Andrew Powell (politician)

The Honourable Andrew Powell MP
Shadow Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning
In office 15 December 2017 – 15 November 2020
Leader	Deb Frecklington
Preceded by	Deb Frecklington (State Development and Infrastructure) Ian Walker (Planning)
Succeeded by	Fiona Simpson (State Development, Infrastructure and Planning) Deb Frecklington (Manufacturing)
Shadow Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Shadow Minister for Local Government
In office 6 May 2016 – 15 December 2017
Leader	Tim Nicholls
Preceded by	Scott Emerson (Transport) Fiona Simpson (Main Roads and Local Government)
Succeeded by	Steve Minnikin (Transport and Main Roads) Ann Leahy (Local Government)
Shadow Minister for Energy and Water Supply
In office 14 February 2015 – 6 May 2016
Leader	Lawrence Springborg
Preceded by	Curtis Pitt
Succeeded by	Michael Hart
Minister for the Environment and Heritage Protection of Queensland
In office 3 April 2012 – 14 February 2015
Premier	Campbell Newman
Preceded by	Vicky Darling (Environment)
Succeeded by	Steven Miles
Shadow Minister for Environment
In office 11 April 2011 – 19 February 2012
Leader	Campbell Newman
Preceded by	Jack Dempsey
Succeeded by	Bill Byrne
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Glass House
Incumbent
Assumed office 21 March 2009
Preceded by	Carolyn Male
Personal details
Born	(1973-05-15) 15 May 1973 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political party	Liberal National Party
Children	5
Alma mater	University of Queensland
Occupation	Public servant
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Andrew Cary Powell (born 15 May 1973) is an Australian politician. He was first elected for the seat of Glass House to the Queensland Parliament for the Liberal National Party of Queensland at the 2009 Queensland election.

Early life

Powell was born in Melbourne, but moved to Sydney while in primary school and later to Queensland. He received a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland in 1995, and a Certificate III in Public Administration from the Department of Defence in 1996. He became a public servant with the Commonwealth Department of Defence (1996–2000) before spending a year as a short-term missionary in Fiji and New Zealand. When he returned, he re-entered the public service in the Queensland Department of the Premier and Cabinet (2001–04) and then Child Safety (2005–09).

Political career

In the 2009 Queensland state election, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for the seat of Glass House, representing the Liberal National Party.

Member of Parliament

As the Shadow Minister for the Environment in 2011, Powell's environmental policies were ranked 'negative' on all four areas assessed by a collection of five environmental interest groups, including Queensland Conservation and the Australian Marine Conservation Society. When sent the initial reports by these groups and asked for feedback, Powell declined to respond.

After retaining his seat with an increased majority at the 2012 Queensland state election, Powell was sworn in as Minister for the Environment and Heritage Protection in the Newman ministry on 3 April 2012.

In 2014 as the environment minister, he advised Australians to boycott the American ice-cream company Ben & Jerry's, saying they had damaged the reputation of the Great Barrier Reef and jeopardised jobs and tourism dollars.

Land clearing, although on a downward trend under the previous Bligh Ministry, increased substantially during Powell's tenure as Environment Minister. Data from the Queensland Government's Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) shows a grand total of nearly 1.2 million hectares of land was cleared.

Powell retained his seat in the 2015 Queensland state election, with a 2.5% swing towards him in the 2017 Queensland state election, but lost his ministerial responsibilities as a result of the election of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.