Scott Emerson
Encyclopedia
Scott Anthony Emerson is an Australia
n politician
and former journalist
. He has been a Liberal National Party member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
since 2009, representing the electoral district of Indooroopilly
in Brisbane's inner-west.
Queensland, where his father, an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force
, was working at the nearby Amberley Air Force base
. Emerson attended schools across Australia and overseas as his family moved with the RAAF. He graduated from high school in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory
.
Emerson attended the University of Queensland
where he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts
degree, completing studies in law
, economics
and journalism
. He finished his degree in 1985 with majors in law and journalism, and completed an economics degree in 1987.
While at university he was a regular contributor to the student newspaper
Semper Floreat
. He was editor
of the newspaper in 1986. He also served as chairman of the Journalism Students Association in 1985.
Emerson began his media career in 1988 as a cadet journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) at its Toowong
studios in Brisbane
. In 1991 he moved to Sydney
to work as a reporter on ABC Radio
’s current affairs programs, AM
, PM
and The World Today. He returned to Brisbane in 1992 as the senior Queensland reporter for ABC Radio Current Affairs.
In 1994 he joined the national newspaper The Australian
as its Queensland political reporter. In 1998 he was appointed the paper’s Queensland Bureau
Chief and in 2000 was National Chief of Staff
for The Australian during the Sydney Olympics
.
In 2001 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study political campaigning, including undertaking research at Harvard University
and in Washington D.C.
In 2004 he left The Australian to become a director and equity partner
in Crook Publicity, a Brisbane-based public and media relations firm. In 2009 he resigned from Crook Publicity to contest the seat of Indooroopilly
at the Queensland state election
for the Liberal National Party of Queensland.
Emerson was co-founder of the St Lucia Community Association and served as team manager at Wests Junior Rugby from 2005 to 2007. He is a regular participant in the St Lucia Bush Care Group. Emerson was also a volunteer at RSPCA Australia
including as a dog trainer.
Emerson is married to Robyn and the couple have a daughter and son. They met while studying at the University of Queensland
and married in Brisbane in 1991.
, representing the seat of Indooroopilly for the Liberal National Party with a two-party preferred vote of 56 per cent. At the election he defeated Labor’s candidate Sarah Warner and the sitting member Ronan Lee
from the Queensland Greens
who defected from Australian Labor Party
in 2008.
At the election Emerson achieved a swing of 8.4 per cent on the two-party preferred vote, more than double the average swing to the LNP, and won by more than 2500 votes.
In his maiden speech
he identified community and the environment as key issues.
After his election, he was appointed to the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.
In May 2010, Emerson was appointed as the inaugural Chairperson of the Waste Watch Committee, a campaign aimed at identifying and ending Labor Government waste in Queensland. He held this position until November 2010.
In November 2010 Emerson was elevated to the Shadow Ministry becoming Queensland's first Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Information & Communication Technology.
In April 2011 Emerson was appointed to the senior position of Shadow Minister for Transport, Multicultural Affairs and Arts.
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
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and former journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. 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 electoral district of Indooroopilly
Electoral district of Indooroopilly
The district of Indooroopilly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district is based in the western suburbs of Brisbane, and straddles both sides of the Brisbane River. It is named for the suburb of Indooroopilly and also includes the...
in Brisbane's inner-west.
Biography
Emerson was born in 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...
Queensland, where his father, an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, was working at the nearby Amberley Air Force base
RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron...
. Emerson attended schools across Australia and overseas as his family moved with the RAAF. He graduated from high school in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
Emerson attended the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
where he enrolled in a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree, completing studies in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. He finished his degree in 1985 with majors in law and journalism, and completed an economics degree in 1987.
While at university he was a regular contributor to the student newspaper
Student newspaper
A student newspaper is a newspaper run by students of a university, high school, middle school, or other school. These papers traditionally cover local and, primarily, school or university news....
Semper Floreat
Semper Floreat
Semper Floreat is the student newspaper of the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, Australia. It has been published continuously by the University of Queensland Union since 1932, when it began as a fortnightly newsletter of only a few pages, produced by one editor...
. He was editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of the newspaper in 1986. He also served as chairman of the Journalism Students Association in 1985.
