Verity Barton MP |
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Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Broadwater |
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Assumed office 24 March 2012 |
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Preceded by | Peta-Kaye Croft |
Constituency | Broadwater |
Majority | 7.19% |
Personal details | |
Born |
Leeds, United Kingdom |
6 August 1985
Political party | Lliberal National Party |
Relations | Clive Hughes (grand-father) |
Residence | Biggera Waters, Queensland |
Profession | Media officer, retail assistant |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Website | Verity Barton on Facebook |
Verity Mary Barton (born 6 August 1985) is an Australian politician who is the LNP member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Broadwater, having defeated Peta-Kaye Croft at the 2012 state election.
Barton was educated at All Hallows' School in Brisbane. She went on to further studies in law and politics at Bond University on the Gold Coast and Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to her election she worked in the retail industry and also served as a media consultant for Senator George Brandis.
Barton joined LNP-predecessor the former Liberal Party at 17. She has held various senior local branch positions, including chair of the Broadwater State Electorate Council. She has been a member of the LNP State Council and was a member of the Young LNP Management Committee from 2010 until 2012. Barton is the granddaughter of former member for Kurilpa, Clive Hughes.
Aged 26 years, 7 months and 18 days old when first elected, Barton is the youngest woman ever elected to the Queensland Parliament. Throughout the 54th Parliament, Barton was a member of the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee and was appointed as Temporary Chair of Committees, a role which saw her serve as an acting Deputy Speaker in the Parliament.
Ms Barton is a strong monarchist having made a speech to parliament in May 2013 in support of the Succession to the Crown Bill 2013 referencing her admiration of the British Royal Family and ending her comments with "God bless Queensland, God bless Australia and God save the Queen."
In her maiden speech to Queensland Parliament, Verity Barton stated she was a "proud conservative" and listed Sir Robert Menzies, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and John Howard as her "key political influences." In the same speech, Ms Barton also made reference to her strong Catholic faith.