Office Bearers

President

Cynthia Hardy

“We must modernize without compromising out values”

I grew up in Brisbane from the age of 11 where I completed my education, commenced my professional life, then met and married my husband, Ben. We have owned and managed a family business from 1987 to 2013 that comprised of four companies. Although we have chosen to semi-retire, we still continue as business partners in consulting and agribusiness.

I was a member of both the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) and Australian Institute of Management (AIM) committees and served as Chairman for both and as a member of CCIQ State Policy and Advocacy Board. Working as a volunteer Leader for these organisations has provided invaluable experience in working with a broad range of Members.

I joined the Liberal National Party in 2009 and have served in leadership continuously for 11 years and it has been a privilege to serve as your Vice-President since March 2019 until now, and as your Acting President since August 2020.

Whilst success in the corporate sector is important my greatest success is our 4 children.  They are all adults now, each with their own families and successful in their chosen careers.

As a family we have called Toowoomba home since 1979 having spent 4 years in Dalby previously and commenced our married life together in Brisbane.

LNP Positions Held:

2010 – 2016; LNP SEC Chair
2012 – 2014; LNP FDC Secretary
2014 – 2016; LNP Southwest Region Vice Chair
2016 – 2017; LNP FDC Secretary
2016 – 2019; LNP Southwest Region Chair
2019 – Current; LNP Vice President
2020 – Current; Acting State President

LNP Campaign Experience

2010 – Groom FDC Campaign Executive
2013 – Groom FDC Campaign Executive
2016 – Groom FDC Campaign Manager; Fully Funded Campaign
2012 – Toowoomba South SEC Campaign Manager; Fully Funded Campaign
2015 – Toowoomba South SEC Campaign Manager; Fully Funded Campaign
2017 – SW Region Assisted where needed across the Region during the State Campaign
2019 – Member of the Queensland LNP Campaign Committee- Federal Election
2020 – State Campaign Committee – State Election

My achievements within the LNP

Having conversations with people and listening is so important.  Travelling our great state is something I have always enjoyed and having the opportunity to travel to Far North-Gulf Region 3 times, North Qld twice, Central & Central Coast Regions Twice, all since being elected President in August 2020, as well as attending numerous meetings across the Southeast Metropolitan Regions, has given me the opportunity to hear from you, our LNP members, what you would like to see change and the opportunities to make a difference.

From what you told me I have initiated a number of programmes with the help of members to start moving forward to a better LNP.

Training programmes are available to all members to assist in your roles at grass root level and beyond.

A Strategic Review & Implementation Working Group (Your Party-Your Voice) is running workshops to hear from you as well as an electronic survey where valuable data is being collected and collated.  All this is to be used to better understand your needs and implement the changes & programmes required.

Identifying Leadership for both elected office and party leadership programmes have been planned to ensure future leaders are trained and equipped early and ready to serve.

I seek your support this weekend so that I am able to continue to progress the work that has commenced to see it to fruition.

Cynthia Hardy
Candidate – LNP State President

Lawrence Springborg

Lawrence was born in 1968 and is a fourth generation Queenslander. With Linda, his wife of 31 years, the couple brought up four children on their farm in southern Queensland.

He became a party member at the age of 16 and at the age of 21 was elected as the youngest ever Member of the Queensland Parliament. Lawrence helped forge the LNP in 2008 from the state Nationals and Liberals and served as the party’s founding parliamentary leader. He was honoured with the inaugural life membership of the LNP; and has been recognised by the party’s future leaders with an honorary life membership of the YLNP.

Lawrence believes in hard work, reward for effort, the primacy of the individual, and efficient effective government. His ability to drive culture change, with a leadership style that values and empowers the individual, was demonstrated with his reform of the $13 billion Queensland Health portfolio when he served as Health Minister 2012-2015.

He has a passion for the LNP: its members and values. Lawrence has dedicated almost his entire adult life to serving Queenslanders and representing our party’s members and values through a multitude of positions including parliamentary leader, party trustee, Minister, and as a local MP.

Lawrence remembers and values how the LNP was founded by the individual votes of our rank-and-file membership. Lawrence believes the party’s executive and administration exists to serve the membership. He is determined to re-empower the membership because he knows the critical role each of us plays in every aspect of the party.

Lawrence is currently the Mayor of Goondiwindi Regional Council, and recently became a Member of the Order of Australia. He has a 37-year unbroken membership of the party and maintains his grassroots involvement with his local LNP branch.

Timothy Wright

Timothy J Wright is an Australian patriot.

Immediately after graduating High School, Timothy enlisted into the armed forces and soldiered for four years as a Rifleman in the Australian Defence Force. After completing four years in the military, he went on to study and graduate from university obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance and Economics.

It is Timothy’s ambition that the Liberal National Party defends Free Trade, Property Rights, the Rule of Law, the Right of the Individual to Self-Determination, the Freedom of Religion and the Separation of Powers so that no individual ever becomes so powerful another need fear them in the examples of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and our very own John Howard.

