Duncan Gay

Duncan John Gay (born 2 May 1950) is a former Australian politician who served as the Vice-President of the Executive Council of New South Wales and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council from May 2014 to January 2017; and the Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight from April 2015 to January 2017. Gay served as the Leader of the Nationals in the Legislative Council until January 2017 and was a member of the Council from 1988 to 2017, representing the Nationals.

He served as the Minister for Roads and Freight, and as the Minister for the North Coast between 2014 and 2015 in the first Baird government; and the Minister for Roads and Ports in the O'Farrell ministry between 2011 and 2014.

Early life Gay was born and raised in Crookwell, New South Wales near Goulburn and educated at Crookwell District Rural School. He attended Newington College from 1962 until 1967 in Sydney as a boarding student before studying accountancy and wool classing. He is married to Katie and they have two children. and has been a member of the National Party since 1974; and the subsequent ministerial reshuffle by Mike Baird, the new Liberal Leader, the responsibilities as Vice-President of the Executive Council and Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council were added in May 2014; a road project that has had its costs reported to be overrun by A$1.4 billion. Gay announced the preferred construction contractor for the NorthConnex; and the continued duplication of the Pacific Highway.

As Roads Minister, he described himself as “the biggest bike lane sceptic in the government”. He cut funding to protected cycleway projects and quadrupled fines for cyclists.

In January 2017 Gay was replaced in the reshuffle of the Berejiklian ministry. He retired from politics at the end of July and took up a paid advisory role with private transport and infrastructure consultancy MU Group. Gay is a Director of ARC Asia-Pacific Consortium and in September 2018 was appointed chairman of the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator.

Honours Gay was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the people and Parliament of New South Wales, and to the community".