Brian Austin

Brian Austin
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Wavell
In office
12 November 1977 – 1 November 1986
Preceded byArthur Crawford
Succeeded bySeat abolished
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Nicklin
In office
1 November 1986 – 26 October 1989
Preceded byNew seat
Succeeded byBob King
Personal details
Born
Brian Douglas Austin

(1943-03-22) 22 March 1943 (age 81)
Cleveland, Queensland, Australia
Political partyNational Party
Other political
affiliations		Liberal Party
SpouseLeonie McKenzie
Alma materUniversity of Queensland
OccupationCivil Engineer

Brian Douglas Austin (born 22 March 1943) is an Australian politician and Minister of Health (1980–1983 and 1983 - 1986) and Minister for Finance and Minister Assisting the Premier and Treasurer (1987 - 1989) and who represented the state seat of Wavell for the Liberal Party (1977–1983) and then for the National Party (1983–1986). In 1983, Austin switched to the National Party (along with Don Lane, who was the Transport Minister, after Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen lobbied several Liberals to cross the floor, thus enabling the National Party to form government with a very slim majority. Prior to their defection, the Nationals were one seat short of governing in their own right. At the 1986 Queensland state election, Austin became the first MP for the new Queensland electorate of Nicklin (1986–1989).

In 1987, Austin was one of three ministers who told Governor Walter Campbell that Bjelke-Petersen no longer had enough support to govern. That was a precursor to the caucus coup that saw Bjelke-Petersen deposed as premier later that year.

Austin was subsequently implicated in the corruption being investigated by Fitzgerald Inquiry and was forced to retire in 1989.[1][2][3] [4] He was convicted on 25 counts of misappropriating public funds, involving $8700 spent on private accommodation, travel and meals, and was sentenced to 15 months' jail.[5]

In 2010, Brisbane's Courier-Mail reported that Austin was selling real estate in the exclusive Brisbane suburbs of Ascot, Hamilton and Clayfield.[5]

  1. ^ Lock, Stock & Barrel: A Political Biography of Mike Ahern, by Paul Reynolds, University of Queensland Press, ISBN 0-7022-3294-7, c2002, pages 51, 89.
  2. ^ "Queensland Young Libs say they are glad the 'misfits' defected", by Damien Murphy, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 January 1984, p.3
  3. ^ Antony Green (7 September 2006). "Queensland Election: Nicklin". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  4. ^ Tony Koch (6 February 2010). "The Liberal who stood up to Joh". The Australian. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  5. ^ a b Allen, Elizabeth (14 May 2007). "Players in a vast drama". Courier-Mail. Retrieved 1 November 2020.