After being heavily involved in the LNP, particularly on the campaign trail over the last ten years. Timothy has become concerned about a growing trend within Australian politics, in which politics is perceived as a profession for lobbyists and career politicians to pursue their own self-interests. Rather than as a higher calling for devoted servants of the community to serve their citizens and write policy that remains constant with their philosophical values and convictions.

Timothy, with the support of his fiancé Jessica, aspires to ensure both his own and other Queensland families, are able to live in a safer and more prosperous Queensland under the sound stewardship of future Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.

God bless Queensland.

Vice President – not ordinarily resident of regional, rural and or remote Queensland

Wayne Black

My career has involved a variety of roles (systems, finance, sales, management) in a variety of industries (fast moving consumer goods, health, media, technology, early education) in Brisbane, Sydney and Seattle.

1985 – graduated with Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from QUT.

1985 – Systems Analyst, designing and testing computer systems, for Goodman Group.

1988 – Financial Accountant, Baxter’s Diagnostics Division in Australia.

1990 – promoted to CFO.

1992 – studied for my MBA and upon graduating moved to Sydney.

1992 – National Planning Manager, Pepsi Cola Australia.

1994 – Marketing and Channel Management, Australis Media

1998 – Microsoft Inc in Seattle, Business Development Manager with MSN and Encarta.

2003 – returned to Brisbane where I worked in, invested in and consulted to a variety of start-ups, particularly in the bio-tech space.

2013 – we started our own business, Bay Explorers Early Learning.  It now provides quality childcare and early learning to hundreds of children across 3 centres and provides employment to over 80 employees. Like many business owners, we understand the risks, the millions that need to be borrowed and invested, the joy of rewarding loyal employees and the stress of dealing with less than loyal ones, and the seemingly endless regulations and taxes from 3 levels of government.

2008-2015 – served in the Army Reserves – Ordnance Corp.

LNP Involvement

I joined the Young Liberals in 1983 and was actively involved in Young Liberals and election campaigns until I moved to Sydney in 1993.

In 1987 I was the Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Griffith.

Returning from living overseas in 2003, I rejoined the Liberal Party after the 2006 state election loss.  I have worked on and donated to a number of campaigns over the years, including:

2009 state election in Mt Coot-tha – John Pollard

2010 federal election in Brisbane – Teresa Gambaro

2012 state election in South Brisbane – Clem Grehan (Campaign Manager)

2012 state by-election in South Brisbane – Clem Grehan (Campaign Manager)

2012-2014 Policy Chair for Regulations Policy Committee and member of Policy Standing Committee

2013 federal election in Brisbane – Teresa Gambaro

2016 local election in Toowong – Peter Matic

2016 federal election in Brisbane – Trevor Evans

2019 federal election in Brisbane – Trevor Evans

2020 local election in Paddington – Peter Matic

2020 state election in Maiwar – Lauren Day (Fundraising and Campaign Treasurer)

2020-21 member of Economics Policy Committee

Amanda Cooper

Amanda Cooper and her husband, Geoff have three children, Dominic, Monica and Nicola. Amanda is a long-standing member of the Liberal National Party and was a Brisbane City councillor for twelve years. She represented the ward of Bracken Ridge from 2007 to 2019 before resigning to run for the State seat of Aspley in the 2020 election.

As a councillor, she was a member of Civic Cabinet from 2008 to 2019, chairing two senior portfolios, the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment committee and the Infrastructure committee.

In these roles, Amanda oversaw the largest planning review undertaken by Council in a decade with Brisbane City Plan 2014 and over a billion dollars in city shaping infrastructure projects including Kingsford Smith Drive, Brisbane City Hall restoration, the first Local Government Infrastructure Plan (LGIP) and the Howard Smith Wharves re-development.  She was responsible for delivering initiatives including the largest pedestrian and cyclist safety review undertaken by Council, the award-winning Move Safe Brisbane, and Council’s Transport Plan.

During her tenure at Council, Amanda chaired committees such as the Brisbane Regional Roads and Transport Group, the Brisbane Infrastructure Council and the Road Freight Committee. In response to the 2011 Floods, Amanda headed up Council’s volunteer “Mud Army” and delivered important planning changes to improve the city’s flood resilience.

In her ward, Amanda was well-respected as a hard-working community champion who engaged directly with her constituents. She delivered infrastructure including the Telegraph Road and Robinson Road Open Level Crossings, the Emily Seebohm Aquatic Centre, the Telegraph Road Recreation Precinct and the Bracken Ridge Library.

Within the party, Amanda has a strong track record of working closely with her LNP colleagues at the Federal and State levels. She has regularly assisted as a guest-speaker at fundraisers, hosting candidates at community events, road-siding and working on election booths. She is passionate about the future of the LNP and supporting party members.

Chris Green

Coming soon

Timothy Wright

Timothy J Wright is an Australian patriot.

Immediately after graduating High School, Timothy enlisted into the armed forces and soldiered for four years as a Rifleman in the Australian Defence Force. After completing four years in the military, he went on to study and graduate from university obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in Finance and Economics.

