Antoine Khalil Issa OAM (14 August 1955 – 30 March 2025) was an Australian politician who was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Granville for the Liberal Party from 2011 until the 2015 election when he lost the seat to Labor's Julia Finn.[1] Issa died in Auburn, New South Wales on 30 March 2025, at the age of 69.[2]
Issa migrated to Australia with his father in 1973, as one of seven children[3] of Lebanese Maronite Catholic background. Issa has extensive community involvement including:
Elected to Parramatta City Council in 1988, Issa served as an independent councillor until 1998 and then as a Liberal party councillor from 1998 to 2012.[2]
Issa was elected as deputy mayor from 2000 to 2001 and became the first Liberal Party lord mayor in New South Wales, serving between 2008 and 2009.[3][1][4]
In 1994, Issa contested unsuccessfully as an independent in the Parramatta by-election.
In 2011, he contested the normally safe[4][5] Labor seat of Granville in the Sydney's western suburbs. Running against the incumbent and high-profile[6] sitting member and Minister, David Borger.
Issa was elected with a swing of 13.1 points and won the seat with 52.7 per cent of the two-party vote.[4][5]
Issa was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1995 for service to local government and to the Lebanese community.[7]
Issa was awarded the Order of Local Government for more than 20 years service as a councillor on Parramatta City Council.[citation needed]
