Brendon Grylls

ENG: Brendon John Grylls (born 5 June 1973 in Perth, Western Australia) is an Australian politician and is currently the Member for Central Wheatbelt in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, as well as the Leader of the National Party of Western Australia. Grylls has been the Minister for Regional Development and Minister for Lands in the Barnett Ministry since 23 September 2008. He was educated at Wesley College, Perth.

His political career began in November 2001 when he contested and won a state by-election following the retirement of former Nationals Leader Hendy Cowan to become the Member for Merredin. Following a redistribution in 2008, Merredin was largely incorporated into the new Central Wheatbelt Electoral district.

Grylls was the Shadow Minister for Environment and the Wheatbelt in the Liberal-National Coalition prior to the 2005 election. In June 2005 Grylls challenged then Leader Max Trenorden to become the new leader of the Parliamentary National Party of Australia (WA).

Platform

Since becoming party leader, Grylls has pushed for an independent National Party and had refused to

enter into a coalition with either of the major parties before the 2008 State election.During vote counting on election night when it was apparent that the party was likely to hold a balance of power, possibly in both houses, Grylls reiterated his stance of requiring that the Government deliver 25 per cent of mining and petroleum royalties for reinvestment in regional projects, as outlined in the Royalties for Regions policy. He also said that he would have no problem forming a coalition with the Australian Labor Party if it promised to deliver under the policy.

Since the Coalition came into power in 2008, Grylls has implemented the Royalties for Regions scheme, which sees the equivalent of 25 per cent of the State's mining and petr. leum royalty revenue (capped at $1billion per annum) invested into Western Australia's regional infrastructure, services and projects.

Source

September 17,2010