23 Facts About Al Grassby

Al Grassby completed reforms in immigration and human rights, and is often known as the father of Australian "multiculturalism".

Al Grassby gained notoriety by acting as an agent of influence for the Calabrian Mafia that murdered anti-drugs campaigner Donald Mackay.

Al Grassby was born Albert Jaime Grassby in Brisbane, Queensland to parents of Spanish and Irish descent.

Al Grassby's family lived in the United Kingdom during the 1930s and 1940s, and Albert was educated partly at schools in England.

In 1965, Al Grassby was elected as Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly for the electorate of Murrumbidgee representing the Labor Party.

Al Grassby served as Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Conservation between 1968 and 1969.

Al Grassby won the rural electorate of Riverina for the Labor Party at the 1969 federal election.

Al Grassby was the seat's first Labor MP in 24 years, and only the second in 47 years.

Al Grassby's actions attracted criticism from anti-immigration groups, led by the Immigration Control Association, which targeted his electorate in a campaign at the May 1974 election.

Partly as a result, Al Grassby was defeated by the National Party candidate, John Sullivan, by just 792 votes.

In one case, Al Grassby nominated for preselection for the safe federal Labor seat of Parramatta following encouragement from Whitlam, who sought to return Al Grassby to the ministry.

However, Al Grassby surprisingly lost the preselection ballot, because many rank-and-file Labor members objected to an outside candidate being foisted upon them.

The ensuing controversy surrounding the appointment led to the downfall of Cairns, and, while Al Grassby was not guilty of any misconduct himself, he attracted criticism by his connection to the case.

Al Grassby resigned in the wake of the Nagle inquiry, which found he had been involved in the attempts to table false claims about murdered political candidate Donald Mackay's family.

Al 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, Al Grassby was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1985.

Al Grassby received the United Nations Peace Medal in 1986.

In 1980, Al 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 of her husband Donald Mackay, a prominent Riverina businessman who had been a Liberal candidate against Al Grassby in 1974.

Al Grassby [Grassby] thought I could play the Italian vote.

Al Grassby had already lost a civil suit filed by Barbara Mackay, forcing him to unconditionally apologise.

Al Grassby, who had been treated for cancer, died on 23 April 2005, two days after suffering a heart attack, after several months' pneumonia.

Al Grassby was survived by his wife Ellnor Grassby and his daughter Gabriella Davis, and his partner of 25 years, Angela Chan.

Giafranco Tizzoni, a Mafia supergrass, identified Al Grassby as being at the "beck and call" of the Calabrian Mafia for at least 40 years.