Timothy Sean Mulherin AM (24 August 1957 – 7 September 2020) was an Australian politician who was the MP for Mackay in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1995 to 2015, serving as Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2012 to 2015.

Tim Mulherin
Deputy Leader of the Opposition of Queensland
In office
28 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
LeaderAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded byTim Nicholls
Succeeded byJohn-Paul Langbroek
Shadow Minister for Tourism, Major Events and the Commonwealth Games
In office
5 August 2014 – 14 February 2015
LeaderAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded byAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Succeeded byJann Stuckey (Tourism and Major Events)
John-Paul Langbroek (Commonwealth Games)
Shadow Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Racing and Local Government
In office
19 April 2012 – 14 February 2015
LeaderAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded byJeff Seeney (State Development, Infrastructure and Planning)
Tim Nicholls (Racing)
David Gibson (Local Government)
Succeeded byAndrew Cripps (State Development)
Tim Nicholls (Infrastructure and Planning)
Jann Stuckey (Racing)
Fiona Simpson (Local Government)
Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
In office
19 April 2012 – 5 August 2014
LeaderAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded byAndrew Cripps (Agriculture)
Mark Robinson (Fisheries)
Succeeded byAnthony Lynham
Deputy Leader of the Labor Party in Queensland
In office
28 March 2012 – 31 January 2015
LeaderAnnastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded byAndrew Fraser
Succeeded byJackie Trad
Minister for Rural and Regional Queensland
In office
26 March 2009 – 26 March 2012
PremierAnna Bligh
Preceded byDesley Boyle (Regional Development)
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Minister for Primary Industries of Queensland
In office
12 December 2005 – 26 March 2012
PremierPeter Beattie
Anna Bligh
Preceded byGordon Nuttall
Succeeded byJohn McVeigh (Agriculture)
Minister for Fisheries of Queensland
In office
12 December 2005 – 21 February 2011
PremierPeter Beattie
Anna Bligh
Preceded byGordon Nuttall
Succeeded byCraig Wallace
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Mackay
In office
15 July 1995 – 31 January 2015
Preceded byEd Casey
Succeeded byJulieanne Gilbert
Personal details
Born
Timothy Sean Mulherin

(1957-08-24)24 August 1957
Mackay, Queensland
Died7 September 2020(2020-09-07) (aged 63)
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor Party

Early life and career edit

Born in Mackay, he was a clerk on the Mackay Electricity Board before becoming involved in politics.

Political career edit

From 1994 to 1995 he was a state organiser of the Labor Party. In 1995, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland as the Labor member for Mackay, replacing Ed Casey, a former ALP leader. He served as a backbencher until he was named to the Beattie Ministry to replace the disgraced Gordon Nuttall as Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries in December 2005. He was given additional responsibility for Regional Development in 2009, and his title was recast as Minister for Primary Industries, Fisheries and Rural and Regional Queensland. In February 2011, his title was again changed, this time to Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies[1]

Mulherin was one of just seven successful Labor candidates at the landslide 2012 Queensland state election.[2] Following the election, he was elected unopposed as deputy leader of the Shadow Ministry of Annastacia Palaszczuk and hence Deputy Opposition Leader.

During the 2015 election campaign, Mulherin announced his retirement citing family and health reasons but remained as Deputy Opposition Leader until polling day.[3] At the time of his retirement, he was the longest-serving Labor member of the Legislative Assembly, and the only one to have previously served in Opposition prior to 2012, having been in Parliament during the 1996–98 Coalition ministry of Rob Borbidge.

Personal life edit

Tim Mulherin was married to Erin and had three children, Declan, Liam and Rory.[4] He died of cancer on 7 September 2020 at the age of 63.[5]

After his death, in June 2022 Mulherin was posthumously appointed Member of the Order of Australia in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the people and Parliament of Queensland".[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "Timothy Sean Mulherin". Queensland Parliamentary Library. Retrieved 3 February 2009.
  2. ^ "Elections". www.abc.net.au. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Queensland ALP deputy to step down". 8 January 2015.
  4. ^ "The Hon. Timothy Sean MULHERIN | Funeral Notices | All Locations, Brisbane".
  5. ^ Houlbrook-Walk, Myles (7 September 2020). "Queensland's former deputy opposition leader Tim Mulherin dies aged 63". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Queen's Birthday 2022 Honours - the full list". Sydney Morning Herald. Nine Entertainment Co. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Member for Mackay
1995–2015
Succeeded by