John-Paul Langbroek
John-Paul Honoré Langbroek (born 31 January 1961) is an Australian politician who has been a member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland representing the centre-right Liberal Party and its successor, the centre-right Liberal National Party, in the seat of Surfers Paradise since 2004. He was Leader of the Opposition and parliamentary leader of the LNP from 2009 to 2011—the first person from the Liberal side of the merger to hold the post. He was a minister in the Newman government before its defeat at the 2015 state election.
John-Paul Langbroek | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg.webp) Langbroek in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Minister for Seniors, Communities and Disability Services Shadow Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 16 November 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | David Crisafulli | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Christian Rowan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 15 December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Deb Frecklington David Crisafulli | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Steve Minnikin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Leader of the Opposition of Queensland Deputy Leader of the Liberal National Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 14 February 2015 – 6 May 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Lawrence Springborg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tim Mulherin (Opposition) Jeff Seeney (LNP) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Deb Frecklington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minister for Education, Training and Employment of Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 3 April 2012 – 14 February 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier | Campbell Newman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Cameron Dick (Education) Stirling Hinchliffe (Employment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Kate Jones (Education) Yvette D'Ath (Training) Curtis Pitt (Employment) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition of Queensland Leader of the Liberal National Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 2 April 2009 – 22 March 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Lawrence Springborg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lawrence Springborg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jeff Seeney (Opposition) Campbell Newman (LNP) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager of Opposition Business in Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 30 September 2008 – 2 April 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Lawrence Springborg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Stuart Copeland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Jeff Seeney | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Member of the Queensland Parliament for Surfers Paradise | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 7 February 2004 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Lex Bell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 16.2% (2020) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | John-Paul Honoré Langbroek 31 January 1961 Assen, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Political party | Liberal National Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other political affiliations | Liberal Party | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Stacey Langbroek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Kate Langbroek (sister) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residence(s) | Gold Coast, Queensland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname | JP | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Early life
Langbroek was born in Assen in the Netherlands. He and his sister, Melbourne-based media personality Kate Langbroek, grew up as the only two children of Jehovah's Witnesses. His family emigrated to Australia in mid-1961, just months after his birth. The family travelled around rural Queensland where Langbroek Sr worked at various schools.
Early career
A graduate of Sunnybank State High School, he went on to study at the University of Queensland, receiving an honours degree in dental science.[1] At university he showed no early sign of an interest in politics, describing his student days at the University of Queensland as being "toga parties, Lacoste shirts and university japes".[2]
He finished his degree in 1983 and departed for London where he met his wife Stacey.
Political career
Langbroek entered politics in 2001 when he stood as the Liberal candidate in the May 2001 by-election for Surfers Paradise. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of the previous member, former National Party Premier Rob Borbidge who had just led the Coalition to a landslide defeat in the general election earlier in 2001. Due to voter anger at being forced to the polls for the second time in three months, the National vote tumbled to eight percent. This left Langbroek far short of the support he needed to overtake Gold Coast councillor and former mayor Lex Bell, who won the seat as an independent. Langbroek stood again in Surfers Paradise at the 2004 state election and won convincingly with Bell being pushed into third place. He has held the seat comfortably ever since, and as of the 2017 election sits on a majority of 19.8 percent, making Surfers Paradise the safest LNP seat in the chamber.
Opposition (2005–09)
As an MP he had served in the opposition shadow ministry for a number of years. He has held various shadow portfolios, including health, public works, mines and energy and immediately before his ascension to the leadership he has served as Shadow Minister for Education and Skills and Shadow Minister for the Arts from 12 August 2008.[3]
Leader of the opposition (2009–11)
Langbroek was elected leader of the LNP following the 2009 state election after the LNP's first leader, Lawrence Springborg, announced his retirement. Langbroek named Springborg as his deputy.[4] Langbroek's election marked the first time in 84 years that the non-Labor side in Queensland had been led by someone aligned federally with the Liberals or their predecessors. The Nationals have historically been the stronger non-Labor party in the state, and had been the dominant partner in the non-Labor Coalition from 1925 until the formation of the LNP in 2008.
