Jack Dempsey (politician)


John Mark Dempsey is an Australian politician. He is the Mayor of the Bundaberg Regional Council. He previously served as a Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2015.

Politics

A member of the National Party, Dempsey was first elected at the 2006 state election in the electorate of Bundaberg to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. He became a member of the Liberal National Party when the National party merged with the Liberal Party in July 2008.
While in Opposition, Dempsey was the Shadow Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Police and Corrective Services from 21 September 2006 to 12 August 2008. He was a member of the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee from 11 October 2006 to 16 June 2011. He was the Shadow Minister for Child Safety and Shadow Minister for Sport from 6 April 2009 to 29 November 2010. Dempsey was appointed the Shadow Minister for the Environment and the Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation from 29 November 2010 to 11 April 2011. He was appointed as Shadow Minister for Mining and Resource Management from 11 April 2011 to 19 February 2012.
In March 2012, the Liberal National Party won the 2012 Queensland state election. Dempsey was sworn in as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs and Minister assisting the Premier on 3 April 2012. On 16 April 2012 Dempsey was appointed acting Minister for Police and Community Safety following the resignation of David Gibson due to driving with a disqualified licence. He was appointed to the office in his own right on 23 April 2012, with Glen Elmes replaced him as Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs and Minister Assisting the Premier.
In January 2015, Dempsey was defeated in the 2015 Queensland state election by Leanne Donaldson. Dempsey had the highest primary vote but Donalson won on preferences.
On 19 March 2016, Dempsey was elected as an independent as the Mayor of the Bundaberg Regional Council; he obtained with approximately 71% of the primary vote.
As at May 2018, he is no longer aligned with any political party.

Personal life

Dempsey was born in Bundaberg on 4 April 1966. He was raised in Ipswich. Dempsey is married to Christine and has five children. Before entering politics, he was a sergeant in the Queensland Police Service.