Background
MacCarthy was born in Denistone, a suburb of Sydney, to parents Thornton and Constance.
MacCarthy was born in Denistone, a suburb of Sydney, to parents Thornton and Constance.
He attended Homebush Boys" High School, graduating in 1965. He attended the University of Sydney from 1966 to 1968, where he received a Bachelor of Science (Pure Mathematics), and joined the Liberal Party on 14 March 1967.
He was the Liberal Party member for Strathfield in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 1999. He received a Bachelor of Economics (Public Finance) in 1976 from the University of New England, and worked as a public sector manager. His most prominent position was as Manager of Public Affairs for the Electricity Association of New South Wales, 1988-1995.
In 1996, the Liberal Member of Parliament for the local state seat of Strathfield, Paul Zammit, resigned to contest the Australian House of Representatives.
In 1999, however, Strathfield was redistributed and took in large parts of Ashfield, a Labor seat. Although the margin was still notionally Liberal, MacCarthy was resoundingly defeated by Ashfield Labor Member of Parliament Paul Whelan.
After his defeat, MacCarthy worked as a part-time member of the New South Wales Election Funding Authority until 2003. In 2006 he was appointed a senior member of the Migration Review Tribunal.
