Tim Nicholls

Tim Nicholls MP
Nicholls at the Brisbane CEO Sleepout 2011
Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2016
Deputy	Deb Frecklington
Preceded by	Lawrence Springborg
Shadow Minister for Arts and Major Events
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2016
Leader	himself
Preceded by	Jann Stuckey (Major Events) Ian Walker (Arts)
Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Planning, Small Business, Employment and Trade
In office 14 February 2015 – 6 May 2016
Leader	Lawrence Springborg
Preceded by	Tim Mulherin
Succeeded by	Deb Frecklington (Infrastructure and Trade) Jarrod Bleijie (Employment) Scott Emerson (Small Business) Ian Walker (Planning)
Treasurer of Queensland
In office 26 March 2012 – 14 February 2015
Premier	Campbell Newman
Preceded by	Andrew Fraser
Succeeded by	Curtis Pitt
Minister for Trade of Queensland
In office 3 April 2012 – 14 February 2015
Premier	Campbell Newman
Preceded by	Andrew Fraser
Succeeded by	Jackie Trad
Deputy Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
In office 23 March 2011 – 24 March 2012
Leader	Jeff Seeney
Preceded by	Lawrence Springborg
Succeeded by	Tim Mulherin
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Clayfield
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 September 2006
Preceded by	Liddy Clark
Majority	7.21% (2015)
Personal details
Born	6 April 1965 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Liberal (2000–2008) Liberal National Party (2008–present)
Alma mater	Queensland University of Technology
Profession	Solicitor

Timothy James Nicholls (born 6 April 1965) is an Australian politician and 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 and 14 February 2015. He is the member for Clayfield in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. He was originally a member of the Liberal Party of Australia including a stint as its deputy leader, but joined the Liberal National Party in 2008 when the Liberal Party and the National Parties merged in Queensland.

Education

Nicholls was educated at Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne and the Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane.^[1]

Political career

Nicholls, originally a solicitor, began his career as a councilor in the Hamilton ward of the Brisbane City Council, which he held for six years. In 2006 he ran as the Liberal candidate in Clayfield. He defeated incumbent member Liddy Clark on 9 September 2006 achieving a swing of 3.2 points.^[2]

Shortly after being elected to State Parliament, Nicholls was encouraged by party colleagues to stand against Bruce Flegg for the Liberal Party leadership. He did not initially have enough support in the eight member Liberal caucus.^[3]

Shortly after the federal election of 2007, Nicholls again stood against Flegg for leadership.^[4] Eventually Mark McArdle was offered as a neutral party and he accepted leadership with Nicholls as his deputy.^[5]

The leadership dispute was rendered virtually moot when the Queensland Liberals and Queensland Nationals merged to form the Liberal National Party. Nicholls was appointed Shadow Treasurer by Lawrence Springborg and continued to hold that position in John-Paul Langbroek's Shadow Ministry.^[6]

When Campbell Newman stood for the leadership of the party in April 2011, Nicholls supported him and was named interim Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Newman retained Nicholls as Shadow Treasurer. After the LNP won the largest majority government in Queensland history at the 2012 state election, Newman named Nicholls as his Treasurer, and he was sworn in on 26 March.^[7][8]

Leader of the LNP (2016—present)

Following the state election in 2015 which saw the LNP lose government and several difficult months in parliament, Nicholls successfully challenged Lawrence Springborg for the leadership of the party on 6 May 2016, successfully winning the ballot 22 votes to 19.^[9] He is the third person from the Liberal side of the merger to hold the post.

References

1. Ludlow, Mark (27–28 April 2013). "Ready for the Main Game". The Australian Financial Review. p. 52.
2. "State Electoral Results for Clayfield". ABC News. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
3. "Flegg's would-be challenger earns promotion". Brisbane Times. 17 April 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
4. Name: (will appear on website) (27 November 2007). "Federal Fallout | Gold Coast News". Goldcoast.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
5. Sean Parnell (6 December 2007). "McArdle made Leader | The Australian". Theaustralian.news.com.au. Retrieved 2 May 2011.
6. Member Biography: Timothy Nicholls, Queensland Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
7. announces his deputy, treasurer ABC News, 2012-03-24.
8. "Newman to form interim cabinet on Monday". Seven News Brisbane. 25 March 2012.
9. "Tim Nicholls topples Lawrence Springborg to become Queensland LNP leader". ABC News. 6 May 2016.

External links

• Official website