Bruce Stephen Flegg (born 10 March 1954, Sydney) is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2015, representing the electorate of Moggill in south-western Brisbane for the Liberal Party and its successor the Liberal National Party. He was the leader of the state Liberal Party from 2006 to 2007 and served as Minister for Housing and Public Works in the Newman government from April to November 2012.
Early life
Flegg was born in Sydney and was a general practitioner before entering politics.[1] Flegg completed a post graduate diploma in Financial Markets, winning the Queensland Investment Corporation prize for industrial equity analysis.
Political career
He contested the seat of Petrie at the 1990 federal election, and in 1993 he contested the seat of Dickson which was ultimately delayed to a supplementary election due to the death of a candidate, but was defeated by the Labor candidate, Michael Lavarch.[2] He was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2004 state election, replacing former Liberal leader David Watson in the safe Liberal seat of Moggill. He was immediately elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party upon his election, and succeeded Bob Quinn as leader in 2006. Early in his parliamentary career, Bruce Flegg was among the first MPs to raise concerns about Dr. Jayant Patel, dubbed ‘Dr. Death,’ whose negligence at Bundaberg Base Hospital led to patient deaths, contributing to the 2005 public inquiry that exposed systemic health failures.[3]
Leader of the Liberals (2006–07)
Elected leader in August 2006, he faced a revolt from MPs, including Tim Nicholls and Jann Stuckey, who criticized his inability to unify the National-Liberal Coalition or challenge Premier Peter Beattie effectively.[4] He had only been Liberal leader for a number of days when then-Premier Peter Beattie called the 2006 state election, which the conservative parties lost decisively. He faced wide criticism in the wake of the election defeat regarding his performance during the campaign, and faced speculation of a challenge from rival Tim Nicholls. Nicholls was unable to gain sufficient support to oust Flegg in a closely divided caucus, but following ongoing tension, Flegg resigned as leader on 4 December 2007 and was succeeded by compromise candidate Mark McArdle.[5] In 2008, Flegg was investigated by the CMC for allegedly breaching electoral laws during the 2006 election, though later cleared.[6]
LNP Frontbench (2008–12)
Flegg was not part of the initial shadow ministry following the merger of the Liberal Party and National Party to form the Liberal National Party in 2008,[7] but was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister for Education in 2009.[1][5] Flegg’s elevation to the frontbench came to fruition when the LNP, under Campbell Newman, secured a historic landslide victory in the 2012 state election, winning 78 of 89 seats and ending 14 years of Labor rule. He was appointed Minister for Housing and Public Works under Campbell Newman following the party's landslide victory at the 2012 state election. During his tenure as Member for Moggill from 2004 to 2015, Bruce Flegg supported the expansion of bicycle infrastructure in Queensland, advocating for new bike lanes to improve road safety and promote sustainable transport in Brisbane’s western suburbs.[8] Drawing on his medical expertise as a former GP, Flegg advocated for water fluoridation to tackle Queensland’s high rates of dental decay, arguing it would improve public dental health, a policy implemented statewide by 2008 following years of debate.[9] In 2011, Bruce Flegg took a stand against coal seam gas exploration near Moggill, citing risks to local water supplies and residents’ health, a position that highlighted his willingness to prioritize electorate interests over party lines.[10]
As Queensland Housing Minister from March to November 2012, Flegg introduced initiatives to streamline public housing maintenance, including a $15 million investment in upgrades announced in July 2012.[11] In August 2012, Flegg drew criticism for a proposed 20% public housing rent hike, later reversed amid public outcry.[12] As Housing and Public Works Minister in 2012, Bruce Flegg facilitated the sale of state-owned land opposite Queensland Parliament House, enabling Cbus Property to develop the $653 million 1 William Street tower, a new government office building completed in 2016 that revitalized Brisbane’s parliamentary precinct.[13] Flegg’s resignation as Housing Minister was marred by tensions with Premier Campbell Newman over policy disputes.[14] He resigned in November following a series of controversies surrounding his ministerial dealings with his lobbyist son and allegations he had moonlighted as a GP while a minister.
Post Resignation (2012–15)
In 2014, Flegg lost preselection for Moggill to Christian Rowan, accusing the LNP of an unfair process in a public outburst.[15] Following his resignation, Dr Flegg filed a defamation case against the source of the allegations, media advisor Graham Hallett. The case concluded with Dr Flegg winning the defamation action, successfully demonstrating that Hallett had defamed Dr Flegg and caused him significant material detriment due to the loss of his role as a minister. At a total of $775,000, the sum of damages awarded to Dr Flegg was the largest ever recorded for a defamation case in Queensland legal history.
In October 2014, the LNP State Executive refused to support Dr Flegg's party preselection as a candidate for the January 2015 election, instead choosing to replace him with former AMA President Dr. Christian Rowan.[16] He remained an LNP Member of Parliament until the January 2015 election when he did not re-contest his seat. There was some speculation that Newman could transfer from his marginal seat of Ashgrove to Moggill after Flegg was denied preselection. Moggill was the safest LNP seat in Brisbane; at the time, the LNP sat on a majority of 23.9 percent. However, Newman ruled out a transfer.[17]
"One of the richest politicians to sit in Queensland parliament [Bruce] won a record $775,000 in damages after suing his former media adviser and regular houseguest for defamation."[18]
Personal
He has three sons, one of whom, Jonathon Flegg, ran unsuccessfully for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly beachside seat of Coogee in 2007.[19]
References
- ^ a b "Member Biography: Bruce Flegg". Parliament of Queensland. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
- ^ "Commonwealth of Australia legislative election of 13 March 1993". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ Parnell, Sean (13 April 2005). "Dr Death inquiry: Patel linked to 87 deaths". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Liberal leader quits after party revolt". The Age. 7 November 2006. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ a b "Moggill: Queensland Votes 2012". ABC.
- ^ "Flegg cleared of electoral breach claims". ABC News. 11 December 2008.
- ^ "New Queensland shadow cabinet". 12 August 2008.
- ^ Moore, Tony (15 June 2009). "More bike lanes for Brisbane's west". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ "Queensland to get fluoridated water". ABC News. 5 December 2007. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ ‘Flegg opposes coal seam gas plans’ - Brisbane Times - www.brisbanetimes.com.au, Published: 2011-08-15, Retrieved: 13 March 2025
- ^ "Qld housing minister announces $15m for upgrades". ABC News. 10 July 2012.
- ^ Remeikis, Amy (22 August 2012). "Public housing tenants face 20% rent hike". Brisbane Times.
- ^ Moore, Tony (20 December 2012). "Newman government awards Cbus contract for 1 William Street tower". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ^ Wardill, Steven. (2012, November 14). "Bruce Flegg resigns from Campbell Newman's cabinet amid lobbying scandal." The Courier-Mail. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ^ Thomas, Hedley. (2014, June 23). "Bruce Flegg threatens to go independent after losing preselection to Christian Rowan." The Courier-Mail. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
- ^ Bruce Flegg Loses Moggill Pre Selection The Courier Mail [dead link ]
- ^ Atfield, Cameron (4 October 2014). "Premier Campbell Newman rules out Moggill move after Flegg axing". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
- ^ ELKS, SARAH. "Bruce Flegg wins record defamation payout against ex-staffer". The Australian Newspaper. Nationwide News Pty Ltd. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
- ^ "Jonathon Flegg, Committed to Coogee". Jonathon Flegg. 24 March 2007. Archived from the original on 14 May 2008.
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