Pat Purcell
Encyclopedia
Patrick Douglas Purcell (born 17 March 1947) is an Australia
n politician. He was a Labor
member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
from 1992 to 2009.
Purcell was born in the New South Wales
town of Cowra
. Prior to election to parliament he was the secretary of the Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (Queensland Branch).
Purcell entered parliament at the 1992 state election as the member for Bulimba
. He held the seat until his retirement in 2009.
Purcell served as the Minister for Emergency Services from July 2005 to July 2007 in the Beattie Ministry
. Before that he was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing. On 4 July 2007, Purcell announced he would resign from the ministry but continue as the Member for Bulimba. This was initially cited as being for "family reasons", but it soon emerged that he had struck two public servants and had been charged with assault. He insisted he had merely administered a "verbal bollocking", but the assault charges were later dropped when he admitted the offence following mediation. In February 2008, he commented to The Courier-Mail
newspaper that his actions were "unprovoked and inappropriate". He did not run for preselection for 2009.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. He was a Labor
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
from 1992 to 2009.
Purcell was born in the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
town of Cowra
Cowra, New South Wales
Cowra is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia in the Cowra Shire. It is located on the Mid-Western Highway, 317 kilometres west of Sydney on the banks of the Lachlan River at an altitude of 310 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census Cowra had a population of 8,430...
. Prior to election to parliament he was the secretary of the Australian Building Construction Employees' and Builders Labourers' Federation (Queensland Branch).
Purcell entered parliament at the 1992 state election as the member for Bulimba
Electoral district of Bulimba
-External links:*...
. He held the seat until his retirement in 2009.
Purcell served as the Minister for Emergency Services from July 2005 to July 2007 in the Beattie Ministry
Beattie Ministry
The Beattie Ministry was a Ministry of the Government of Queensland, led by Labor Premier Peter Beattie. It commenced on 26 June 1998, thirteen days after the Borbidge Ministry, led by Premier Rob Borbidge of the National Party, was defeated at the 1998 election...
. Before that he was the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Public Works, Housing and Racing. On 4 July 2007, Purcell announced he would resign from the ministry but continue as the Member for Bulimba. This was initially cited as being for "family reasons", but it soon emerged that he had struck two public servants and had been charged with assault. He insisted he had merely administered a "verbal bollocking", but the assault charges were later dropped when he admitted the offence following mediation. In February 2008, he commented to The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
newspaper that his actions were "unprovoked and inappropriate". He did not run for preselection for 2009.