Peter Lawlor - Southport

Southport

The Electoral District of Southport is based in the northern part of the Gold Coast. It is named for the largest suburb within the electorate of Southport, and also includes the suburbs of Arundel, Ernest, Labrador, Molendinar and Parkwood. It was re-created for the 1977 election after having been a previous electoral district throughout the 1950s. The suburb of Southport was names so because it was the southernmost port of the colony of Queensland.

Peter Lawlor has been the Labor endorsed candidate for the Southport Electoral District at every State election since 1992. He marginally lost the 1992, 1995 and 1998 elections against the long term incumbent National Party Member Mick Veivers. Veivers was Minister for Emergency Services and Sport in the Borbidge Government and had been a Rugby League international before being elected to the seat in 1987. Lawlor finally succeeded in gaining the seat from Veivers on behalf of the Labor Party in 2001 with over 60% of the two party preferred vote and maintained that high margin until a swing against him in the 2009 election brought his share of the vote down to 53.48%.