Cameron Dick Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Cameron Dick
Honorific-Suffix:MP
Office:Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
Leader:Steven Miles
Term Start:28 October 2024
Predecessor:Jarrod Bleijie
Office1:36th Deputy Premier of Queensland
Premier1:Steven Miles
Term Start1:15 December 2023
Term End1:28 October 2024
Predecessor1:Steven Miles
Successor1:Jarrod Bleijie
Office2:Deputy Leader of the Labor Party in Queensland
Term Start2:15 December 2023
Leader2:Steven Miles
Predecessor2:Steven Miles
Office3:51st Treasurer of Queensland
Premier3:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Steven Miles
Deputy3:Charis Mullen (2020–2023)
Jennifer Howard (since 2023)
Term Start3:11 May 2020
Term End3:28 October 2024
Predecessor3:Jackie Trad
Successor3:David Janetzki
Office4:Minister for Trade and Investment of Queensland
Premier4:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Steven Miles
Term Start4:7 October 2021
Term End4:28 October 2024
Predecessor4:Annastacia Palaszczuk (as Minister for Trade)
Himself (as Minister for Investment)
Successor4:Rosslyn Bates
Office5:Minister for Investment of Queensland
Premier5:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Term Start5:12 November 2020
Term End5:7 October 2021
Predecessor5:Kate Jones (as Minister for Innovation)
Successor5:Himself (as Minister for Trade and Investment)
Office6:Minister for Infrastructure and Planning of Queensland
Premier6:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Term Start6:12 December 2017
Term End6:12 November 2020
Predecessor6:Jackie Trad
Successor6:Steven Miles
Office7:Minister for State Development of Queensland
Premier7:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Term Start7:12 December 2017
Term End7:11 May 2020
Predecessor7:Anthony Lynham
Successor7:Kate Jones
Office8:Minister for Manufacturing of Queensland
Premier8:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Term Start8:12 December 2017
Term End8:10 May 2020
Successor8:Glenn Butcher
Office9:Minister for Health and Ambulance Services of Queensland
Premier9:Annastacia Palaszczuk
Term Start9:16 February 2015
Term End9:12 December 2017
Predecessor9:Lawrence Springborg
Successor9:Steven Miles
Office10:Minister for Industrial Relations of Queensland
Premier10:Anna Bligh
Term Start10:26 March 2009
Term End10:26 March 2012
Predecessor10:John Mickel
Successor10:Curtis Pitt (2015)
Office11:Minister for Education of Queensland
Premier11:Anna Bligh
Term Start11:21 February 2011
Term End11:26 March 2012
Predecessor11:Geoff Wilson
Successor11:John-Paul Langbroek
Office12:Attorney-General of Queensland
Premier12:Anna Bligh
Term Start12:26 March 2009
Term End12:21 February 2011
Predecessor12:Kerry Shine
Successor12:Paul Lucas
Embed:yes
Constituency Mp13:Greenslopes
Parliament13:Queensland
Term Start13:21 March 2009
Term End13:24 March 2012
Predecessor13:Gary Fenlon
Successor13:Ian Kaye
Constituency Mp14:Woodridge
Parliament14:Queensland
Term Start14:31 January 2015
Party:Labor
Birth Place:Brisbane, Queensland
Children:2
Alma Mater:Trinity Hall, Cambridge
University of Queensland
Profession:Barrister
Birth Date:25 April 1967
Signature:Cameron Dick signature 2020.svg

Cameron Robert Dick (born 25 April 1967) is an Australian politician and member of the Labor Party who was the 36th Deputy Premier of Queensland from 2023 to 2024, 51st Treasurer of the state of Queensland from 2020 to 2024, and Minister for Trade and Investment from 2021 to 2024.[1] He previously served as Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning[2] and was Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services[3] in the Palaszczuk Ministry. He also served as Attorney-General, Minister for Education and Minister for Industrial Relations[3] in the Bligh government. He is currently a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly representing the seat of Woodridge.

