26 Facts About Lawrence Springborg

Lawrence James Springborg was born on 17 February 1968 and is an Australian politician.

Lawrence Springborg led the National Party in the Queensland Parliament from 2003 to 2006 and again in 2008, before becoming the first leader of the merged Liberal National Party from 2008 to 2009.

Lawrence Springborg led the LNP again from 2015 to 2016 before announcing his retirement.

Lawrence Springborg currently serves as Mayor of Goondiwindi Regional Council, having been elected in March 2020.

Lawrence Springborg resigned as leader after his second election defeat, and was replaced by his former deputy, Jeff Seeney.

John-Paul Langbroek was elected as his successor, with Lawrence Springborg elected as Deputy Leader.

The Newman-led LNP overwhelmingly won the 2012 election and Lawrence Springborg became Minister for Health in the Newman Cabinet.

On 6 May 2016, Lawrence Springborg lost the leadership of the LNP to Tim Nicholls.

Lawrence Springborg left school at the age of 14 and went on to work a farm on Queensland's Darling Downs for seven years before he was elected to Parliament in 1989 at the age of 21.

Lawrence Springborg represented a new generation of Nationals not associated with the era of long-serving former Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen and the allegations of corruption and maladministration arising from the Fitzgerald Inquiry.

Subsequent redistributions forced Lawrence Springborg to relocate to his later seat in Southern Downs.

In 1998, shortly before the Borbidge government lost office, Lawrence Springborg was sworn in as Minister for Natural Resources, again setting a record as Queensland's youngest ever minister.

Lawrence Springborg literally ran for much of the campaign, appearing to be jogging through state forests on electoral advertising, emphasising his physical fitness.

Lawrence Springborg pressed Beattie to serve a full term and not call an election before one was due.

Lawrence Springborg again conceded defeat at 8pm on 9 September 2006.

However, Lawrence Springborg did attract strong support for the idea from the National Party at a state organisational level, with the central executive supporting his proposal in February 2005.

Lawrence Springborg toned down some of his advocacy and was content to announce a renewal of the Coalition agreement with the Liberals on 26 September 2005, aiming to maximise Labor's trouble regarding the scandal instigated by Dr Jayant Patel and the Bundaberg public hospital.

Lawrence Springborg has been described as the "father of the party" by successor, John-Paul Langbroek.

Lawrence Springborg led the LNP into the 2009 Queensland election; despite opinion polls predicting a close contest, the ALP led by Anna Bligh retained government.

Lawrence Springborg led the LNP to an eight percent swing and took 10 seats from Labor, the largest swing to the conservatives in over 14 years.

Lawrence Springborg resigned as deputy leader on 22 March 2011, after Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman announced he was launching a challenge for the LNP leadership.

Newman lost his own seat, and Lawrence Springborg was elected LNP leader for the second time.

Lawrence Springborg briefly harboured hope of becoming premier in a minority government, but this was brought undone when independent Peter Wellington threw his support to Labor.

Lawrence Springborg thus became leader of the opposition for the third time.

Lawrence Springborg lost the leadership to Tim Nicholls on 6 May 2016 in a leadership spill, by 22 votes to 19.

Months before losing the leadership, there was speculation that Lawrence Springborg would make a switch to federal politics and therefore resign the leadership by seeking preselection for the safe National seat of Maranoa following incumbent and Deputy Speaker Bruce Scott's announcement that he would be retiring at the next election due in 2016 but Lawrence Springborg ruled this out.