 He was member for the Manly from 1991 to 1999.In 2000 Macdonald founded and is the current President of Australian Doctors International, which provides non-government health care and development aid in remote and rural regions of Papua New Guinea.He also worked with Médecins Sans Frontières in Iran in 1999, with Timor Aid in 2000 and was also Director of international community development organisation Plan International Australia from 2000 to 2003.