Peter Lawlor - Minister

Minister

On 24 March 2009 after the reelection of the Bligh Labor Government the Premier announced that Peter Lawlor would be one of eight Members to be promoted to the Cabinet as a Minister. Lawlor was sworn in by the Governor as the Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading on 26 March 2009. The ministerial portfolio of Tourism and Fair Trading holds responsibility for tourism, fair trading, charities, occupational licensing, art unions, Golden Casket, casinos, machine gaming, liquor licensing and racing.

In a high profile interview for The Courier-Mail, new Opposition Leader and Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek used Lawlor as an example of how he did not have enmity with anyone, even his political opponents, by stating "for instance, I like Peter Lawlor... he is a true believer in the Labor ideals, so I admire him for that."

In becoming the new Tourism Minister Lawlor told the Cairns Post that tourism was the lifeblood of both Cairns and the Gold Coast and that he would fly to Cairns and meet with stakeholders as soon as possible to learn more about issues in the far north. Lawlor became Tourism Minister at the height of the Global Economic Crisis

Body corporate fees structures were challenged in March 2010 by Lawlor in new legislation which prevents penthouse owners from spreading their higher body corporate fees onto smaller unit owners. Lawlor described the previous practice as a loophole being taken advantage of, an example was used of The Pinnacle building on Surfers Paradise where a penthouse window was allegedly shot out in 2009 over a body corporate feud over a bid to have the fees of $3million penthouses halved while doubling the fees for smaller, lower-floor units.

A Liquor Licensing staff member anonymously leaked to the Brisbanetimes.com.au in February 2010 that 500 public servant staff from the Office of Liquor Licensing would shift to Ipswich by 2012 under the State Government's decentralisation policy. Lawlor rejected suggestions that there would be a move of 500 public servants by May 2010 and said that it was early stages of consultation and each employee's situation would be looked at on a case-by-case basis.