Bruce Flegg

{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox officeholder |honorific_prefix = |name = Bruce Flegg |honorific_suffix = |image = Bruce_Flegg.jpg |office = Minister for Housing and Public Works of Queensland |premier = Campbell Newman |term_start = 3 April 2012 |term_end = 14 November 2012 |predecessor = Karen Struthers (Housing) Simon Finn (Government Services) |successor = Tim Mander |office1 = Shadow Minister for Education of Queensland |leader1 = John-Paul Langbroek Campbell Newman |term_start1 = 11 April 2009 |term_end1 = 19 February 2012 |predecessor1 = John-Paul Langbroek |successor1 = Annastacia Palaszczuk |office2 = Shadow Treasurer of Queensland |leader2 = Jeff Seeney Lawrence Springborg |term_start2 = 21 September 2006 |term_end2 = 12 August 2008 |predecessor2 = Michael Caltabiano |successor2 = Tim Nicholls |office3 = Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party Elections: 2006 |deputy3 = Mark McArdle |term_start3 = 7 August 2006 |term_end3 = 4 December 2007 |predecessor3 = Bob Quinn |successor3 = Mark McArdle |office4 = Shadow Minister for Health of Queensland |leader4 = Lawrence Springborg |term_start4 = 28 September 2005 |term_end4 = 21 September 2006 |predecessor4 = Stuart Copeland |successor4 = John-Paul Langbroek |office5 = Deputy Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party |term_start5 = February 2004 |term_end5 = 7 August 2006 |leader5 = Bob Quinn |predecessor5 = Joan Sheldon |successor5 = Mark McArdle |office6 = Member of the Queensland Parliament for Moggill |term_start6 = 7 February 2004 |term_end6 = 31 January 2015 |predecessor6 = David Watson |successor6 = Christian Rowan |birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1954|3|10}} |birth_place = Sydney |party = Liberal National Party |children = 3 |profession = Doctor }}

'''Bruce Stephen Flegg''' (born 10 March 1954, Sydney) is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2015, representing the electorate of Moggill in south-western Brisbane for the Liberal Party and its successor the Liberal National Party. He was the leader of the state Liberal Party from 2006 to 2007 and served as Minister for Housing and Public Works in the Newman government from April to November 2012.

==Early life== Flegg was born in Sydney and was a general practitioner before entering politics.<ref name="parl">{{cite web|title = Member Biography: Bruce Flegg|publisher=Parliament of Queensland|url=http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/en/members/current/list/bio?member=Flegg+Bruce|access-date=12 June 2012}}</ref> Flegg completed a post graduate diploma in Financial Markets, winning the Queensland Investment Corporation prize for industrial equity analysis.

==Political career== He contested the seat of Petrie at the 1990 federal election, and in 1993 he contested the seat of Dickson which was ultimately delayed to a supplementary election due to the death of a candidate, but was defeated by the Labor candidate, Michael Lavarch.<ref>{{cite web |title=Commonwealth of Australia legislative election of 13 March 1993 |url=http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1993/1993repsqld.txt |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |access-date=25 December 2022}}</ref> He was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2004 state election, replacing former Liberal leader David Watson in the safe Liberal seat of Moggill. He was immediately elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party upon his election, and succeeded Bob Quinn as leader in 2006. Early in his parliamentary career, Bruce Flegg was among the first MPs to raise concerns about Dr. Jayant Patel, dubbed ‘Dr. Death,’ whose negligence at Bundaberg Base Hospital led to patient deaths, contributing to the 2005 public inquiry that exposed systemic health failures.<ref>{{cite news |last=Parnell |first=Sean |title=Dr Death inquiry: Patel linked to 87 deaths |newspaper=The Courier-Mail |date=April 13, 2005 |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au |access-date=March 13, 2025 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