It is Timothy’s ambition that the Liberal National Party defends Free Trade, Property Rights, the Rule of Law, the Right of the Individual to Self-Determination, the Freedom of Religion and the Separation of Powers so that no individual ever becomes so powerful another need fear them in the examples of Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and our very own John Howard.

After being heavily involved in the LNP, particularly on the campaign trail over the last ten years. Timothy has become concerned about a growing trend within Australian politics, in which politics is perceived as a profession for lobbyists and career politicians to pursue their own self-interests. Rather than as a higher calling for devoted servants of the community to serve their citizens and write policy that remains constant with their philosophical values and convictions.

Timothy, with the support of his fiancé Jessica, aspires to ensure both his own and other Queensland families, are able to live in a safer and more prosperous Queensland under the sound stewardship of future Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.

God bless Queensland.

Vice President – resident of regional, rural and or remote Queensland

Ron Carige

Delegates, I am asking for your support to be elected Regional Vice President.

I was born in Biloela and grew up on my parent’s property “Kroombit Station”.  I am a fifth generation cattle producer and recently relocated to Emu Park, Queensland with my wife Anne.  I have 5 children and 12 grandchildren.

I joined the National Party in 1983 and my brother was a former Member of Capricornia.

I am currently Chairman of LNP Central Coast Region.

 Professional Experience:

• Mayor Banana Shire Council
• Vice President, AgForce Queensland
• Chairman CQ ROC (Regional Organisation of Councils)
• Chairman LDMG (Local Disaster Management Group)
• AgForce Representative to National Farmers Federation
• Chairman AgForce Policy Co-Ordination Group
• Chairman, Boyne River Irrigators Mundubbera
• Chairman, Central Queensland Beef Research Committee
• Member, North Australian Beef Research Council
• Member of Rotary

My above positions have given me the experience to be able to negotiate with State and Federal Governments and an understanding of how our Party and Political units work with the elected members.

I am passionate about retaining the values and principles of the party and it is essential that we retain the involvement, knowledge and experience of members so we can work collectively with the party unit and elected members to prepare our party for future elections.

I am proud to be part of a team in CQ that decimated the Labor party and helped deliver victory for the Federal LNP at the 2019 election. I have the life experience and can commit to the Regional Vice President full time with the goal of helping defend our regional Federal seats and helping us win more seats in regional Queensland at the next state election.

I look forward to your support in electing me for Regional Vice President of our Party.

Ron Carige

Natalie Marr

I am nominating for Regional Vice President as a passionate North Queenslander with two decades of corporate governance experience.

My involvement in conservative politics started nearly 15 years ago when I joined Mayor Les Tyrell and Deputy Mayor David Crisafulli as a Councillor in Townsville. As Chair of Corporate Governance, I led the task of merging the financial systems following the Townsville City Council and Thuringowa Council amalgamation.

I’m a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and served as Chair of Townsville Crime Stoppers Volunteer Committee for almost a decade.

As an LNP branch secretary, I have been heartened by the push to return the party to our grassroots membership.

Following the last state election, I have made it my focus to rebuild our party in North Queensland and have led campaigns gathering support for initiatives like reforming the Youth Justice Act.

I have extensive experience in finance and sales positions working in roles servicing communities from Mackay to Cairns and out to Mount Isa whilst based in Townsville. I am passionate about regional Queensland and know that a one size fits all approach to campaigns is a flawed strategy.

With your support on Saturday, I am determined to bring my skills in Corporate Governance and passion for regional Queensland to our State Executive.

Blake Repine

I served for just over 18 and a half years in the US Army before immigrating to Australia and transitioning to the corporate world.  During my time in the Army, I held multiple positions and have experience internationally with service in South Korea, Japan, Egypt, Germany, France, Italy, Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan.  While in the Army, I attended multiple leadership development programs and had exposure to situations that shaped my leadership skills and philosophy. 

My qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Multidisciplinary Studies and Master of Arts in Management and Leadership from Liberty University, an MBA from Norwich University and a Certificate of Completion in Disruptive Strategy from Harvard Business School.  I am a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders Australia and New Zealand (IML), a Certified Professional with the Australian Human Resources Institute (AHRI) and a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). 

My career is varied and I am the CEO of Central Highlands Community Services LTD, a board member with the Central West Hospital and Health Service, a board member with the Central Highlands Regional Resource Usage Partnership (CHRRUP), an Auxiliary Firefighter with QFES and a volunteer Level 3 weightlifting coach.  For the LNP, I am the Secretary for the Gregory SEC and Chair of the Emerald branch. 

I have a passion for regional, rural and remote regions.  Through my roles with Central West HHS, based in Longreach, and having been the Deputy CEO of the Barcoo Shire Council, based in Jundah, I have developed a strong understanding of the challenges faced by those living in rural and remote regions. 

I reside in Emerald with my wife Shannon and son James. Together we enjoy a range of activities like fishing, camping, flying and motorcycle riding.