The Hon Albert Jaime Grassby AM (12 July 1926 - 23 April 2005), Australian politician, was Minister for Immigration in the Whitlam Labor government. He initiated sweeping reforms in immigration and human rights and introduced the word "multiculturalism" to Australian society. July 12 is the 193rd day (194th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 172 days remaining. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Hon Gough Whitlam Edward Gough Whitlam (born 11 July 1916), Australian politician and 21st Prime Minister of Australia, was the only Australian Prime Minister to be dismissed by the Governor-General. ...

Biography

Born Albert Grass in Brisbane, Queensland to parents of Spanish and Irish descent, Grassby changed his name to emphasise his Irish roots. After working as a journalist and a consultant on agricultural issues, Grassby was elected as a Labor Party MLA for the New South Wales state electorate of Murrumbidgee in 1965, where he served as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Conservation between 1968 and 1969. His high profile and popularity in the local community encouraged him to enter federal politics.poo This article is about the Australian city. ... The Australian Labor Party or ALP is Australias oldest political party. ... Motto: Orta Recens Quam Pura Nites (Newly Risen, How Brightly You Shine) Nickname: First State, Premier State Other Australian states and territories Capital Sydney Government Governor Premier Const. ... 1965 was a common year starting on Friday (link goes to calendar). ...

Grassby won the rural electorate of Riverina for the Labor Party at the 1969 federal election and following Gough Whitlam’s victory at the 1972 election, he was appointed Minister for Immigration. In this role, Grassby quickly became one of the more high profile members of the Whitlam ministry as he gained a reputation as a one person propaganda unit for the benefits of multiculturalism and, among other initiatives, pushed for more immigration from non-English-speaking countries, banned racially selected sporting teams from playing in Australia and repealed the law that required indigenous Australians to seek permission before going overseas. The Division of Riverina is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ...

In addition to his high profile crusade for multiculturalism, Grassby also gained wide attention for his flamboyant dress sense; his colourful ties and suits setting him apart from the unwritten dress code for politicians of sombre dark suits and plain ties.

As the White Australia Policy had only been formally revoked less than a decade previously, Grassby’s actions provoked disquiet among sections of the Australian community, including in his Riverina electorate and some of his ALP colleagues, who thought his reforms too radical for the period, but Grassby could point to his enormous popularity within multicultural Australia and the subsequent growth of support for the ALP from this section of the community as more than adequate recompense for any possible loss of support from white Australia. This badge from 1906 shows the use of the expression White Australia at that time The White Australia Power, the policy of excluding all non white people from the Australian continent, was the official policy of all governments and all mainstream political parties in Australia from the 1890s to the...

Grassby’s actions however had attracted the attention and strident criticism of the Australian far right, who saw his push for more Asian immigration as an insidious plot to weaken the character of Australia. In response, a number of anti-immigration groups, led by the Immigration Control Association, targeted Grassby’s electorate in a scare mongering campaign in an attempt to unseat him. In what has become known as one of the most vindictive campaigns in Australian electoral history, Grassby lost his seat at the 1974 elections. 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ...

Following his defeat, Grassby was appointed as the first Commissioner for Community Relations, administering the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 that he had championed while in parliament. While he continued to work towards a multicultural Australia, Grassby couldn’t escape controversy. In one case, Grassby nominated for preselection for the safe federal Labor seat of Parramatta following encouragement from Gough Whitlam, who sought to return Grassby to the ministry. However, Grassby surprisingly lost the preselection ballot as many rank and file Labor members objected to an outside candidate being foisted upon them. 1975 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... The Division of Parramatta is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. ...