===Leader of the Liberals (2006–07)=== Elected leader in August 2006, he faced a revolt from MPs, including Tim Nicholls and Jann Stuckey, who criticized his inability to unify the National-Liberal Coalition or challenge Premier Peter Beattie effectively.<ref>{{cite news |title=Liberal leader quits after party revolt |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/liberal-leader-quits-after-party-revolt-20061107-ge3m.html |newspaper=The Age |date=November 7, 2006 |access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> He had only been Liberal leader for a number of days when then-Premier Peter Beattie called the 2006 state election, which the conservative parties lost decisively. He faced wide criticism in the wake of the election defeat regarding his performance during the campaign, and faced speculation of a challenge from rival Tim Nicholls. Nicholls was unable to gain sufficient support to oust Flegg in a closely divided caucus, but following ongoing tension, Flegg resigned as leader on 4 December 2007 and was succeeded by compromise candidate Mark McArdle.<ref name="abc">{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/qld/2012/guide/mogg.htm|title=Moggill: Queensland Votes 2012|publisher=ABC}}</ref> In 2008, Flegg was investigated by the CMC for allegedly breaching electoral laws during the 2006 election, though later cleared.<ref>{{cite news |title=Flegg cleared of electoral breach claims |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-12-11/flegg-cleared-of-electoral-breach-claims/236594 |publisher=ABC News |date=December 11, 2008}}</ref>

===LNP Frontbench (2008–12)=== Flegg was not part of the initial shadow ministry following the merger of the Liberal Party and National Party to form the Liberal National Party in 2008,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/new-queensland-shadow-cabinet-20080812-gea8i7.html|title = New Queensland shadow cabinet|date = 12 August 2008}}</ref> but was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister for Education in 2009.<ref name="parl" /><ref name="abc" /> Flegg’s elevation to the frontbench came to fruition when the LNP, under Campbell Newman, secured a historic landslide victory in the 2012 state election, winning 78 of 89 seats and ending 14 years of Labor rule. He was appointed Minister for Housing and Public Works under Campbell Newman following the party's landslide victory at the 2012 state election. During his tenure as Member for Moggill from 2004 to 2015, Bruce Flegg supported the expansion of bicycle infrastructure in Queensland, advocating for new bike lanes to improve road safety and promote sustainable transport in Brisbane’s western suburbs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Tony |title=More bike lanes for Brisbane's west |newspaper=Brisbane Times |date=June 15, 2009 |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/more-bike-lanes-for-brisbanes-west-20090615-cb7n.html |access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> Drawing on his medical expertise as a former GP, Flegg advocated for water fluoridation to tackle Queensland’s high rates of dental decay, arguing it would improve public dental health, a policy implemented statewide by 2008 following years of debate.<ref>{{cite news |title=Queensland to get fluoridated water |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2007-12-05/queensland-to-get-fluoridated-water/977944 |publisher=ABC News |date=December 5, 2007 |access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> In 2011, Bruce Flegg took a stand against coal seam gas exploration near Moggill, citing risks to local water supplies and residents’ health, a position that highlighted his willingness to prioritize electorate interests over party lines.<ref>‘Flegg opposes coal seam gas plans’ - Brisbane Times - www.brisbanetimes.com.au, Published: 2011-08-15, Retrieved: 13 March 2025</ref>

As Queensland Housing Minister from March to November 2012, Flegg introduced initiatives to streamline public housing maintenance, including a $15 million investment in upgrades announced in July 2012.<ref>{{cite news |title=Qld housing minister announces $15m for upgrades |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-10/qld-housing-minister-announces-15m-for-upgrades/4121234 |publisher=ABC News |date=July 10, 2012}}</ref> In August 2012, Flegg drew criticism for a proposed 20% public housing rent hike, later reversed amid public outcry.<ref>{{cite news |last=Remeikis |first=Amy |title=Public housing tenants face 20% rent hike |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/public-housing-tenants-face-20-rent-hike-20120822-24l7n.html |newspaper=Brisbane Times |date=August 22, 2012}}</ref> As Housing and Public Works Minister in 2012, Bruce Flegg facilitated the sale of state-owned land opposite Queensland Parliament House, enabling Cbus Property to develop the $653 million 1 William Street tower, a new government office building completed in 2016 that revitalized Brisbane’s parliamentary precinct.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Tony |title=Newman government awards Cbus contract for 1 William Street tower |newspaper=Brisbane Times |date=December 20, 2012 |url=https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/newman-government-awards-cbus-contract-for-1-william-street-tower-20121220-2bo8k.html |access-date=March 13, 2025}}</ref> Flegg’s resignation as Housing Minister was marred by tensions with Premier Campbell Newman over policy disputes.<ref>Wardill, Steven. (2012, November 14). "Bruce Flegg resigns from Campbell Newman's cabinet amid lobbying scandal." <cite>The Courier-Mail</cite>. Retrieved March 13, 2025.</ref> He resigned in November following a series of controversies surrounding his ministerial dealings with his lobbyist son and allegations he had moonlighted as a GP while a minister.

