Andrew Gee (politician)


Andrew Robert Gee is an Australian politician who has been Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education in the Morrison Government since February 2020. He also holds the position of Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment. He is a member of the National Party and has represented the Division of Calare in the House of Representatives since 2016. He previously served in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 2011 to 2016, representing the seat of Orange.

Early life

Gee was born in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. As a child he lived with his family for periods in Nairobi and San Francisco, before they returned to Australia and settled in Maitland. He attended Newcastle Grammar School and subsequently went on to the University of Sydney, where he graduated with the degrees of Bachelor of Economics and Bachelor of Laws.
After commencing practice as a solicitor, Gee started a business with his brothers David and Matthew licensing consumer products and promotions for international entertainment companies. He was based in Hong Kong and his brothers were based in Singapore. He returned to Australia in 1999 and began working for Colin Biggers & Paisley, becoming a barrister in 2003. Together with his wife and young children, Gee moved to Orange in 2005. His legal practice was in the fields of civil litigation and family law, and had offices in Queen's Square Chambers in Orange and Sydney.

State politics

Following an earlier announcement that the Nationals' sitting member for Orange, Russell Turner, would not be seeking re-election, Gee was endorsed by the National Party as its candidate in June 2010, after a pre-selection battle with three other candidates.
At the March 2011 election, Gee was elected and received a swing of 12.5 points towards the Nationals in the traditionally strong Nationals seat, winning 74.2% of the two-party vote. Gee's main competitor was John Davis, an independent candidate, Mayor of Orange, former Councillor on Blayney Shire Council, and local car dealer.

Federal politics

On 30 April 2016, Gee was preselected by the National Party to contest the seat of Calare at the 2016 federal election, and resigned from his state seat before the federal election. The by-election to fill the vacancy was not held until 12 November 2016.
Gee won the seat of Calare at the federal election on 2 July 2016.
In January 2019, Gee was appointed Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister, Michael McCormack. He held the position until a ministerial reshuffle in February 2020, when he was elevated to the outer ministry as Minister for Decentralisation and Regional Education and Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment.