Bill Byrne (politician)

Bill Byrne
Bill Byrne
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries
	In office; 11 November 2016 – 7 October 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Leanne Donaldson
Succeeded by	Anthony Lynham
	In office; 16 February 2015 – 7 December 2015
Preceded by	John McVeigh
Succeeded by	Leanne Donaldson
Minister for Rural Economic Development
	In office; 11 November 2016 – 7 October 2017
Preceded by	New ministry
Succeeded by	Anthony Lynham
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services ; Minister for Corrective Services
	In office; 7 December 2015 – 11 November 2016
Preceded by	Jo-Ann Miller
Succeeded by	Mark Ryan
Minister for Sport and Racing
	In office; 16 February 2015 – 7 December 2015
Preceded by	Steve Dickson
Succeeded by	Curtis Pitt (Sport); Grace Grace (Racing)
Member of the Queensland Parliament; for Rockhampton
	In office; 24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017
Preceded by	Robert Schwarten
Succeeded by	Barry O'Rourke
Personal details
Born	William Stephen Byrne; 19 April 1958; Bundaberg, Queensland
Political party	Labor
Website	billbyrne.com.au
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Australian Army (1980–1999); Australian Army Reserve (2000–present)
Years of service	1980–present
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Unit	3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

William Stephen Byrne (born 19 April 1958) is an Australian Labor politician who was elected to represent Rockhampton in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland at the 2012 state election. He served until his retirement due to ill health in 2017.[1]

His party was heavily defeated at the 2012 election and Byrne was one of seven ALP members of the Legislative Assembly returned at that election.

Of the seven ALP members returned at the general election, Byrne was the only one new to the Legislative Assembly although Jackie Trad was soon elected in South Brisbane replacing former Premier Anna Bligh who resigned immediately after the election defeat.

After Labor's victory in the 2015 Queensland state election, he was sworn in as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Sport and Racing in the Palaszczuk Ministry on 16 February 2015.[2]

In December 2015, Byrne's portfolio in the Palaszczuk Ministry changed when he became the new Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services and the new Minister for Corrective Services.[3] He regained the Agriculture and Fisheries portfolio and was given the new ministry of Regional Economic Development in a November 2016 reshuffle.[4]

In February 2016, the state opposition called for an investigation into Byrne under firearms laws after he admitted to using a rifle to shoot rats at his home twenty years earlier.[5]

On 7 October 2017, Byrne announced that he had resigned from the Queensland Cabinet as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Economic Development, and that he would not be contesting the next election. He cited a serious and "life threatening" health issue as the reason for his retirement.[6]

References

Green, Antony (2012). "Rockhampton". Queensland Votes 2012. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2012.
"Queensland's new Labor Cabinet sworn in at Government House". Australian Broadcasting Corporation 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
Four new faces in expanded Queensland Cabinet revealed by Palaszczuk, ABC News, ABC online, 7 December 2015
"Bill Byrne replaced in cabinet reshuffle". Sunshine Coast Daily. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
"Port Arthur massacre made Police Minister Bill Byrne stop shooting rats". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
Pearce, Frazer (7 October 2017). "Why I'm quitting politics". Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 7 October 2017.

Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Robert Schwarten	Member for Rockhampton 2012–2017	Succeeded by Barry O'Rourke
Political offices
Preceded by John McVeigh	Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries 2015	Succeeded by Leanne Donaldson
Preceded by Steve Dickson	Minister for Sport and Racing 2015	Succeeded by Curtis Pitt as Minister for Sport
Preceded by Steve Dickson	Minister for Sport and Racing 2015	Succeeded by Grace Grace as Minister for Racing
Preceded by Jo-Ann Miller	Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services 2015–2016	Succeeded by Mark Ryan
Preceded by Jo-Ann Miller	Minister for Corrections 2015–2016	Succeeded by Mark Ryan
Preceded by Leanne Donaldson	Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries 2016–2017	Incumbent
New title	Minister for Rural Economic Development 2016–2017	Succeeded by TBD

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[green-1] Green, Antony (2012). "Rockhampton". Queensland Votes 2012. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 25 March 2012.

[2] "Queensland's new Labor Cabinet sworn in at Government House". Australian Broadcasting Corporation 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.

[3] Four new faces in expanded Queensland Cabinet revealed by Palaszczuk, ABC News, ABC online, 7 December 2015

[nov2016-4] "Bill Byrne replaced in cabinet reshuffle". Sunshine Coast Daily. 11 November 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017.

[rats-5] "Port Arthur massacre made Police Minister Bill Byrne stop shooting rats". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017.

[6] Pearce, Frazer (7 October 2017). "Why I'm quitting politics". Rockhampton Morning Bulletin. Retrieved 7 October 2017.