Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman

Born on the 12th August 1963 in Canberra ACT, to parents already in the Political field, Campbell Newman stood for Lord Mayor of Brisbane in 2004, and was elected to that office in the March election for a 4 year term. In 2008 he was again re-elected for a further 4 year term.

In 2010 he was recognised as one of the Worlds top FIVE City Mayors by the worldwide “City Mayors Foundation”. World Mayors 2010 Results.

On the 22 March 2011, Newman announced that he would be moving into State Politics and would seeking pre-selection for the QLD electoral district of Ashgrove as an LNP candidate at the next State election. He was also offered the position of the LNP leadership. He resigned from his position as Brisbane City mayor on the 3rd April 2011 to officially contest the state seat of Ashgrove.

This election was held on 24th March 2012, and the result was a resounding defeat of the then ALP Government.

• 2012 Queensland State Election result.

Campbell Newman Official LNP Website: Queensland LNP Leader

Australia’s Largest Cities:

Brisbane City Council is the largest local government entity in Australia serving a population of 1.04 million

The 2012 Queensland state election was held on 24 March 2012, and won by the Liberal National Party (LNP) with a massive majority, now holding 77 or 78 of the 89 available seats.

The two main parties were led by:

ALP: Anna Bligh
LNP: Campbell Newman

With 69.91% of votes counted, as per Electoral Commission Queensland figures on Sunday morning 25th March 2012, the result was:

• 49.51% Liberal National Party LNP
• 26.85% Australian Labor Party ALP
• 11.60% The Australian Party
• 7.38% The Greens
• 1.39% Family First Party
• 0.10% One Nation
• 3.18% Other Candidates

Anna Bligh (ALP) conceded defeat at 8:15pm (QLD time) just over 2 hours after voting closed.

Declared Primary Votes and Seats allocated Result

2 Districts are not yet included in the above: (at 14th April 2012)

• Burnett – an LNP Probable
• Mulgrave – an ALP Probable

2012 Result

*ALP = Australian Labor Party: 26.62% of the primary vote with 6 seats
*LNP = Liberal National Party: 49.72% of the primary vote with 77 seats

Electoral Commission Queensland 2012

Following the ALP campaign to discredit Campbell Newman over his financial affairs, Mr Newman has promised that if he wins the seat of Ashgrove, he will, within 90 days:

• Relinquish all interests and positions in private companies and/or transfer those interests to a blind trust.
• Ensure his self-managed superannuation is invested only in cash or managed index funds
• Continue to not personally invest in listed company shares.

His wife, Mrs Newman, has also stated:

• She will also give up all interests and positions in private companies and/or transfer those interests to a blind trust.
• She will also give up all interests in the family-owned Majella Enterprise Unit Trust, and will not invest in listed companies.
• She will also not accept any paid public service role while her husband is in office.  (This will no doubt be aimed at the fact that Anna Blighs partner, Greg Withers, was put in charge of a newly created Office of Climate Change in 2007 just one month after Ms Bligh became Premier, on a $220,000-a-year package. This appointment has also just been renewed for a further 5 years, in full knowledge that an LNP victory will see changes to that office and a termination payment will become payable (Ms Bligh’s spokesman said Mr Withers’s contract would yield a standard termination payment of between 15 to 20 per cent of his contract.  http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/elections/big-payout-forqueensland-premiers-partner-in-11th-hour-deal/story-fnbsqt8f-1226267174232)

Some people are wondering what a Blind Trust is.

A blind trust is a trust in which the fiduciaries, namely the trustees or those who have been given power of attorney, have full discretion over the assets, and the trust beneficiaries have no knowledge of the holdings of the trust and no right to intervene in their handling.

Blind trusts are generally used when a settlor (sometimes called a trustor or donor) wishes to keep the beneficiary unaware of the specific assets in the trust, such as to avoid conflict of interest between the beneficiary and the investments.

Politicians or others in sensitive positions often place their personal assets (including investment income) into blind trusts, to avoid public scrutiny and accusations of conflicts of interest when they direct government funds to the private sector.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_trust

Some people have already begun to question this Blind Trust arrangement, however, what is OK for the ALP, should be equally OK for the LNP.

Blind Trusts appear to be in line with ALP policy:

The policy that was put in place under Peter Beattie was that all ministers should divest themselves of shareholdings and directorships of companies, with the exception of investments in blind trusts, that is, where the individual has no investment decisions on the money that they put into that mechanism. www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2398223.htm

LNP

Lisa Newman, the wife of the Liberal Party leader (Premier in waiting), Campbell Newman, has stated that she will NOT accept any paid public service role while her husband is in office.

ALP

Anna Blighs partner, Greg Withers, was put in charge of a newly created Office of Climate Change in 2007 just one month after Ms Bligh became Premier, on a $220,000-a-year package.

Then just before the 2012 Election was due to be announced, this appointment was renewed for a further 5 years.
This would have been in full knowledge that an LNP victory will see changes to that office and a termination payment will then become payable.
(Ms Bligh’s spokesman has confirmed Mr Withers’s contract would yield a standard termination payment of between 15 to 20 per cent of his contract.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/elections/big-payout-forqueensland-premiers-partner-in-11th-hour-deal/story-fnbsqt8f-1226267174232)