Campbell Newman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Major The Honourable
Campbell Newman
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Newman c. 2012
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| 38th Premier of Queensland | |
| In office 26 March 2012 – 14 February 2015 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Penelope Wensley Paul de Jersey |
| Deputy | Jeff Seeney |
| Preceded by | Anna Bligh |
| Succeeded by | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
| Leader of the Liberal National Party | |
| In office 2 April 2011 – 7 February 2015 |
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| Deputy | Jeff Seeney |
| Preceded by | John-Paul Langbroek |
| Succeeded by | Lawrence Springborg |
| Member of the Queensland Parliament for Ashgrove |
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| In office 24 March 2012 – 31 January 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Kate Jones |
| Succeeded by | Kate Jones |
| 15th Lord Mayor of Brisbane Elections: 2004, 2008 |
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| In office 27 March 2004 – 3 April 2011 |
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| Deputy | David Hinchliffe (2004–2008) Graham Quirk (2008–2011) |
| Preceded by | Tim Quinn |
| Succeeded by | Graham Quirk |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman
12 August 1963 Canberra, A.C.T., Australia |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats (2021–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal Party (2004–2008) Liberal National Party of Queensland (2008–2021) |
| Spouse | Lisa Newman (née Monsour) |
| Relations | Kevin Newman (father) Jocelyn Newman (mother) |
| Children | Rebecca Sarah |
| Alma mater | Royal Military College, Duntroon University of New South Wales University of Queensland Launceston Church Grammar School |
| Profession | Civil engineer |
| Awards | Australian Defence Medal |
| Signature |  |
| Nickname | Noddy |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1981–1993 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | Royal Australian Engineers |
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman (born 12 August 1963) is an Australian former politician. He was the 38th Premier of Queensland from 2012 to 2015. The Premier is the leader of the state government. Before this, he was the 15th Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 2004 to 2011. The Lord Mayor is the head of the city council.
Newman was first elected as Lord Mayor as a member of the Liberal Party. Later, he joined the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) when the Liberal and National parties in Queensland joined together in 2008. In 2011, he became the leader of the LNP.
He led the LNP to a huge victory in the 2012 state election, winning 78 out of 89 seats. This was a record for Queensland. He also won a seat in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Ashgrove. He became Premier two days later. He was the first Premier from Brisbane who was not from the Labor Party in 97 years.
In the 2015 state election, the LNP lost many seats. Newman also lost his own seat in Ashgrove to Kate Jones. He stepped down as Premier, and Annastacia Palaszczuk from the Labor Party took over. In 2021, Newman left the LNP and joined the Liberal Democrats. He tried to enter federal politics in 2022 but was not elected.
Contents
Early Life and Army Career
Campbell Newman was born on 12 August 1963 in Canberra, Australia. His parents, Kevin and Jocelyn Newman, were also politicians who served in the Australian Parliament. Campbell grew up in Tasmania and went to Launceston Church Grammar School.
In 1981, he joined the Australian Army as a cadet at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. He graduated as a lieutenant in 1985. He served in the army for 13 years, leaving in 1993 with the rank of Major. He has a degree in civil engineering from the University of New South Wales.
After leaving the army, he moved to Queensland. He earned a Master's degree in business from the University of Queensland. He then worked as a consultant and for an agricultural company before deciding to run for Lord Mayor of Brisbane.
Lord Mayor of Brisbane
In the 2004 election, Newman won against the current Labor mayor, Tim Quinn. However, most local areas elected Labor councillors, so he had to work closely with them.
During his first term, he started major projects like bridges and tunnels to improve traffic in Brisbane.
In the 2008 election, Newman was re-elected. His party also gained more control of the council.
In 2010, Newman was chosen as one of the top 25 mayors in the world for the World Mayor Prize. This competition highlights city leaders. He was ranked as the fifth-best mayor in the world.
Moving to State Politics
In 2011, there was talk about Newman becoming the leader of the LNP in Queensland. People thought he was popular enough to challenge the current Premier, Anna Bligh.
On 22 March 2011, Newman announced he would try to win the state seat of Ashgrove in west Brisbane. This seat was held by Labor's Kate Jones. If he won, he would then try to become the LNP leader.
