Aidan Patrick McLindon (born 26 February 1980) is an Australian politician. He was first elected for the seat of Beaudesert to the Queensland State Parliament for the Liberal National Party at the 2009 state election. He resigned from that party to become an independent in May 2010, and in June 2010 he established The Queensland Party, which he merged with Katter's Australian Party in August 2011. He lost his seat to the LNP at the 2012 election.[1][2] Bob Katter appointed McLindon as National Director for the newly created Katter's Australian Party. 18 months later McLindon resigned to spend more time with his family.[3][4] McLindon established an independent political consultancy, AMac Consultants Pty Ltd, following the 2013 federal election.
Aidan McLindon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Beaudesert | |
| In office 21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Kev Lingard |
| Succeeded by | Jon Krause |
| Leader of The Queensland Party | |
| In office 5 August 2010 – 9 August 2011 | |
| Deputy | Peter Pyke |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Party merged |
| Leader of Katter's Australian Party in Queensland | |
| In office 9 August 2011 – 26 April 2012 | |
| Leader | Bob Katter |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | Robbie Katter |
| Deputy Leader of the Freedom Party | |
| Assumed office 29 September 2022 | |
| Leader | Morgan Jonas |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Aidan Patrick McLindon 26 February 1980 Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Political party | Freedom (since 2022) |
| Other political affiliations | Liberal (until 2004) National (2004–2008) Liberal National (2008–2010) Queensland Party (2010–2012) Katter's Australian (2012–2013) Family First (2013) Federation (2021) |
| Residence(s) | Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia |
| Education | Springwood State High School |
| Alma mater | Griffith University |
Early life and background
editMcLindon was born in Darwin, Northern Territory, and was a bar attendant and musician before entering politics. He attended school at Springwood State High School where he was elected a prefect.
McLindon gained some publicity in the media for his musical interests, especially his involvement in the alternative rock band KiLLTV. In 2005, he was fined $250 on a public nuisance charge after jumping on the set of the Big Brother season 5 finale as Gretel Killeen prepared to announce the winner.[5][6][7]
His military service included roles as an infantry soldier and driver 1997–2002 in the Australian Army.[citation needed]
McLindon cites an early interest in politics at the age of 15 from work experience at Queensland Parliament House in 1995. He later went on to complete a degree in Government and Politics, majoring in Public Policy, at Griffith University.[8] McLindon acknowledged a number of academics and political scientists from the university in his inaugural speech to Queensland Parliament.[9]
Political career
editIn 1998 McLindon was preselected by the Liberal Party to run for the state seat of Waterford as Australia's youngest politically endorsed candidate at the age of 17 years, where he claims to have doorknocked 17,500 homes.[10] McLindon came third of three candidates, with 24.5% of the vote.[11]
McLindon served as a Logan City councillor 2004–2009, including as Chair of the Environment and Sustainability portfolio. In 2009 he was preselected to succeed Kev Lingard as the Liberal National Party candidate for Beaudesert.[12]
McLindon successfully defended the seat at the 2009 Queensland state election for the LNP against former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson who contested the seat as an independent.
In early 2010, McLindon attracted significant media attention by unsuccessfully challenging Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP), Lawrence Springborg, for his position in the party at a parliamentary meeting of the LNP.[13]
In May 2010, McLindon and Burnett MP Rob Messenger, who had seconded McLindon's nomination as deputy leader, resigned from the LNP to sit as Independents, claiming that the party had become victim to "flawed political process".[14] McLindon said that the LNP needed to “wake up a bit and start being relevant".[15]
In June 2010, McLindon announced the formation of a new party, The Queensland Party, based on "moderate" ideals. McLindon stated that the party would run in all Queensland seats at the next state election, with the exception of the five seats held by Independent MPs.[16]
In August 2011, McLindon announced the merger of The Queensland Party with Katter's Australian Party. Some members of The Queensland Party opposed the merger but an Electoral Commission of Queensland investigation found that they did not have the required numbers to maintain the separate registration of the party and it was removed from the register of political parties in December 2011.[17] Most Queensland Party candidates were endorsed by Katter's Australian Party.[18] As part of the deal, McLindon became the merged party's Queensland state leader.
McLindon has advocated the removal of poker machines from towns and cities around Queensland to be moved into a new "AusVegas" in the Cairns region.[19] He has also been a vocal advocate for the restoration of the Upper House in Queensland.[20]
McLindon had no political party affiliations from 2013 until 2021, when he joined the Australian Federation Party.[21] On 4 July 2022, he announced his candidacy on behalf of the right-wing Freedom Party for the seat of Mulgrave in Victoria to contest against Daniel Andrews in the state elections. McLindon was unsuccessful, receiving 2.2% of the vote, and failing to unseat the Premier.[22][23] On 6 September 2023, it was reported that McLindon was attempting to join the Victorian Liberal Party for the second time. This would require a majority of the state assembly to approve.[24]
References
edit- ^ "Rumours of Kevin Rudd return 'sparked shotgun merger'". Herald Sun. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- ^ Houghton, Des (11 August 2011). "Merger talk threatens new party". Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
- ^ Jabour, Bridie (8 May 2013). "McLindon resigns as KAP national director". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ "Aidan McLindon new lead Senate candidate for Family First". The Chronicle. 9 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
- ^ Syvret, Paul (6 February 2010). "Inside the party yelling out". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
- ^ Barrett, Chris (25 February 2009). "Hanson faces up against Big Brother pest". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ^ "Hanson and Capper face off in Qld poll". ABC News. 2 March 2009.
- ^ "Aidan McLindon – Lawrence Springborg's Representative for Beaudesert". Liberal National Party of Queensland. 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009.
- ^ "Extract from Daily Hansard Wednesday, 22 April 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ "MAIDEN SPEECH" (PDF). Queensland Parliament.
...when I enacted my political plans as a bullet proof 17-year-old.
- ^ http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/states/qld/qld20011.txt [bare URL]
- ^ "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ "Home truths must be told: editorial". The Courier-Mail. 1 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010.
- ^ "LNP revolt as MPs Rob Messenger and Aidan McLindon quit the party to become Independents". Courier Mail. 5 May 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ Hurst, Daniel (31 January 2010). "'Nothing wrong with a firecracker': McLindon". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ Binnie, Kerrin; Kim Lyell (7 June 2010). "McLindon unveils new 'Queensland Party'". ABC. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
- ^ "Political Parties". Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "Our People – Katter's Australian Party". ausparty.org.au. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- ^ "Push to turn Cairns into Australia's Las Vegas". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010.
- ^ "QLD Mayors to form Upper House". The Queensland Party. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
- ^ "Could the Freedom Party pick up seats at the Victorian state election?". 6 News Australia. 30 June 2022.
- ^ Napier-Raman, Noel Towell, Kishor (3 July 2022). "When two tribes go to lunch". The Age. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ "Mulgrave - VIC Electorate, Candidates, Results". abc.net.au. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
- ^ "Freedom Party leader seeks Liberal membership". skynews. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.