Mark Francis McArdle (born 21 December 1956) is an Australian politician and former Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Queensland. He was a Member of the

Legislative Assembly of Queensland The Legislative Assembly of Queensland is the sole chamber of the unicameral Parliament of Queensland established under the Constitution of Queensland. Elections are held every four years and are done by full preferential voting. The Assembl ...

between 2004 and 2020, representing the electorate of

Caloundra Caloundra ( ) is a coastal town and the southernmost town in the Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland, Australia. Geography Caloundra is north of the Brisbane central business district. Caloundra is accessible from Landsborough ...

on the Sunshine Coast. Initially a

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

member, in 2007 he became the party leader and the following year oversaw a merger with the National Party that produced the Liberal National Party. McArdle has held many parliamentary party positions, including stints as a Shadow Minister for Justice, State Development & Innovation; Emergency Services; Seniors; and Local Government. He has also served the Shadow Attorney General and the Parliamentary Liberal Party Whip.

Political career

Member of Parliament

McArdle was first elected to Parliament at the 2004 Queensland State Election, succeeding former Deputy Premier Joan Sheldon.Mark McArdle Biography , Queensland Parliament
In the 2006 Queensland election, McArdle was returned as the Member for Caloundra, taking a 2.6-point swing in his favour, and increasing his margin to 3.9%. Following electoral redistributions in 2008 prior to the 2009 state election, McArdle's margin was reduced to 1.9%. He was returned to Parliament again in the 2012 State Election. At the 2015 state election, Mark McArdle successfully defeated

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

candidate Jason Hunt to retain his state seat, despite a swing of over 20% against him. He was returned to his seat again, in the 2017 Queensland Elections. In June 2019 McArdle announced he would retire at the

2020 Queensland state election The 2020 Queensland state election was held on 31 October to elect all 93 members to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The Labor Party was returned to government for a third-term, led by incumbent premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. With 47 ...

in October.

Ministerial Portfolios & Parliamentary Positions

McArdle served as the State Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and the Deputy Opposition Leader, between 2007 and 2009. He was installed as a compromise candidate in the Leadership Contest of December 2007, after a deadlock between supporters of former leader Bruce Flegg and young challenger

Tim Nicholls Timothy James Nicholls (born 6 April 1965) is an Australian politician and a former leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He served as the Treasurer of Queensland and the Minister for Trade of that state between March/April 2012 ...

. He was made Deputy Leader of the Liberal National Party after the Queensland Liberal Party merged with the Queensland National Party. After the 2009 Queensland election, Mark McArdle vacated his position as Deputy Leader, as did Leader

Lawrence Springborg Lawrence James Springborg (born 17 February 1968) is an Australian politician. He led the National Party in the Queensland Parliament from 2003 to 2006 and again in 2008, before becoming the first leader of the merged Liberal National Party ...

. Days later,

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 Part ...

was elected Leader with

as Deputy Leader. Additional to his Parliamentary Party responsibilities, McArdle assumed the role of Shadow Minister for Health in August 2008, until the LNP's emphatic victory in 2012. Following the party leadership change, McArdle remained in his position as Shadow Minister for Health. After the Liberal National Party's landslide win in the

2012 Queensland state election The 2012 Queensland state election was held on 24 March 2012 to elect all 89 members of the Legislative Assembly, a unicameral parliament. The Labor Party (ALP), led by Premier Anna Bligh, was defeated by the opposition Liberal National P ...

, McArdle was appointed as Minister for Energy and Water Supply by Premier Campbell Newman, overseeing long-awaited and modernising reforms in energy and

water security Water security is the focused goal of water policy and water management. A society with a high level of water security makes the most of water's benefits for humans and ecosystems and limits the risk of destructive impacts associated with water. T ...

, after a series of natural disasters and an historical drought. In 2013, he revealed that he had prostate cancer, and took time off from his portfolio to battle the disease.

Party Involvement

McArdle has held many party positions as well, including as Chair of the Fisher Federal Divisional Council; Chair of the Fisher Business Branch; and as a Member of the State Executive of the then Liberal Party.

2006 Election Controversy

Prior to the 2006 Election, McArdle, by then an emerging force within the Parliament, came under sustained criticism from the Labor Party and local media for his role in the collapse of mortgage schemes run by Boyce Garrick Lawyers. Premier

Peter Beattie Peter Douglas Beattie (born 18 November 1952) is an Australian former politician who served as the 36th Premier of Queensland, in office from 1998 to 2007. He was the state leader of the Australian Labor Party (Queensland Branch), Labor Party ...

claimed that his role in the collapse made him unfit for such a leadership position. McArdle responded by pointing out that he was cleared of any fault in the collapse by the

Queensland Law Society The Queensland Law Society is the peak professional body for solicitors in Queensland, Australia. It represents more than 9,000 members, and is affiliated with the Law Council of Australia. The society provides support and public advocacy for ...

in its investigation in 2001. He ultimately retained his seat.

Activities

McArdle takes an active role in the administration of his portfolio. He regularly attends relevant conferences and meets with key industry executives. Australian Domestic Gas Outlook 2014
, List of confirmed speakers

References

External links

Ministerial Diary for Mark McArdle

Liberal National Party of Queensland
{{DEFAULTSORT:McArdle, Mark 1956 births Living people Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Queensland Liberal National Party of Queensland politicians Australian solicitors 21st-century Australian politicians Deputy opposition leaders