Alex Douglas (politician)
Encyclopedia
Dr Alexander Rodney Douglas (born 24 November 1958) is an Australia
n politician. He has been a Liberal National Party member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
since 2009, representing the district of Gaven
. He was also the National
member for Gaven for five months during 2006.
Born in Brisbane
, he comes of a political family: his great grandfather was John Douglas
, Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1879, and his grandfather was Henry Douglas, member for Cook
from 1907 to 1915. He was a general practitioner and medical officer before entering parliament, and was deputy chair of the Queensland Division of General Practice. He was also on the Central Council of the National Party
.
In April 2006, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly
in a by-election
for the Labor
seat of Gaven
, representing the National Party. He was appointed Deputy Opposition Whip in August, but at the 2006 state election in September he was defeated by Labor candidate Phil Gray
, the same candidate he had defeated earlier that year. Douglas contested the 2007 federal election as the National candidate for Fadden
, but was defeated by the Liberal candidate Stuart Robert
.
The 2009 state election
saw Douglas pitted against Gray for the third consecutive time. On this occasion, Douglas, running under the banner of the newly formed Liberal National Party, narrowly emerged as the victor, reclaiming his old seat of Gaven.
On 16 June 2011, Dr Douglas was appointed as the first non-government chair of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He has been a Liberal National Party member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
since 2009, representing the district of Gaven
Electoral district of Gaven
The district of Gaven is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. It was created out of the former district of Nerang and the southern segment of Albert in the 2001 redistribution, and is based around the northern growth corridor of the Gold Coast...
. He was also the National
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
member for Gaven for five months during 2006.
Born in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, he comes of a political family: his great grandfather was John Douglas
John Douglas (Queensland politician)
John Douglas CMG was an Anglo-Australian politician and Premier of Queensland.Douglas was born in London, the seventh son of Henry Alexander Douglas and his wife Elizabeth Dalzell, daughter of the Earl of Carnwarth...
, Premier of Queensland from 1877 to 1879, and his grandfather was Henry Douglas, member for Cook
Electoral district of Cook
The electoral division of Cook is an electoral district in Queensland, Australia.Cook covers the vast Cape York Peninsula north of Cairns, including the resort town of Port Douglas and the Torres Strait Islands...
from 1907 to 1915. He was a general practitioner and medical officer before entering parliament, and was deputy chair of the Queensland Division of General Practice. He was also on the Central Council of the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
.
In April 2006, he was elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
in a by-election
Gaven state by-election, 2006
A by-election was held for the Queensland Legislative Assembly district of Gaven on 1 April 2006. It was triggered by the resignation of sitting Labor member Robert Poole....
for the Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
seat of Gaven
Electoral district of Gaven
The district of Gaven is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland. It was created out of the former district of Nerang and the southern segment of Albert in the 2001 redistribution, and is based around the northern growth corridor of the Gold Coast...
, representing the National Party. He was appointed Deputy Opposition Whip in August, but at the 2006 state election in September he was defeated by Labor candidate Phil Gray
Phil Gray (Australian politician)
Philip Roy Gray is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2009....
, the same candidate he had defeated earlier that year. Douglas contested the 2007 federal election as the National candidate for Fadden
Division of Fadden
The Division of Fadden is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland.The division was created in 1977 and is named for Sir Arthur Fadden, Prime Minister of Australia in 1941. When it was created it included a large area south of Brisbane, but today it is located in the northern Gold Coast area,...
, but was defeated by the Liberal candidate Stuart Robert
Stuart Robert
Stuart Rowland Robert Australian politician, was elected the Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives seat of Fadden at the 2007 election on 24 November 2007, following the retirement of the previous member, the Hon David Jull...
.
The 2009 state election
Queensland state election, 2009
The Queensland state election was held to elect members to the unicameral Parliament of Queensland on 21 March 2009. The election saw the incumbent Labor government led by Premier Anna Bligh defeat the Liberal National Party of Queensland led by Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg, and gain a...
saw Douglas pitted against Gray for the third consecutive time. On this occasion, Douglas, running under the banner of the newly formed Liberal National Party, narrowly emerged as the victor, reclaiming his old seat of Gaven.
On 16 June 2011, Dr Douglas was appointed as the first non-government chair of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.