Introduction
David Arthur Gillespie (born 20 December 1957) is an Australian politician. He has been a Nationals member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Lyne in New South Wales, since September 2013. In 2016, he was appointed as the Assistant Minister for Rural Health.
Career
Gillespie was born in Canberra. He was a gastroenterologist for twenty years and, up until the 2013 election, was the director of physician training at Port Macquarie Base Hospital.
In 2010, he contested the seat of Lyne for the first time, representing the Nationals. His opponent, independent member Rob Oakeshott, defeated him; however, the Nationals received a 10-point swing. Following Oakeshott's retirement at the 2013 federal election, Gillespie contested the seat again and won. This was not an upset; Lyne was still a comfortably safe National seat in a traditional two-party matchup, and it was taken for granted that it would revert to the Nationals once Oakeshott retired.
With the reelection of the Turnbull Government in 2016, Gillespie became the Assistant Minister for Rural Health in the Second Turnbull Ministry.
Personal
Gillespie is married to Charlotte, and they have three children. The family lives at Sancrox, west of Port Macquarie.