Early life and education

Dick's family arrived in Queensland from Scotland in 1862 aboard the sailing ship Conway. His father, a veteran of the Second World War serving in the Royal Australian Navy (1941–1945), was a butcher and later an owner and operator of taxi cabs. His mother was a nurse.

Dick was born on 25 April 1967.[4] He grew up in the suburb of Holland Park and attended a local primary school, Marshall Road State School.

Dick was educated at the Anglican Church Grammar School. He studied at the University of Queensland, and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and a Bachelor of Laws, and later, a Bachelor of Arts. He gained a Master of Law (LLM) degree at Trinity Hall, Cambridge.[5]

After undertaking articles of clerkship at Brisbane law firm Goss Downey Carne, he was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia.[5]

Legal career

Tuvalu

Following practice as a solicitor in Brisbane, Dick worked as an international development volunteer in the South Pacific island nation of Tuvalu from 1993 to 1996, under the Australian Volunteers Abroad program operated by the then Overseas Service Bureau (now known as Australian Volunteers International), Australia's oldest international volunteer-sending organisation. Dick assisted in the Office of the Attorney-General during his time in Tuvalu, initially as Crown Counsel and then as the acting Attorney-General of Tuvalu for one year. He is a former ex officio Attorney-General of the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu.[6]

Queensland

Dick was a solicitor at Crown Law, the Queensland Government's legal office, and a senior advisor in the Queensland Government, before becoming a barrister in 2006. He practised law prior to his election to the Queensland Parliament.[7]

Political career

Dick was elected as the Member for Greenslopes in the Queensland Parliament at the 2009 Queensland state election. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh asked him to serve as the Attorney-General and Minister for Industrial Relations[3] and was sworn in on 26 March 2009. On 21 February 2011 he was sworn in as Minister for Education and Industrial Relations. He lost his seat at the 2012 state election. He gained a new seat, Woodridge, at the 2015 state election, and did so with the largest two-party preferred vote (75.95 per cent) of any party in any electorate of Queensland.

On 16 February 2015, Dick was sworn in as Minister for Health and Minister for Ambulance Services in the Palaszczuk Ministry.[8]

On 12 December 2017, Dick was sworn in as Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning in the second Palaszczuk Ministry.[9]

Alongside Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and representatives from the Australian Government, including then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Dick was part of the announcement on 14 March 2018 that Rheinmetall Defence Australia would be awarded the $5 billion LAND 400 contract to build and service up to 5000 military vehicles in Queensland.[10] [11] Regarding the decision, Dick called the "landmark project" an "economic game-changer" that will create "450 advanced manufacturing and engineering jobs for Queenslanders" and "pump $1 billion into the state’s economy" in its first ten years of operation.[12] Following this, Rheinmetall selected Redbank, near Ipswich, as the location for its $170 million Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE).[13] The first sod was turned at the facility 16 November 2018, with reference made to Queensland as "Australia's khaki state".[14]

Dick was in attendance to press the launch button for Australia's first commercial payload rocket flight on 21 November 2018.[15] The five-metre rocket was developed by Queensland-based BlackSky Aerospace and successfully launched into the sky from a farm in Tarawara, west of Goondiwindi. Dick said that the launch – which saw the rocket reach roughly the same height as Mount Everest – showed the possibilities for developing a space industry in Queensland. He added that the state wanted to promote its aerospace capabilities to national and international markets, and that this launch was a substantial step forward in achieving that aim.[16]

In May 2020, Dick replaced Jackie Trad as Queensland Treasurer.

On 26 September 2024, Dick was beaten off his seat as Treasurer of Queensland.[17]

Personal life

Dick is married and has two sons.

