Garth Hamilton
MP
Hamilton in 2022
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Groom
Assumed office
28 November 2020
Preceded byJohn McVeigh
Personal details
Born (1979-03-05) 5 March 1979
Southport, Queensland, Australia
Political partyLiberal National
SpouseLouise
Children3
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
OccupationEngineer

Garth Russell Hamilton (born 5 March 1979)[1] is an Australian politician who is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Groom. He was elected in the 2020 Groom by-election, following the retirement of John McVeigh.[2] He is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP) and sits with the Liberal Party in federal parliament.

Early life and career

Hamilton grew up in Ipswich and his father was a concreter.[3] His mother had worked as a Hansard reporter in the Australian Parliament.[4]

Hamilton attended Ipswich Grammar School before studying engineering at the University of Queensland.[3] He is an engineer who has worked around the world on various large infrastructure projects. Prior to his election, Hamilton led research in the mining industry for CRC ORE.[5]

Political career

Within the LNP, he previously served as a campaign manager for the state MP for Toowoomba North, Trevor Watts.[2] Hamilton wrote articles for The Spectator Australia, including an opinion column titled "Absent Fathers Matter", arguing that social problems among Aboriginal Australians and African Americans such as incarceration rates would be alleviated if fathers were more present in the lives of the children.[6]

Preselection

John McVeigh, the member for Groom, resigned from parliament in September 2020, triggering a preselection contest between seven candidates to contest the safe LNP seat.[7] The Prime Minister, Scott Morrison was reported to have wanted a woman to be preselected, and the Queensland Resources Council had backed two women who were both reported to be frontrunners.[8] Hamilton won the preselection for the seat in October 2020.[9] Hamilton was labelled a "consensus candidate" by party members who attended the preselection, and was reported to have given the strongest speech and answers to questions.[10]

During the by-election in November 2020, Hamilton defeated three other candidates and was elected with a 3% swing against the LNP. He was sworn into the House of Representatives on 3 December 2020.

Parliament

Hamilton was an early critic of the Queensland Government's handling of the Wellcamp Quarantine Facility.[11]

Prior to its approval by the Queensland State Government, Hamilton was a vocal supporter of the New Acland Mine Stage 3 expansion.[12]

Hamilton has pushed for delivery of the Inland Rail project, pointing to the economic benefits it will bring to the Toowoomba Region.[13]

As part of the South East Queensland City Deal, Hamilton called for the inclusion of the Railway Parklands project on the basis that it would help alleviate Toowoomba's housing crisis and increase foot traffic for city traders. $25 million of funding was eventually included in the city deal.[14]

Hamilton has been supportive of the proposed new dam at Emu Creek.[15]

Hamilton was appointed Deputy Chair of the House Standing Committee on Economics on 26 July 2022.[16][17]

Hamilton is reported to be a member of the National Right faction of the Liberal Party.[18][19]

Personal life

As of 2020, Hamilton lives in Toowoomba with his wife Louise and three children, Adeline, Everard and Claude.[2][5] Hamilton is a volunteer firefighter.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Mr Garth Hamilton MP". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 Robinson, Lucy (29 November 2020). "Garth Hamilton elected new Member for Groom for the LNP at by-election". ABC News. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  3. 1 2 "About Garth". Liberal National Party. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  4. 1 2 "First Speech". Garth Hamilton MP. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  5. 1 2 "About Garth". Garth Hamilton MP. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  6. ↑ "LNP candidate Garth Hamilton's article on "absent fathers" disappears". OUTInPerth | LGBTQIA+ News and Culture. 4 November 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  7. ↑ "Federal LNP MP John McVeigh resigns from Toowoomba electorate". www.abc.net.au. 18 September 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  8. ↑ "They had the backing of the PM and the mining lobby, but LNP preselectors chose a man instead". www.abc.net.au. 18 November 2020. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
  9. ↑ Bradfield, Elly (19 November 2020). "Groom preselection goes to Garth Hamilton despite strong backing for Rebecca Vonhoff, Sara Hales". ABC News. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
  10. ↑ Loftus, Tobi (26 October 2020). "How Garth Hamilton won major Groom LNP vote to become the party's by-election candidate". The Chronicle.
  11. ↑ "Speech – Toowoomba Region opportunities – 17 February 2022". Garth Hamilton MP. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Speech – House of Representatives – New Acland Coal Mine". Garth Hamilton MP. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  13. ↑ "Local construction begins on Inland Rail". Garth Hamilton MP. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "$25M SECURED FOR RAILWAY PARKLANDS UNDER CITY DEAL". Garth Hamilton MP. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  15. ↑ Gillespie, Tom (17 May 2022). "Groom federal election candidates answer big questions, give their vision for undecided voters". The Chronicle. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  16. ↑ corporateName=Commonwealth Parliament; address=Parliament House, Canberra. "Committee Membership". www.aph.gov.au. Retrieved 18 December 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. ↑ "The curse of the house economics committee". Australian Financial Review. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  18. ↑ Massola, James (20 March 2021). "Who's who in the Liberals' left, right and centre factions?". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  19. ↑ Massola, James. "How Morrison's shattering defeat gave Dutton a seismic shift in factional power". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
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