Aidan McLindon

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Aidan McLindon
Aidan McLindon.JPG
Leader of the Queensland Party
In office
20 June 2010 – 24 March 2012
DeputyPeter Pyke
Preceded byParty created
Succeeded byParty dissolved
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Beaudesert
In office
21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012
Preceded byKev Lingard
Succeeded byJon Krause
Personal details
Born
Aidan Patrick McLindon

(1980-02-26) 26 February 1980 (age 41)
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Political partyIndependent (2013-present)
Other political
affiliations		Katter's Australian (2012–2013)
Queensland (2010–2012)
Liberal National (2008–2010)
Liberal (1997–2008)
ResidenceMornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
EducationSpringwood State High School
St. Joseph's College
Alma materLa Trobe University
Griffith University
OccupationConsulting company chairman
(AMAC Consultants Pty Ltd)
ProfessionConsultant
Businessman
Politician

Aidan Patrick McLindon (born 26 February 1980) was an Australian politician. He was first elected for the seat of Beaudesert to the Queensland State Parliament for the Liberal National Party at the 2009 state election. He resigned from that party to become an independent in May 2010, and in June 2010 he established The Queensland Party, which he merged with Katter's Australian Party in August 2011. He lost his seat to the LNP at the 2012 election.[1][2] Bob Katter appointed McLindon as National Director for the newly created Katter's Australian Party. 18 months later McLindon resigned to spend more time with his family.[3][4] McLindon established an independent political consultancy, AMac Consultants Pty Ltd, following the 2013 federal election. He is no longer affiliated to any political party.

Early life and background[]

McLindon was born in Darwin, Northern Territory, and was a bar attendant and musician before entering politics. He attended school at Springwood State High School where he was elected a prefect.

McLindon gained some publicity in the media for his musical interests, especially his involvement in the alternative rock band KiLLTV. [5][6]

His military service included roles as an infantry soldier and driver 1997–2002 in the Australian Army.[citation needed]

McLindon cites an early interest in politics at the age of 15 from work experience at Queensland Parliament House in 1995. He later went on to complete a degree in Government and Politics, majoring in Public Policy, at Griffith University.[7] McLindon acknowledged a number of academics and political scientists from the university in his inaugural speech to Queensland Parliament.[8]

Political career[]

In 1998 McLindon was preselected by the Liberal Party to run for the state seat of Waterford as Australia's youngest politically endorsed candidate at the age of 17 years and completed a personal door to door campaign to 17,500 homes.[9]

McLindon served as a Logan City councillor 2004–2009, including as Chair of the Environment and Sustainability portfolio. In 2009 he was preselected to succeed Kev Lingard as the Liberal National Party candidate for Beaudesert.[10]

The Beaudesert campaign of 2009 saw several high-profile identities and McLindon successfully defended the seat for the LNP against former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson who contested the seat as an independent.

In early 2010, McLindon attracted significant media attention by challenging Deputy Leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP), Lawrence Springborg, for his position in the party at a parliamentary meeting of the LNP.[11]

In May 2010, McLindon and Burnett MP Rob Messenger, who had seconded McLindon's nomination as deputy leader, resigned from the LNP to sit as Independents, claiming that the party had become victim to "flawed political process".[12]

In June 2010, McLindon announced the formation of a new party, The Queensland Party, based on "moderate" ideals. McLindon stated that the party would run in all Queensland seats at the next state election, with the exception of the five seats held by Independent MPs.[13]

McLindon has advocated the removal of poker machines from towns and cities around Queensland to be moved into a new "AusVegas" in the Cairns region.[14] He has also been a vocal advocate for the restoration of the Upper House in Queensland.[15]

In August 2011, McLindon announced the merger of The Queensland Party with Katter's Australian Party. Some members of The Queensland Party opposed the merger but an Electoral Commission of Queensland investigation found that they did not have the required numbers to maintain the separate registration of the party and it was removed from the register of political parties in December 2011.[16] Most Queensland Party candidates were endorsed by Katter's Australian Party.[17] As part of the deal, McLindon became the merged party's Queensland state leader.

McLindon has had no political party affiliations since 2013.

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References[]

  1. ^ "Rumours of Kevin Rudd return 'sparked shotgun merger'". Herald Sun. 23 September 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  2. ^ Houghton, Des (11 August 2011). "Merger talk threatens new party". Courier Mail. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2011.
  3. ^ Jabour, Bridie (8 May 2013). "McLindon resigns as KAP national director". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  4. ^ "Aidan McLindon new lead Senate candidate for Family First". The Chronicle. 9 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 November 2013.
  5. ^ Syvret, Paul (6 February 2010). "Inside the party yelling out". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  6. ^ Barrett, Chris (25 February 2009). "Hanson faces up against Big Brother pest". Brisbane Times. Archived from the original on 5 May 2009. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Aidan McLindon – Lawrence Springborg's Representative for Beaudesert". Liberal National Party of Queensland. 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2009.
  8. ^ "Extract from Daily Hansard Wednesday, 22 April 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  9. ^ [1] Archived 6 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Home truths must be told: editorial". The Courier-Mail. 1 February 2010. Archived from the original on 5 February 2010.
  12. ^ "LNP revolt as MPs Rob Messenger and Aidan McLindon quit the party to become Independents". Courier Mail. 5 May 2010. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  13. ^ Binnie, Kerrin; Kim Lyell (7 June 2010). "McLindon unveils new 'Queensland Party'". ABC. Archived from the original on 11 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2010.
  14. ^ "Push to turn Cairns into Australia's Las Vegas". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 9 July 2010.
  15. ^ "QLD Mayors to form Upper House". The Queensland Party. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 26 January 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. ^ "Our People – Katter's Australian Party". ausparty.org.au. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by
Kev Lingard 		Member for Beaudesert
2009–2012 		Succeeded by
Jon Krause
Party political offices
New party Leader of the Queensland Party
2010–2012 		Party deregistered
(succeeded by Robbie Katter as
Leader of Katter's Australian Party in Queensland)
Retrieved from ""