Sandy Macdonald

John Alexander Lindsay Macdonald, (born 10 May 1954) is a former Australian politician. He was member of the Australian Senate from 1993 to 1998, and again from 2000 to 2008, representing the state of New South Wales for the National Party.

Early life Macdonald was born in Quirindi, New South Wales and was educated at Sydney University, where he graduated in law. He was a wool and beef farmer before entering politics.

Political career Macdonald was the third Senate candidate for the Coalition at the 1998 federal election but narrowly lost his seat to Aden Ridgeway of the Australian Democrats. In May 2000, he regained a seat in the Senate following the resignation of National Party Senator David Brownhill. In June 2005, Macdonald was made Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade, and in January 2006, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence.

Macdonald was at the centre of an allegation of a breach of the Commonwealth Electoral Act. Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor, claimed through an interview with Tony Vermeer from The Sunday Telegraph some five months after the alleged incident occurred. Anderson, Macdonald, and McGuire denied the claims. The AFP invistaged Windsor's claims and advised that the matter will not be prosecuted.

In October 2006, Macdonald refused a National Party endorsement on the joint senate ticket for the forthcoming 2007 Australian federal election. Macdonald retired from the Senate at the expiry of his term, on 30 June 2008 after the defeat of the Howard Government .

Post political career He was appointed a director of Defence Housing Australia in August 2008 by the Rudd Government. He was also appointed a director of Incremental Oil and Gas Ltd ( formerly a director of Incremental Petroleum Ltd) in 2008. In February 2015 Macdonald was appointed Chairman of Defence Housing Australia.

Macdonald was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2021 Australia Day Honours, for "For significant service to the people and Parliament of Australia, and to public administration."