===Post Resignation (2012–15)=== In 2014, Flegg lost preselection for Moggill to Christian Rowan, accusing the LNP of an unfair process in a public outburst.<ref>Thomas, Hedley. (2014, June 23). "Bruce Flegg threatens to go independent after losing preselection to Christian Rowan." <cite>The Courier-Mail</cite>. Retrieved March 13, 2025.</ref> Following his resignation, Dr Flegg filed a defamation case against the source of the allegations, media advisor Graham Hallett. The case concluded with Dr Flegg winning the defamation action, successfully demonstrating that Hallett had defamed Dr Flegg and caused him significant material detriment due to the loss of his role as a minister. At a total of $775,000, the sum of damages awarded to Dr Flegg was the largest ever recorded for a defamation case in Queensland legal history.

In October 2014, the LNP State Executive refused to support Dr Flegg's party preselection as a candidate for the January 2015 election, instead choosing to replace him with former AMA President Dr. Christian Rowan.<ref>[http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/bruce-flegg-loses-moggill-pre-selection/story-fnn8dlfs-1227147631492 Bruce Flegg Loses Moggill Pre Selection] ''The Courier Mail'' {{dead link|date=December 2022}}</ref> He remained an LNP Member of Parliament until the January 2015 election when he did not re-contest his seat. There was some speculation that Newman could transfer from his marginal seat of Ashgrove to Moggill after Flegg was denied preselection. Moggill was the safest LNP seat in Brisbane; at the time, the LNP sat on a majority of 23.9 percent. However, Newman ruled out a transfer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/premier-campbell-newman-rules-out-moggill-move-after-flegg-axing-20141004-10q9n4.html|title=Premier Campbell Newman rules out Moggill move after Flegg axing|last=Atfield|first=Cameron|website=Brisbane Times|date=4 October 2014|access-date=30 March 2016}}</ref>

"One of the richest politicians to sit in Queensland parliament [Bruce] won a record $775,000 in damages after suing his former media adviser and regular houseguest for defamation."<ref>{{cite web |last1=ELKS |first1=SARAH |title=Bruce Flegg wins record defamation payout against ex-staffer |url=https://theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/bruce-flegg-wins-record-defamation-payout-against-exstaffer/news-story/94a3af0294f85c5a0c509cfcdf464e67 |website=The Australian Newspaper |publisher=Nationwide News Pty Ltd. |access-date=5 December 2023}}</ref>

==Personal== He has three sons, one of whom, Jonathon Flegg, ran unsuccessfully for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly beachside seat of Coogee in 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jonathonflegg.com|title=Jonathon Flegg, Committed to Coogee|date=24 March 2007|publisher=Jonathon Flegg|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514200648/http://www.jonathonflegg.com/|archive-date=14 May 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/en/members/current/list/bio?member=Flegg+Bruce Parliamentary biography] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20060402205345/http://bruceflegg.com/ Official site] * [https://archive.sclqld.org.au/qjudgment/2015/QSC15-167.pdf StackPath] * [https://inforrm.org/2015/06/28/case-law-australia-dr-bruce-flegg-v-graeme-hallett-massive-damages-for-career-destroying-political-defamation-yvonne-kux/ Case Law, Australia: Dr Bruce Flegg v Graeme Hallett, Massive damages for career destroying political defamation – Yvonne Kux]

{{s-start}} {{s-ppo}} {{succession box | title=Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party | before=Bob Quinn | after=Mark McArdle | years=2006–2007}} {{s-off}} {{succession box | title=Queensland Minister for Housing and Public Works | before=Karen Struthers (as Minister for Community Services and Housing) Simon Finn (as Minister for Government Services) | after=Tim Mander | years=April 2012 – November 2012}} {{s-par|au-qld}} {{s-bef|before=David Watson}} {{s-ttl|title=Member for Moggill|years=2004–2015}} {{s-aft|after=Christian Rowan}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Flegg, Bruce}} Category:1954 births Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Queensland Category:Liberal National Party of Queensland politicians Category:Living people Category:Members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly Category:Politicians from Sydney Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:Deputy opposition leaders