Cameron Thompson
Encyclopedia
Cameron Paul Thompson was an Australia
n politician in Queensland
. A member of the Liberal Party
, he served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives
representing the Division of Blair
from 1998 until 2007.
, Queensland
, and was a radio journalist, as well as press secretary and chief of staff to several state and territory politicians in Queensland and the Northern Territory
before entering politics.
for the 1998 election. Considerable press at the time focussed on the contest, as the redistribution creating the seat had split One Nation
leader Pauline Hanson
's seat of Oxley
between a safe Labor section which remained in Oxley and a rural section significantly more disposed towards Hanson, who decided to contest Blair.
After election day, the contest was noted for being one of only ten occasions where a candidate who did not finish first or second went on to win under Australia's instant-runoff voting
system. Thompson pulled ahead of Labor's Virginia Clarke with National
preferences, and won the resulting two party preferred vote against Hanson with Labor preferences.
, known as the Goodna Bypass and connecting Dinmore
to the Logan Motorway
, in preference to a six-lane upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway
.
In pursuit of the bypass, he encountered opposition from leaders within his own party including Queensland's state Liberal leader Dr Bruce Flegg
and Brisbane
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
. After a set of feasibility studies and options reports, the federal government announced funding for the A$
2.3 billion Goodna Bypass. By July, the cost had increased to $2.8 billion.
As the 2007 election approached, Thompson campaigned almost solely on the Goodna Bypass, which Labor had said they would not build if they won government. However, a redistribution which included some historically Labor areas around Ipswich
, together with a strong swing in Queensland towards the Labor Party resulted in Thompson's defeat by Labor candidate Shayne Neumann
, with a two party preferred swing was 10.17%—significantly over the Queensland average swing of 7.53%.
leader Lawrence Springborg
and temporarily vacated that position to contest the state Liberal presidency against Mal Brough
and sitting Liberal Party president Gary Spence on a platform of merging the Liberal and National parties. In 2009, he unsuccessfully endorsement from the newly merged Liberal National Party of Queensland to be the party's candidate for the Division of Wright
.
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 in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. A member of the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
, he served as a member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
representing the Division of Blair
Division of Blair
The Division of Blair is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1998 and is named after Harold Blair, an Aboriginal singer and civil rights campaigner...
from 1998 until 2007.
Early life
Thompson was born in RockhamptonRockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, and was a radio journalist, as well as press secretary and chief of staff to several state and territory politicians in Queensland and the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
before entering politics.
Election to parliament
Thompson was preselected for the new division of BlairDivision of Blair
The Division of Blair is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The division was created in 1998 and is named after Harold Blair, an Aboriginal singer and civil rights campaigner...
for the 1998 election. Considerable press at the time focussed on the contest, as the redistribution creating the seat had split One Nation
One Nation Party
One Nation is a far-right and nationalist political party in Australia. It gained 22% of the vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election and made major inroads into the vote of the existing parties...
leader Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
's seat of Oxley
Division of Oxley
The Division of Oxley is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland. The current division is the second to bear the name, and was created in 1949. The division is named after the Australian explorer, John Oxley...
between a safe Labor section which remained in Oxley and a rural section significantly more disposed towards Hanson, who decided to contest Blair.
After election day, the contest was noted for being one of only ten occasions where a candidate who did not finish first or second went on to win under Australia's instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting
Instant-runoff voting , also known as preferential voting, the alternative vote and ranked choice voting, is a voting system used to elect one winner. Voters rank candidates in order of preference, and their ballots are counted as one vote for their first choice candidate. If a candidate secures a...
system. Thompson pulled ahead of Labor's Virginia Clarke with 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...
preferences, and won the resulting two party preferred vote against Hanson with Labor preferences.
The Goodna Bypass
Thompson led a proposal to construct a bypass east of the city of IpswichIpswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, known as the Goodna Bypass and connecting Dinmore
Dinmore, Queensland
Dinmore is a suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.The origin of the suburb name is from a village called Hope under Dinmore in Herefordshire, England. Dinmore is situated in the crossroads area of, and is basically bordered by ,the Ipswich Motorway , The Cunningham Highway , and The Warrego...
to the Logan Motorway
Logan Motorway
The M2/MR6 Logan Motorway offers motorists a quick link between Ipswich and the M1 or Pacific Motorway at Loganholme, and the Gateway Motorway, providing access to the Gold Coast on the eastern seaboard and to the rural areas of the Darling Downs to the west....
, in preference to a six-lane upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway
Ipswich Motorway
The M7 runs from the junction of Ipswich Road and Granard Road to the M2 Logan Motorway interchange. It is then signed M2 until the junction of the Warrego Highway and the Cunningham Highway between Brisbane and Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia.It initially passes through the suburbs of...
.
In pursuit of the bypass, he encountered opposition from leaders within his own party including Queensland's state Liberal leader Dr Bruce Flegg
Bruce Flegg
Dr Bruce Flegg is the Queensland Shadow Ministerfor Education, Training and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and the Member for Moggill having been elected in 2004 and re-elected in 2006 and 2009....
and 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...
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman
Campbell Newman
Campbell Kevin Thomas Newman is the leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He was the 15th Lord Mayor of Brisbane from 2004 to 2011....
. After a set of feasibility studies and options reports, the federal government announced funding for the A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
2.3 billion Goodna Bypass. By July, the cost had increased to $2.8 billion.
As the 2007 election approached, Thompson campaigned almost solely on the Goodna Bypass, which Labor had said they would not build if they won government. However, a redistribution which included some historically Labor areas around Ipswich
Ipswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, together with a strong swing in Queensland towards the Labor Party resulted in Thompson's defeat by Labor candidate Shayne Neumann
Shayne Neumann
Shayne Kenneth Neumann is an Australian politician. He is an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian House of Representatives since 2007, representing the Division of Blair....
, with a two party preferred swing was 10.17%—significantly over the Queensland average swing of 7.53%.
Post-parliamentary life
Thompson became a senior adviser to state NationalNational 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...
leader Lawrence Springborg
Lawrence Springborg
Lawrence James Springborg is an Australian politician and became Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Queensland since 2 April 2009. He was deputy leader of the new Liberal National Party...
and temporarily vacated that position to contest the state Liberal presidency against Mal Brough
Mal Brough
Malcolm Thomas "Mal" Brough is a former Australian politician and Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to November 2007, representing the Division of Longman, Queensland...
and sitting Liberal Party president Gary Spence on a platform of merging the Liberal and National parties. In 2009, he unsuccessfully endorsement from the newly merged Liberal National Party of Queensland to be the party's candidate for the Division of Wright
Division of Wright
The Division of Wright is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of Queensland. The seat was first contested at the 2010 election. The division was created under the Australian Electoral Commission's 2009 Redistribution of Queensland. The division of Wright covers a large area of the Gold...
.