Scott Emerson

Scott Emerson MP
Minister for Transport and Main Roads
In office 3 April 2012 – 14 February 2015
Premier	Campbell Newman
Preceded by	Annastacia Palaszczuk (Transport) Craig Wallace (Main Roads)
Succeeded by	Jackie Trad (Transport) Mark Bailey (Main Roads)
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Indooroopilly
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 March 2009
Preceded by	Ronan Lee
Personal details
Born	15 January 1964 Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Liberal National Party
Alma mater	University of Queensland
Occupation	Journalist, public relations coordinator

Scott Anthony Emerson (born 15 January 1964) is an Australian politician. He served as the Minister for Transport and Main Roads Minister in the previous Newman Ministry from 2012 to 2015.^[1] In the Legislative Assembly of Queensland he represents the seat of Indooroopilly in Brisbane's inner-west, which he has held since 2009.^[2]

Early life

Emerson was born in Ipswich, Queensland, where his father, an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), was working at the nearby Amberley Air Force base. Emerson attended schools across Australia and overseas as his family moved with the RAAF. He graduated from high school in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory.

Emerson attended the University of Queensland where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in law and journalism and 1987 with a Bachelor of Economics. While at university, he edited the student newspaper Semper Floreat and was chairman of the Journalism Students Association. During his studies he resided at St Leo's College.

Early career

Emerson began his media career in 1988 as a cadet journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in Brisbane. In 1991 he moved to Sydney to work as a reporter on ABC Radio's current affairs programs, AM, PM and The World Today. He returned to Brisbane in 1992 as the senior Queensland reporter for ABC Radio Current Affairs. In 1994 he joined the national newspaper The Australian as its Queensland political reporter. In 1998 he was appointed the paper's Queensland Bureau Chief^[3] and in 2000 was National Chief of staff for The Australian during the Sydney Olympics.

In 2001 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study political campaigning, including undertaking research at Harvard University and in Washington D.C.

In 2004 he left The Australian to become a director and equity partner in Brisbane-based public and media relations firm Crook Publicity.^[4] In 2009 he contested the seat of Indooroopilly at the Queensland state election for the Liberal National Party of Queensland.

Emerson was co-founder of the St Lucia Community Association and held executive roles on local P&Fs including at Nudgee Junior College and Brisbane Boys College. He was a team manager at Wests Junior Rugby from 2005 to 2007. Emerson was also a volunteer at RSPCA Australia where he worked as a qualified dog trainer at weekends.

Political career

Emerson was elected to the Queensland Parliament at 21 March 2009 state election, representing the seat of Indooroopilly for the Liberal National Party with a two-party-preferred vote of 56 per cent. At the election he defeated Labor's candidate Sarah Warner and the sitting member Ronan Lee from the Queensland Greens, who defected from the Australian Labor Party in 2008.^[3]

At the election Emerson achieved a two-party preferred swing of 8.4 points, more than that achieved overall by the LNP itself, gaining the seat by more than 2500 votes.

On 24 March 2012, Emerson was re-elected as the Member for Indooroopilly for the Liberal National Party, contributing to the party's total of 78, giving the party a majority for the first time in the Parliament, and subsequently forming government.

At the election Emerson achieved a swing of 14 points with a first preference vote of 61% and a two-party preferred vote of 70%, the highest of any candidate in the seat of Indooroopilly's history.^[5]

Emerson was appointed as the Transport and Main Roads Minister in the first Newman Ministry.^[1] and was sworn in by the Governor on Tuesday 3 April 2012 at Queensland Government House.

On 31 January 2015, Emerson was re-elected as the Member for Indooroopilly for the LNP despite the party narrowly losing the overall election. Emerson was re-elected with a two-party preferred vote of 57%. His primary vote of 51% was the second highest primary vote of any candidate in the Indooroopilly electorate in 20 years.^[6]

After the election, Emerson was appointed the LNP's Shadow Transport Minister in the Queensland Parliament.

Personal life

Emerson is married to Robyn and the couple have a daughter and a son. They met while studying at the University of Queensland and married in Brisbane in 1991.

Described as an avid adventurer,^[7] Emerson has trekked the Himalayas including the 5400m Thorong La pass, climbed the 5900m Mount Kilimanjaro and trekked the Kokoda Trail. He has also rock climbed Kangaroo Point cliffs, abseiled Brisbane's AMP tower and swung off the Goodwill Bridge for charity.

References

1. Helbig, Koren (30 March 2012). "Premier Campbell Newman announces Queensland Government's new ministry". The Courier-Mail (Brisbane: News Limited). Retrieved 30 March 2012.
2. "Mixed results for minor parties, independents". ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 21 March 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
3. Elks, Sarah (24 February 2009). "Vital electorate not hooked on Lawrence Springborg". The Australian (News Limited). Retrieved 20 January 2015.
4. Jabour, Bridie; Robertson, Joshua (19 January 2015). "If the LNP wins but Campbell Newman loses, who would lead Queensland?". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
5. "2012 State General Election – Indooroopilly – District Summary". Electoral Commission Queensland. Archived from the original on 28 March 2012. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
6. "2015 State General Election – Indooroopilly District Summary". Electoral Commission Queensland. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
7. Tin, Jason. "Queensland Premier Campbell Newman's gift register revealed". Courier Mail.

External links

• Official website