Polling for much of 2009 and 2010 showed the LNP ahead of Labor on the two-party vote, and Langbroek consistently led incumbent Labor Premier Anna Bligh as preferred premier. However, after Labor's numbers rebounded in the wake of the Queensland floods, Langbroek came under growing pressure from the LNP's organisational wing to stand down.[5] According to Nine News Queensland's Spencer Jolly, LNP president Bruce McIver was trying to engineer a by-election to get Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, also from the Liberal side of the merger, elected to the legislature so Newman could challenge Langbroek for the LNP leadership.[6]
On 22 March 2011, Newman announced he would be seeking pre-selection for the seat of Ashgrove, and would challenge for the LNP leadership if successful. Later that day, Langbroek and Springborg announced their resignations as leader and deputy leader, respectively.[7] While a February poll showed the LNP with 55 percent two-party support—enough to make Langbroek premier—internal Coalition polling suggested that under Newman, the LNP would win government "in a canter".[8] As late as the previous day, Langbroek had insisted that he would not resign, and even demanded that McIver and the rest of the organisational wing either back down from their attempts to push him out or resign themselves. He appeared to have the support of most of the party room as well. However, within hours of Newman's announcement, Langbroek gave way.[5]
Newman frontbencher (2011–15)
Newman appointed Langbroek Shadow Police Minister in his Shadow Cabinet.[9]
After the LNP landslide in the 2012 election, Langbroek was made Minister for Education, Training and Employment in the Newman Ministry.
Post Newman (2015–)
Following Newman government's defeat in the 2015 election, Langbroek became Deputy leader of the LNP and Deputy Leader of the Opposition. He left the position after Lawrence Springborg lost the leadership to Tim Nicholls with Deb Frecklington replacing Langbroek in his position as deputy leader.[10]
He has remained on the opposition frontbench under Nicholls, Frecklington and Crisafulli.
After Nicholls stood down as leader after the 2017 election, Langbroek stood for the LNP leadership again finishing second to Frecklington with 10 votes to her 25, with 3 for Mark Robinson.[11]
Personal life
Langbroek is married and has three children. Although he has not shown a clear rejection of his parents' religion (Jehovah's Witnesses), he does not discuss the topic at length.[2] He has expressed the pain of having a relative with motor neurone disease. Describing the disease as having "destroyed his family", causing his 58-year-old brother-in-law to need constant nursing and causing potentially fatal weight loss.[12]
References
- "Meet John-Paul". John Paul Langbroek. Archived from the original on 11 December 2008.
- Andrew Fraser and Sean Parnell (3 April 2009). "Dentist in the chair". Theaustralian.news.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- "John-Paul Langbroek Biography". Parliament.qld.gov.au. Archived from the original on 6 April 2011. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- Rosemary Odgers and Steven Wardill (3 April 2009). "New LNP leader John Paul Langbroek warns dissidents". News.com.au. Archived from the original on 5 April 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
- Newman's bid for leadership Archived 6 April 2017 at the Wayback Machine. 7.30 (ABC News), 22 March 2011.
- Knives out for Langbroek. Nine News Queensland, 17 March 2011.
- LNP leader John-Paul Langbroek quits as Campbell Newman announces he will enter state politics Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Courier Mail, 22 March 2011.
- Campbell Newman's Queensland coup Archived 17 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine. 6PM with George Negus (Ten News), 22 March 2011.
- "Opposition Appointments to the Queensland Parliament as of 11 April 2011" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- "Tim Nicholls wins LNP leadership spill against Lawrence Springborg". ABC News. 6 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 November 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- "Deb Frecklington to lead LNP, Tim Mander deputy". Australian. 12 December 2017.
- "LNP leader John-Paul Langbroek keen to bite on Labor". Brisbanetimes.com.au. 2 April 2009. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.