Emerson began his media career in 1988 as a cadet journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) at its Toowong
Toowong, Queensland
Toowong is an inner suburb of Brisbane, Australia which is located 5 km west of the Brisbane CBD. At the centre of Toowong is a commercial precinct including Toowong Village and several office buildings...
studios 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...
. In 1991 he moved to Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to work as a reporter on ABC Radio
ABC Radio and Regional Content
ABC Radio and Regional Content is the division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for radio output and regional content.-Origins:...
’s current affairs programs, AM
AM (ABC Radio)
AM, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's flagship current-affairs radio program, is one of Australia's longest-running productions. Its tagline is Ensure you are informed.-History and timeslots:...
, PM
PM (ABC Radio)
PM is one of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's flagship current-affairs radio programs, and is one of Australia's longest-running productions. It is the sister program to AM...
and The World Today. He returned to Brisbane in 1992 as the senior Queensland reporter for ABC Radio Current Affairs.
In 1994 he joined the national newspaper The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
as its Queensland political reporter. In 1998 he was appointed the paper’s Queensland Bureau
News bureau
A News bureau is an office for gathering or distributing news. Similar terms are used for specialized bureaus, often to indicate geographic location or scope of coverage: a ‘Tokyo bureau’ refers to a given news operation's office in Tokyo; foreign bureau is a generic term for a news office set up...
Chief and in 2000 was National Chief of Staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
for The Australian during the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
In 2001 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study political campaigning, including undertaking research at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
and in Washington D.C.
In 2004 he left The Australian to become a director and equity partner
Equity partner
An equity partner is a partner in a partnership who is a part owner of the business, and is entitled to a proportion of the distributable profits of the partnership...
in Crook Publicity, a Brisbane-based public and media relations firm. In 2009 he resigned from Crook Publicity to contest the seat of Indooroopilly
Electoral district of Indooroopilly
The district of Indooroopilly is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.The district is based in the western suburbs of Brisbane, and straddles both sides of the Brisbane River. It is named for the suburb of Indooroopilly and also includes the...
at the Queensland 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...
for the Liberal National Party of Queensland.
Emerson was co-founder of the St Lucia Community Association and served as team manager at Wests Junior Rugby from 2005 to 2007. He is a regular participant in the St Lucia Bush Care Group. Emerson was also a volunteer at RSPCA Australia
RSPCA Australia
RSPCA Australia is an Australian organisation that promotes animal welfare. It is funded in part by the Australian Government but relies on corporate sponsorship, fundraising events and voluntary donations for its income.RSPCA Australia defines its purpose as being the leading authority in animal...
including as a dog trainer.
Emerson is married to Robyn and the couple have a daughter and son. They met while studying at the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
and married in Brisbane in 1991.
Political career
Emerson was elected to the Queensland Parliament at the 21 March 2009 state electionQueensland 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...
, representing the seat of Indooroopilly for the Liberal National Party with a two-party preferred vote of 56 per cent. At the election he defeated Labor’s candidate Sarah Warner and the sitting member Ronan Lee
Ronan Lee
Ronan Lee is an Irish-Australian political advisor and former Greens member of the Queensland State Parliament. Lee represented the seat of Indooroopilly since he was first elected as an Australian Labor Party member in 2001. Lee joined the Queensland Greens in 2008 citing the Bligh Government's...
from the Queensland Greens
Queensland Greens
The Queensland Greens is a Green party in the Australian state of Queensland, and a member of the federation of the Australian Greens. The party was founded in November 1991 and made its electoral debut at the 1993 federal election...
who defected from Australian Labor Party
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...
in 2008.
At the election Emerson achieved a swing of 8.4 per cent on the two-party preferred vote, more than double the average swing to the LNP, and won by more than 2500 votes.
In his maiden speech
Maiden speech
A maiden speech is the first speech given by a newly elected or appointed member of a legislature or parliament.Traditions surrounding maiden speeches vary from country to country...
he identified community and the environment as key issues.
After his election, he was appointed to the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee.
In May 2010, Emerson was appointed as the inaugural Chairperson of the Waste Watch Committee, a campaign aimed at identifying and ending Labor Government waste in Queensland. He held this position until November 2010.
In November 2010 Emerson was elevated to the Shadow Ministry becoming Queensland's first Shadow Minister for Science, Research and Information & Communication Technology.
In April 2011 Emerson was appointed to the senior position of Shadow Minister for Transport, Multicultural Affairs and Arts.