Mark Bailey (politician)

The Honourable Mark Bailey MP
Bailey in 2024
Minister for Transport of Queensland
In office 12 December 2017 – 17 December 2023
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Jackie Trad
Succeeded by	Bart Mellish
Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply of Queensland
In office 16 February 2015 – 11 December 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Mark McArdle
Succeeded by	Anthony Lynham
Minister for Road Safety and Ports of Queensland
In office 16 February 2015 – 11 December 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	New portfolio
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Minister for Main Roads of Queensland
In office 16 February 2015 – 17 December 2023
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Scott Emerson
Succeeded by	Bart Mellish
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Miller Yeerongpilly (2015–2017)
Incumbent
Assumed office 31 January 2015
Preceded by	Carl Judge
Brisbane City Councillor for Moorooka Ward
In office 2 March 1994 – 4 June 2003
Succeeded by	Steve Griffiths
Personal details
Born	1968 (age 55–56) Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Political party	Labor
Domestic partner(s)	Meaghan Scanlon (since 2016)
Alma mater	University of Queensland
Profession	Teacher, politician
Signature
Website	www.markbaileymp.au

Mark Craig Bailey is an Australian politician who has been the Labor member for Miller (formerly Yeerongpilly) in the Queensland Legislative Assembly since 2015.^[1] Bailey most recently served as the Minister for Transport and Main Roads of Queensland until 17 December 2023.^[2] He has also worked in gambling, liquor and racing policy for the Queensland state government.^[3]

Early life

Bailey was born on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia in 1968 and completed a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Queensland in 1990.^[4] He became a high school teacher in history and drama.^[5]

Political career

Local government

During the Soorley Administration, Bailey was elected to the Brisbane City Council in 1994 and represented the ward of Moorooka until 2003.^[6]

Member of Parliament

At the 2015 Queensland state election, Bailey won the seat of Yeerongpilly from the LNP with a 14.7% swing, making it a safe Labor seat. He was sworn in as Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply in the Palaszczuk Ministry on 16 February 2015. On 8 December 2015, Biofuels was added to his portfolio.^[7]

Ahead of the 2017 Queensland state election, Yeerongpilly was abolished and replaced with the new marginal seat of Miller, which Bailey won with a 2.6% swing. After the election, he was appointed as Minister for Transport and Main Roads, taking over from Jackie Trad^[8] In July 2017, Bailey stood aside from his ministerial responsibilities following an investigation by the Crime and Corruption Commission into his use of a personal email account to conduct parliamentary business and his subsequent attempts to delete emails possibly relating to his role as a member of parliament - the so-called "mangocube scandal".^[9] The commission concluded that Bailey had not engaged in any corrupt conduct and declined to pursue charges against him. He resumed his ministerial duties in September 2017.^[10][11]

At the 2020 Queensland state election, Bailey increased his margin to 13.8%, making Miller a safe Labor seat for the first time.

In December 2023, after Annastacia Palaszczuk unexpectedly resigned as premier in the lead-up to the 2023 Queensland Labor Party leadership election, Bailey announced his own resignation from cabinet effective from 17 December.^[12][13] Bailey continued as the member for Miller and stated that "I look forward to having more time to work hard for my Miller constituents as their local MP" and he would also recontest the seat of Miller at the October 2024 state election.^[14]

Personal life

In September 2018, Bailey and fellow MP Meaghan Scanlon confirmed that they had been in a relationship since 2016.^[15]

See also

• First Palaszczuk Ministry
• Second Palaszczuk Ministry
• Third Palaszczuk Ministry

References

1. Green, Antony. "Yeerongpilly". Queensland Election 2015. Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
2. "Who's who in Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's new Queensland Cabinet?". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 11 November 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
3. "About Mark". Mark Bailey MP. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
4. "The Honourable Mark Bailey MP". 31 March 2016.
5. "About Mark". Mark Bailey MP. 21 October 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
6. "Miller - Queensland Election 2020". ABC News Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
7. "Member Detail". Parliament of Queensland. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
8. "Queensland's new Labor Cabinet sworn in at Government House". Australian Broadcasting Corporation 16 February 2015. 15 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
9. "Minister Mark Bailey plays down private email to union boss". The Canberra Times. Fairfax Media. 22 February 2018. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
10. "Queensland Labor MP Mark Bailey avoids criminal charges over deleted private email account". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). 22 September 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
11. "No criminal action relating to Mark Bailey's email account". Crime and Corruption Commission. Queensland Government. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
12. McCormack, Madura (13 December 2023). "Transport Minister Mark Bailey quits cabinet". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
13. Lynch, Lydia (11 December 2023). "New premier must axe dud ministers". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
14. "Transport Minister steps aside for frontbench new blood". 13 December 2023.
15. Weston, Paul (8 September 2018). "Gold Coast politician couple Meaghan Scanlon and Mark Bailey in relationship". The Courier Mail. Retrieved 17 September 2020.

Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Carl Judge	Member for Yeerongpilly 2015–2017	Abolished
New seat	Member for Miller 2017–present	Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Mark McArdle	Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy and Water Supply 2015-2023	Succeeded by himself
New title	Minister for Main Roads, Road Safety and Ports and Minister for Energy, Biofuels and Water Supply 2015–2017	Succeeded by Anthony Lynham (Minister for Energy) himself (Minister for Main Roads)
Preceded by Jackie Trad	Minister for Transport and Main Roads 2017–2023	Succeeded by Bart Mellish