Barry Leonard O'Rourke (born 17 November 1963) is an Australian politician. He has been the Labor member for Rockhampton in the Queensland Legislative Assembly since 2017.[1]
Barry O'Rourke | |
---|---|
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Rockhampton | |
Assumed office 25 November 2017 | |
Preceded by | Bill Byrne |
Personal details | |
Born | Ayr, Queensland | 17 November 1963
Political party | Labor |
Website | www |
Following the unexpected retirement of Labor MP Bill Byrne for health reasons, O'Rourke contested Labor preselection for Byrne's seat of Rockhampton.[2][3][4] His main opponent was Margaret Strelow, the mayor of Rockhampton, who was endorsed by the Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk.[5] On 27 October 2017, O'Rourke defeated Strelow, who subsequently announced she would contest the election as an independent.[6][7]
At the November state election, O'Rourke was elected to succeed Byrne as the member for Rockhampton. Strelow recorded 23.5% of the vote and was second on the initial count, but Liberal National preferences pushed the One Nation candidate ahead of her and O'Rourke was elected on Strelow's preferences.[8][9][10]
On 13 November 2023, O'Rourke announced his intention to retire from politics at the 2024 election, citing health issues.[11]