Paul Martin Scarr[1][2][3] (born 20 August 1969) is an Australian politician and lawyer who was elected as a Senator for Queensland at the 2019 federal election.[4] He is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and sits with the Liberal Party in federal parliament.[5]
Paul Scarr | |
|---|---|
| Senator for Queensland | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Ian Macdonald |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 August 1969 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal / LNP |
| Spouse | Louise Scarr[citation needed] |
| Alma mater | University of Queensland |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Early life
editScarr was born in Sydney on 20 August 1969,[6] the son of Diane Berry and David Scarr.[7] He moved to Queensland with his family at the age of seven,[8] attending Ipswich Grammar School.[7] He went on to complete the degrees of Bachelor of Laws (Hons.) and Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Queensland.[6]
Career
editScarr served his articles of clerkship at Allens in Brisbane, before joining the firm as a solicitor in 1994.[6] He was a senior associate with the firm's Papua New Guinea division from 1999 to 2001.[7] After returning to Australia he joined King & Wood Mallesons in 2005. In 2007, Scarr was appointed general counsel and company secretary of PanAust Limited,[6] an Australian company with mining operations in Laos.[9]
Politics
editScarr joined the Liberal Party in 1987 and held office in the Young Liberals. He was chairman of the party's Hawken Drive (St Lucia) branch from 1997 to 1999. Following the creation of the Liberal National Party of Queensland he served on the electorate councils for the state seats of Indooroopilly and Miller and the federal seat of Moreton.[6]
In July 2018, Scarr won LNP preselection as the lead candidate on the party's Senate ticket in Queensland. The results of the ballot saw incumbent senators Ian Macdonald and Barry O'Sullivan lose their previous positions on the ticket.[10]
At the 2019 federal election, Scarr was elected to a six-year term beginning on 1 July 2019. He has served on various Senate committees, including as chair of the economics references and the legal and constitutional affairs references committees. In July 2022, following the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 federal election, Scarr was appointed as a deputy opposition whip.[6] Scarr is also currently serving on the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services.
Positions
editScarr is a member of the Centrist faction of the Liberal Party,[11] after previously being aligned with the Centre-Right faction of the Liberal Party.[12]
References
edit- ^ Lynch, Lydia (19 May 2019). "How the Senate is shaping up for Queensland". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ Remeikis, Amy (6 July 2018). "LNP dumps Ian Macdonald and Barry O'Sullivan from Senate ticket". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Senate Results". ABC News. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ "Paul Scarr". Liberal Party of Australia. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f "Senator Paul Scarr". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ a b c "Maiden speech". Hansard. Parliament of Australia. 10 September 2019. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ "About". Senator Paul Scarr. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Coughlan, Matt (10 September 2019). "LNP senator fights back against activists". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Killoran, Matthew (6 July 2018). "Ian Macdonald loses LNP top spot to newcomer Paul Scarr". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Massola, James. "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
- ^ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
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