Member for Ipswich West
In October 2015,Liberal National member Ian Rickuss called some Labor MPs,including Madden,"drag queens". [11] Madden responded that Rickuss was "out of touch" and that "jokes made at the expense of the LGBTI community are unacceptable now." [11]
In December 2015,Madden stepped down from Parliament's ethics committee after taking responsibility for a suspected leak. [12] Ethics committee members were prohibited from revealing information about their deliberations. [13] He thought his comments to a Queensland Times journalist were "innocuous" but admitted he "should not have spoken to him at all." [12] He said this mistake was due to his inexperience as a "relatively new member of Parliament and the ethics committee." [12] He received no further punishment for his role in the leak. [13]
In February 2016,Madden supported the proposed lockout laws since be believed they were proven effective elsewhere and would address alcohol-fuelled violence. [14] [15]
In March 2017,Madden supported the Criminal Law Amendment Bill which removed "unwanted sexual advancements" as a partial defence for defendants accused of murder. [16] He described the previous law as a "gay panic defence" which was "archaic". [16] He said the message of the legislation was that discrimination was "not acceptable and that we value the LBGTI community". [16]
In October 2018,he voted in favour of a bill which made abortion available,on request,up to 22 weeks' gestation and introduced "safe access zones" of 150 metres around clinics. [17] Madden supported an amendment lowering the gestation limit from 22 to 16 weeks. [18]
On 18 April 2023,he announced his intention to retire from politics at the 2024 election. [19] He resigned early on 27 January 2024 to stand for election to the Ipswich City Council. [20]