Soon after Newman's announcement, the current LNP leader, John-Paul Langbroek, stepped down. On 2 April 2011, Newman was elected as the new leader of the LNP. The next day, he won the LNP nomination for Ashgrove without anyone opposing him.
Since Newman was not yet a member of the state parliament, Jeff Seeney became the temporary leader of the opposition. Newman led the LNP's election campaign from outside parliament. Premier Bligh criticized Newman for leaving his role as Lord Mayor while Brisbane was still recovering from floods.
Winning the Election
On 25 January 2012, Premier Bligh announced that a state election would be held on 24 March. The LNP was expected to win the election.
Before the election, there were some questions about Newman's past dealings as Lord Mayor. However, a week before the election, an investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing by Newman.
In the election, Newman led the LNP to a huge victory. The LNP won 78 seats, while Labor won only seven. This was largely because Brisbane, which had been a strong Labor area, voted for Newman's party. The LNP won 37 seats in Brisbane, compared to only six before the election. This was the biggest defeat a sitting government had ever faced in Queensland. Newman also won his seat in Ashgrove.
Newman claimed victory on election night, saying he had a clear message from the people to make Queensland "a can-do place once more." The LNP's campaign slogan was "Can Do Queensland," similar to his mayoral slogan, "Can Do Campbell."
Premier of Queensland
Newman Government
After the election, Premier Bligh resigned. On 26 March, Campbell Newman was sworn in as Queensland's 38th Premier. He formed a small interim government with his top two shadow ministers, Jeff Seeney and Tim Nicholls, until a full team of ministers could be chosen a week later.
Newman was the first Premier from the Brisbane area who was not from the Labor Party since 1915. He also became the first person in Australia to lead a party to victory in a state election without being a member of parliament at the time of the election. He started his term with the largest majority government in Queensland's history. He said his main goals were to improve Queensland's economy and finances.
In January 2013, Newman announced plans to support a change in how federal elections are run in Queensland.
Law and Order
In September 2013, Newman's government opened "bootcamps" for young people who had been found guilty of crimes. These camps were in Townsville and Rockhampton. They were later closed in 2015 by the Labor government.
Newman's government also made some new laws to fight crime. These laws were criticized by many legal experts and human rights groups. They worried that the laws were too broad and might affect innocent people. However, Newman said that people in Queensland wanted these tough new laws.
By September 2013, Newman's government had reduced the number of public service jobs in Queensland by over 12,000.
In July 2014, Newman's government had to change a small part of its controversial laws after losing a by-election. This showed that public support for the government was decreasing.
2015 Election
On 6 January 2015, Newman announced that a state election would be held on 31 January. During the election campaign, there was talk that Newman might lose his own seat in Ashgrove, which would make it hard for him to remain Premier even if his party won.
In the election, Newman lost his seat in Ashgrove to his Labor opponent, Kate Jones. After his defeat was clear, Newman announced he was leaving politics on election night. He immediately resigned as both Premier and LNP leader. He stayed on as caretaker Premier for almost two weeks while the final election results were being counted.
Newman was only the second sitting Queensland Premier to lose his own seat. In a surprising result, the Labor Party won enough seats to form a government with the support of an independent politician.
Because he entered parliament at the same time he became Premier and lost his seat at the same time he lost the premiership, Newman is the only person to serve his entire time in the Queensland Parliament as Premier.
After Politics
Attempted Move to Federal Politics
A week after his 2015 state election defeat, Newman was asked to run for a federal seat in Victoria. However, he decided not to run.
Leaving the LNP and Joining the Liberal Democrats
On 25 July 2021, Newman announced that he and his wife were leaving the LNP. He suggested he might return to politics at a federal level.
On 8 August 2021, Newman announced he would run for the federal Senate in Queensland with the Liberal Democrats. He criticized the major political parties for their strict measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newman was not elected to the Senate.
Political Views
Newman describes himself as a libertarian. This means he believes in individual freedom and limited government.
He supports same-sex marriage.
Personal Life and Family
Newman lives in Brisbane with his wife, Lisa. They have two daughters, Rebecca and Sarah. In February 2020, Campbell Newman said his political beliefs were libertarian. Campbell and Lisa Newman left the LNP on 25 July 2021.
Images for kids
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Campbell Newman's signature
See also
- 2015 Queensland state election