He is the brother of Milton Dick, a member of the Australian House of Representatives for Oxley, Speaker of the House of Representatives and former Brisbane City Council Labor leader.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Jackie Trad resigns as Queensland's Deputy Premier and Treasurer, Steven Miles and Cameron Dick to take on portfolios – ABC News. 2020-05-10. www.abc.net.au. en-AU. 2020-05-10. 10 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200510090026/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-10/queensland-premier-annastacia-palaszczuk-responds-to-jackie-trad/12231616. live.
  2. Web site: Minister. www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au. en-AU. 2018-10-15. 6 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190406170906/https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au//our-department/minister.html. dead.
  3. Web site: Member Details. www.parliament.qld.gov.au. en-AU. 2018-10-15. 5 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190305063958/https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/current/list/MemberDetails?ID=2735111125. live.
  4. From Tuvalu to the top. 19–22. The Proctor. Queensland Law Society. May 2009. 29. 4. Russell. Grenning.
  5. http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/en/members/current/list/bio?member=Dick+Cameron Member Biography
  6. Web site: Cameron Dick – MP for Woodridge. 24 January 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20170305163549/https://www.queenslandlabor.org/candidate/cameron-dick/. 5 March 2017. dmy-all.
  7. http://www.qldbar.asn.au/query.cgi?template=template1&SurnameInitial=D&header=SurnameInitial&PCOnly=N&order_by=Surname&database=db1&template=template1 Bar Association of Queensland Directory
  8. News: Queensland's new Labor Cabinet sworn in at Government House. ABC News. 15 February 2015. Australian Broadcasting Corporation 16 February 2015. 16 February 2015. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20150222062044/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/new-queensland-cabinet-sworn-in-government-house/6114916?WT.ac=statenews_qld. 22 February 2015. dmy-all.
  9. Web site: Hon Cameron Dick. Queensland. Former Members Register. Queensland Parliament. https://web.archive.org/web/20170813185626/https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/current/list/MemberDetails?ID=2735111125. 13 August 2017. live. 24 January 2018. dmy-all.
  10. News: Rheinmetall wins $5bn contract, jobs on the way – Manufacturers' Monthly. 2018-03-15. Manufacturers' Monthly. 2018-11-30. en-US. 30 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071908/http://www.manmonthly.com.au/news/rheinmetall-wins-5bn-contract-jobs-way/. live.
  11. Web site: Queensland wins $5 billion Defence contract. Branco. Jorge. Brisbane Times. 13 March 2018. en-US. 2018-11-30. 30 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071645/https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-wins-5-billion-defence-contract-20180314-p4z48i.html. live.
  12. Web site: Federal government awards QLD $5b defence manufacturing contract. 14 March 2018. www.cimmagazine.com. 2018-03-14. 27 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220327071504/http://www.cimmagazine.com/queensland-wins-land-400-to-become-defence-hub/. live.
  13. News: Rheinmetall selects Redbank as location for its centre of military excellence Australian Manufacturing. 2018-03-18. Australian Manufacturing. 2018-11-30. en-US. 30 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130073156/http://www.australianmanufacturing.com.au/50739/rheinmetall-selects-redbank-as-location-for-its-centre-of-military-excellence. live.
  14. News: New build has Ipswich at centre of 'Australia's khaki state'. Johnson. Hayden. Queensland Times. 2018-11-30. en. 30 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181130071603/https://www.qt.com.au/news/new-build-has-ipswich-centre-australias-khaki-stat/3577442/. live.
  15. News: 'Cape' Funny Farm: Rocket launches in our area today. Jones. Ian. 2018-11-21. Goondiwindi Argus. 2018-11-27. en. 27 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181127152013/https://www.goondiwindiargus.com.au/story/5766380/cape-funny-farm-rocket-launches-in-our-area-today/. live.
  16. News: Queensland sets sights on space industry with outback rocket launch. 2018-11-21. ABC News. 2018-11-30. en-AU. 26 November 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20181126083019/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-21/queensland-commercial-rocket-launch-race-for-space/10518750. live.
  17. News: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-26/queensland-election-live-updates-results-2024/104505940. en-AU. live.