In another case, he became entangled in one of the more sensational political cases of Australian history when he hired Junie Morosi to work at the Commission for Community Relations, which brought her into contact with a number of government ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer, Jim Cairns. Cairns appointed Morosi as his Principal Private Secretary, a job traditionally held by a senior public servant. The ensuing controversy surrounding the appointment led to the downfall of Cairns and while Grassby was not guilty of any misconduct himself, he attracted criticism by his connection to the case. Junie Morosi in 1976 Junie Morosi (born 1934), Australian businesswoman, became a public figure in the 1970s through her relationship with Dr Jim Cairns, Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam Labor government. ... James Ford Cairns (4 October 1914 - 12 October 2003), Australian politician, was prominent in the Labor movement through the 1960s and 1970s, and was briefly Deputy Prime Minister in the Whitlam government. ...

Grassby published a number of books, including a biography of early Australian Prime Minister Chris Watson and various studies of multiculturalism in Australia. In recognition of his pioneering work on immigration, Grassby received the Order of Australia in 1985 and the United Nations Peace Medal in 1986. Hon Chris Watson John Christian Watson (9 April 1867(exact date uncertain) - 18 November 1941), Australian politician and third Prime Minister of Australia, usually known as Chris Watson, was born in Valparaíso, Chile, probably on April 9, 1867. ... The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service. The Order was established on February 14, 1975, when Queen Elizabeth II, acting in her capacity of Queen of Australia, signed Letters Patent... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ...

In 1980 Grassby was charged with criminal defamation when it was alleged that he had asked a New South Wales state politician, Michael Maher, to read in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly a document that imputed that Barbara Mackay and her family solicitor were responsible for the disappearance (and probable murder) of her husband Donald Mackay, a prominent Riverina businessman who had been a Liberal candidate against Grassby in 1972. Grassby maintained his innocence and fought a 12-year battle in the courts before he was eventually acquitted on appeal in August 1992. He was awarded $180,000 in costs. 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... In English and American law, and systems based on them, libel and slander are two forms of defamation (or defamation of character), which is the tort or delict of making a false statement of fact that injures someones reputation. ... The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. ... Donald MacKay Donald Mackay, born and raised in Griffith, New South Wales, was an Australian politician from 1973 to 1976, and an anti-drugs campaigner. ... The Liberal Party of Australia also known as the Neo Nazi Party of Australasia is an Australian liberal conservative political party. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Grassby died on April 23, 2005, two days after suffering a heart attack, after several months' pneumonia. He was survived by his wife Ellnor Grassby and his daughter Gabriella Davis. April 23 is the 113th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (114th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

Media reporting following his death

After Grassby's death renewed attacks were made on his reputation, particularly in relation to his alleged links with the Calabrian Mafia in Griffith and to the events surrounding the disappearance and probable murder of Donald Mackay. The Melbourne Herald Sun, a traditionally anti-Labor paper, ran a series of articles alleging that Grassby used his influence to thwart a National Crime Authority investigation into the Mafia, and to "let mafia criminals into Australia," and that he was "paid to do the mafia's bidding," including receiving a $40,000 payment to from the Griffith Mafia to smear Barbara Mackay. Calabria, formerly Brutium, is a region in southern Italy which occupies the toe of the Italian peninsula south of Naples. ... // Background The Mafia, also referred to in Italian as La Cosa Nostra (variously translated as This Thing Of Ours or Our Thing), is the name for a secret, criminal organisation which evolved in mid 19th century Sicily, and led to an offshoot on the East-Coast of the United States... Griffith is a town and Local Government Area in south-western New South Wales, Australia. ... Donald MacKay Donald Mackay, born and raised in Griffith, New South Wales, was an Australian politician from 1973 to 1976, and an anti-drugs campaigner. ... The Herald Sun is a newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that is published by The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdochs News Corporation. ...

It was also revealed that Grassby had maintained a "double life" with his wife of 43 years, Mrs Ellnor Grassby and his partner of 25 years Ms Angela Chan.

His wife Ellnor, although admitting that Grassby was a "ladies man" denies any knowledge of a continual relationship with Chan.

External links

• Colourful Labor legend Grassby dies (Australian Associated Press)
• Photograph of Grassby about 1970
• Herald-Sun posthumous expose of Grassby's alleged Mafia links