,00.html | accessdate =2008-09-09 ] The election itself became a tight three-way contest between McKay, Gaudry and Newcastle Lord Mayor John Tate, with McKay winning on Gaudry's preferences. [http://abc.net.au/news/australia/nsw/newcastle/200704/s1889237.htm "Hunter election results arrive"] "ABC News Online", April 4, 2007. Accessed April 11, 2007] In April 2008 she was criticised by the NSW Greens for failing to declare a political donation from a local developer to help pay for printing costs during her campaign. The donor was at the time seeking support from Planning Minister Frank Sartor for a development at Medowie, near Newcastle airport.cite news |first=Andrew |last=Clennell |title=Labor MP fails to mention $50,000 |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/labor-mp-fails-to-mention-50000/2008/04/13/1208024990562.html |publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald" |date=2008-04-14 |accessdate=2008-04-14 ]

McLay was appointed Minister for Tourism and Minister for the Hunter on 8 September 2008. She immediately distanced herself from the style of her predecessor Michael Costa and committed to greater engagement with local government and community groups.cite news| last =Strachan |first =Julieanne |coauthors = |title =Jodi McKay - Hunter's newest Minister | work =The Newcastle Herald | pages = | publisher =Fairfax Ltd | date =2008-09-08 | url =http://www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/jodi-mckay-hunters-newest-minister/1266588.aspx | accessdate =2008-09-09 ] Her appointment was welcomed by tourism and business groups including the Hunter Chamber of Commerce.

References