Jeff Seeney

Last updated

The Honourable
Jeff Seeney
33rd Deputy Premier of Queensland
In office
26 March 2012 –14 February 2015

Following the Coalition's loss at the 2006 state election, standing leader Lawrence Springborg relinquished leadership of the opposition and the Queensland National Party.

On 18 September 2006, Seeney was endorsed as the new state National Party leader, with Maroochydore representative Fiona Simpson as his deputy. [8]

Seeney and Simpson are reported to have never got along well. This conflict, combined with the leadership instability and performance of the Liberal Party, combined to keep the opposition on the back foot. [9]

On 21 January 2008, after opinion polls showed Seeney well behind newly installed premier Anna Bligh, Springborg launched a party-room coup and ousted Seeney as leader. [10] After the merging of the National and Liberal parties, Seeney became a member of the Liberal National Party. Springborg kept him in the shadow ministry as Shadow Minister for Mines and Energy [11] which he retained under Springborg's successor, John-Paul Langbroek. [12]

On 22 March 2011, Seeney once again became opposition leader, following Langbroek's resignation from that position. Campbell Newman, the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, was elected his successor a few days later. Seeney was named deputy leader, replacing Springborg after Seeney was elected the new interim parliamentary leader. [13] After it became apparent that a by-election could not be arranged to get Newman into the legislature, it was announced that Seeney would act as interim parliamentary leader of the LNP—and hence Leader of the Opposition. Tim Nicholls served as his deputy. Newman, who had won preselection for Ashgrove, would lead the LNP election team from outside parliament. It was understood that if Newman was elected to the legislature, Seeney would cede his post as parliamentary leader to Newman. [14]

The LNP won the largest majority government in Queensland history at the 2012 election. The next day, with counting still underway even though the LNP's victory was beyond doubt, Bligh resigned as premier and state Labor leader and announced her retirement from politics. Newman announced that he would name Seeney as Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, with additional responsibility for the Coordinator General. He served in an interim three-man cabinet with Newman and Nicholls until the full ministry was sworn in on 3 April. [15] He was the highest-ranking minister from the Nationals side of the merger.

Seeney was Deputy Premier for the entirety of the Newman Government's tenure which came to an end with its defeat at the 2015 election with Newman himself losing his seat. After the election defeat Springborg made his comeback as LNP leader.

The following year in 2016, Seeney's past leadership feud with Springborg resurfaced when Seeney was the key architect in displacing Springborg as leader by Seeney's former deputy Tim Nicholls.

Personal life

Seeney received a certificate in rural business management from QUT and was the former chairman of the Burnett Inland Economic Development Organisation (BIEDO).[ citation needed ]

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References

  1. ↑ Antony Green (7 September 2006). "Queensland Election, 2006". ABC News. Retrieved 18 September 2006.
  2. ↑ "Questions raised after Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney rezones caravan park with LNP link". ABC News. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  3. ↑ "Jeff Seeney orders Moreton Bay Regional Council to remove references to climate change-derived sea level rises from regional plan". ABC News. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  4. ↑ Justine Bell-James (11 December 2014). "Complacency rules as Queensland makes risky edict on sea-level rise". Theconversation.com. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  5. ↑ "Queensland councils seek advice after Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney rejects planning for sea level rises". The Courier Mail. 10 December 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  6. ↑ "Coastal engineers concerned at instructions to Moreton Bay Council on sea level rise". 5 January 2015. Archived from the original on 30 September 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  7. ↑ Wardill, Steven (8 August 2017). "Jeff Seeney accepts "technically" breaking MPs' rules on business involvement". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
  8. ↑ Steven Wardill and Rosemary Odgers (18 September 2006). "Seeney takes National Party reins". Herald Sun. Retrieved 18 September 2006.[ dead link ]
  9. ↑ "Labor Bad, Coalition Worse". Courier Mail.
  10. ↑ "Springborg to lead QLD Nationals - again". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 21 January 2008.
  11. ↑ "New Queensland shadow cabinet". 12 August 2008.
  12. ↑ John-Paul Langbroek. "New Shadow Cabinet to focus on making Queensland the economic powerhouse again". Archived from the original on 8 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Seeney success a shock to LNP system". 15 April 2011.
  14. ↑ Green, Antony. Queensland election preview. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 25 January 2012.
  15. ↑ Newman to form interim cabinet on Monday [ permanent dead link ]. Seven News Brisbane, 25 March 2012.
Political offices
Preceded by Deputy Premier of Queensland
2012–2015		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
2006–2008		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
2011–2012		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Leader of the National Party in Queensland
2006–2008		Succeeded by
Preceded by Parliamentary Leader of the Liberal National Party in Queensland
2011–2012		Succeeded by
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Member for Callide
1998–2017		Succeeded by
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