Tony Issa: Former Granville MP, Parramatta Lord Mayor dies aged 69

A trailblazing Lebanese-Australian who made history as a Lord Mayor and Liberal MP in his western Sydney Labor stronghold has died after years of illness.

Tony Issa on the hustings in 2018. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Former Parramatta Lord Mayor and Granville MP – one of just two non-ALP members to hold the traditionally safe Labor seat – has died aged 69.

The proud Lebanese-Australian died at Auburn Hospital’s palliative care unit on Sunday at 2am. He had a brain tumour for many years and, while that stabilised, he suffered leukaemia more recently and his health rapidly declined last month.

Mr Issa became an Australian citizen in 1976 and didn’t take long to contribute to politics and the community, serving on the Granville Multicultural Centre of which he was the president from 1987 to 1991, and with the Australian Lebanese Welfare Group from 2004 to 2008.

The father-of-four was a stalwart on Parramatta Council, on which his son Steven now serves, and was an independent from 1988 to 1998.

He continued as a Liberal from 1998 to 2012 and was the first Liberal Lord Mayor in NSW when he donned the Parramatta mayoral chains for one term in 2008 to 2009. He also wrote himself into the history books as the state’s first Lebanese-Australian politician to hold that position.

Tony Issa was a long-time advocate for Granville.

The long-time Merrylands residents was made an Order of the Australia Medal in 1995 thanks to his contributions to the Lebanese community.

Local politics was a stepping stone for state parliament and, in 2011, Mr Issa accomplished the rare achievement and unseated Labor’s David Borger with 52.7 per cent of the two-party vote.

Mr Issa hit the campaign trail with then Premier Gladys Berejiklian at Stockland Merrylands in 2019 but he lost the seat to Labor. Picture: Dylan Robinson

He was only one of two non-ALP candidates to achieve the win in the traditionally safe Labor seat since 1938.

Last month, Parramatta and Cumberland councils agreed to honour of the local political heavyweight, whose connection was the strongest at Granville, with tributes.

Cumberland agreed to name a room at the historic Granville Town Hall in his honour while Parramatta Council also agreed to formally name the proposed park at Granville Town Square Tony Issa Park in recognition of his extensive public service and contributions to the community.

Cumberland Liberal councillor and Issa family friend Joseph Rahme praised Mr Issa for influencing him to become a councillor.

Mr Issa was the first Liberal Lord Mayor in NSW.

“He was always very welcoming, seeing the way he conducted himself in the political arena and the yellow envelopes in his front lawn on a Friday was my first glimpse of political life, and I liked it,’’ he said at a recent council meeting.

“My late father always had a deep respect for what Tony had achieved – a beaming example of a successful Lebanese migrant.

“To me the incredible milestones that stand out were the fact that he was the first Liberal Lord Mayor in the state of NSW and the second was him winning the state seat of Granville with the help of councillor (Paul) Garrard, who’s in this chamber.

“I guess of all these achievements his biggest achievement is his beautiful family he has raised with his wife Sue.’’

Mr Issa was also a committee member of Harris Park’s Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral and a Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Council board director.

He is survived by his wife, four children and seven grandchildren.

Originally published as Tony Issa: Former Granville MP, Parramatta Lord Mayor dies aged 69