John-Paul Langbroek

John-Paul Langbroek MP
33rd Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
In office 2 April 2009 – 22 March 2011
Deputy	Lawrence Springborg
Preceded by	Lawrence Springborg
Succeeded by	Jeff Seeney
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Surfers Paradise
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 February 2004
Preceded by	Lex Bell
Leader of the Liberal National Party
In office 2009–2011
Deputy	Lawrence Springborg
Preceded by	Lawrence Springborg
Succeeded by	Campbell Newman
Personal details
Born	31 January 1961 (1961-01-31) Assen, Netherlands
Political party	Liberal National Party
Spouse(s)	Stacey Langbroek
Nickname(s)	JP

John-Paul Honoré Langbroek (born 31 January 1961 in Assen) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly representing the 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.

Early life

He and his sister, Melbourne-based media personality Kate Langbroek, grew up as the only two children of Jehovah's Witnesses. His family emigrated from the Netherlands to Australia in mid 1961. 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. 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".

He finished his degree in 1983 and departed for London where he met his wife Stacey. He won the state seat of Surfers Paradise from one-term independent MP Lex Bell at the 2004 state election, and 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 prior to 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.

Leader of the Opposition

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. 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. 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.

On 22 March 2011, Newman announced he would be seeking preselection 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. 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". As late as the previous day, Langbroek insisted that he would not resign, and even demanded that McIver and the other 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.

Newman appointed Langbroek as Shadow Police Minister in his Shadow Cabinet.

Daylight saving

On 14 April 2010, independent member for the electoral district of Nicklin, Peter Wellington, introduced the Daylight Saving for South East Queensland Referendum Bill 2010 into Queensland Parliament, calling for a referendum to be held at the next State election on the introduction of daylight saving for South East Queensland only, while the remainder of the state maintains standard time. In response, Langbroek announced that he would not support the bill, saying "We will not be supporting a referendum on daylight saving" and "I don't want to make an interstate problem an intrastate problem."

Personal

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. 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.

External links

• Official Website
• Liberal National Party Page for John-Paul Langbroek

Political offices
Preceded by Lawrence Springborg	Leader of the Opposition (Queensland) 2009–2011	Succeeded by Jeff Seeney
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Lex Bell	Member for Surfers Paradise 2004–present	Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by Lawrence Springborg	Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland 2009–2011	Succeeded by Campbell Newman