Stephen Robertson (politician)

Stephen Robertson (born 14 February 1962) is an Australian politician, he is a former member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland who represented the electoral district of Stretton for the Labor Party. He was the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and Minister for Trade in the cabinet of Premier Anna Bligh. He had previously held the positions of Minister for Health (2005–2009) and Minister for Emergency Services (1999–2001).[1]

Stephen Robertson
Minister for Energy and Water Utilities of Queensland
In office
26 March 2009 – 26 March 2012
PremierAnna Bligh
Preceded byGeoff Wilson (Energy)
Craig Wallace (Water)
Succeeded byMark McArdle
Minister for Health of Queensland
In office
28 July 2005 – 26 March 2009
PremierPeter Beattie
Anna Bligh
Preceded byGordon Nuttall
Succeeded byPaul Lucas
Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy of Queensland
In office
22 February 2001 – 28 July 2005
PremierPeter Beattie
Preceded byRod Welford (Natural Resources)
Tony McGrady (Mines and Energy)
Succeeded byGeoff Wilson
Minister for Emergency Services of Queensland
In office
16 December 1998 – 22 February 2001
PremierPeter Beattie
Preceded byMerri Rose
Succeeded byMike Reynolds
Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Premier
In office
29 June 1998 – 16 December 1998
PremierPeter Beattie
Preceded byBob Harper
Member of the Queensland Parliament
for Stretton
Sunnybank (1992–2001)
In office
19 September 1992 – 24 March 2012
Preceded byNew seat
Succeeded byFreya Ostapovitch
Personal details
Born (1962-02-14) 14 February 1962 (age 62)
Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor
SpouseCaz Osborne
Alma materGriffith University
OccupationChair Healthy Land and Water

Early life

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Robertson was born in Aberdeen, Scotland. In 1964, he migrated to Australia with his family settling in Wynnum, a bayside suburb of Brisbane where he attended Wynnum Central Primary and the Wynnum State High schools. He graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Arts with honours from the School of Modern Asian Studies.[2] He joined the Labor Party in 1978,[1] and prior to his election to parliament was State Secretary and National President of the United Firefighters Union of Australia.[2]

Political career

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He was first elected to the Queensland Parliament in the 1992 Queensland state election for the new electoral district of Sunnybank. He was appointed to Peter Beattie's cabinet as Minister for Emergency Services on 16 December 1999. From 22 February 2001 he was transferred to the Natural Resources and Mines portfolios, also taking on the Energy portfolio from 12 February 2004. On 28 July 2005 he became Minister for Health, but resumed his former position of Minister for Natural Resources, Mines, Energy and Trade after a cabinet reshuffle in March 2009.[3] In 2011 he was appointed Minister for Energy and Water Utilities.

He is a member of Labor's left-wing faction, and at one stage had Graham Perrett, the current federal Member for Moreton, working for him. He retired prior to the 2012 Queensland state election. Labor preselection in his seat of Stretton was subsequently won by Duncan Pegg, but the seat was won by the LNP's Freya Ostapovitch.

References

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  1. ^ a b Robertson, Hon Stephen, Queensland Parliament House – Member information, 13 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b Stephen Robertson MP Archived 24 July 2010 at archive.today, Department of Environment and Resource Management, Queensland Government, 1 July 2009.
  3. ^ Rosemary Odgers and Patrick Lion: Anna Bligh tells new ministers to get straight to work, The Courier-Mail, 24 March 2009.
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Parliament of Queensland
New division Member for Sunnybank
1992–2001
Succeeded by
Member for Stretton
2001–2012
Succeeded by