| Bruce Flegg | |
| Office: | Minister for Housing and Public Works of Queensland |
| Premier: | Campbell Newman |
| Term Start: | 3 April 2012 |
| Term End: | 14 November 2012 |
| Predecessor: | Karen Struthers (Housing) Simon Finn (Government Services) |
| Successor: | Tim Mander |
| Office1: | Shadow Minister for Education of Queensland |
| Leader1: | John-Paul Langbroek Campbell Newman |
| Term Start1: | 11 April 2009 |
| Term End1: | 19 February 2012 |
| Predecessor1: | John-Paul Langbroek |
| Successor1: | Annastacia Palaszczuk |
| Office2: | Shadow Treasurer of Queensland |
| Leader2: | Jeff Seeney Lawrence Springborg |
| Term Start2: | 21 September 2006 |
| Term End2: | 12 August 2008 |
| Predecessor2: | Michael Caltabiano |
| Successor2: | Tim Nicholls |
| Office3: | Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party Elections: 2006 |
| Deputy3: | Mark McArdle |
| Term Start3: | 7 August 2006 |
| Term End3: | 4 December 2007 |
| Predecessor3: | Bob Quinn |
| Successor3: | Mark McArdle |
| Office4: | Shadow Minister for Health of Queensland |
| Leader4: | Lawrence Springborg |
| Term Start4: | 28 September 2005 |
| Term End4: | 21 September 2006 |
| Predecessor4: | Stuart Copeland |
| Successor4: | John-Paul Langbroek |
| Office5: | Deputy Leader of the Queensland Liberal Party |
| Term Start5: | February 2004 |
| Term End5: | 7 August 2006 |
| Leader5: | Bob Quinn |
| Predecessor5: | Joan Sheldon |
| Successor5: | Mark McArdle |
| Office6: | Member of the Queensland Parliament for Moggill |
| Term Start6: | 7 February 2004 |
| Term End6: | 31 January 2015 |
| Predecessor6: | David Watson |
| Successor6: | Christian Rowan |
| Birth Date: | 1954 3, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Sydney |
| Party: | Liberal National Party |
| Children: | 3 |
| Profession: | Doctor |
Bruce Stephen Flegg (born 10 March 1954, Sydney) is a former Australian politician. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 2004 to 2015, representing the electorate of Moggill in south-western Brisbane for the Liberal Party and its successor the Liberal National Party. He was the leader of the state Liberal Party from 2006 to 2007 and served as Minister for Housing and Public Works in the Newman government from April to November 2012.
Flegg was born in Sydney and was a general practitioner before entering politics.[1] Flegg completed a post graduate diploma in Financial Markets, winning the Queensland Investment Corporation prize for industrial equity analysis.
He contested the seat of Petrie at the 1990 federal election, and in 1993 he contested the seat of Dickson which was ultimately delayed to a supplementary election due to the death of a candidate, but was defeated by the Labor candidate, Michael Lavarch.[2] He was elected to the Legislative Assembly at the 2004 state election, replacing former Liberal leader David Watson in the safe Liberal seat of Moggill. He was immediately elected deputy leader of the Liberal Party upon his election, and succeeded Bob Quinn as leader in 2006.
He had only been Liberal leader for a number of days when then-Premier Peter Beattie called the 2006 state election, which the conservative parties lost decisively. He faced wide criticism in the wake of the election defeat regarding his performance during the campaign, and faced speculation of a challenge from rival Tim Nicholls. Nicholls was unable to gain sufficient support to oust Flegg in a closely divided caucus, but following ongoing tension, Flegg resigned as leader on 4 December 2007 and was succeeded by compromise candidate Mark McArdle.[3]
Flegg was not part of the initial shadow ministry following the merger of the Liberal Party and National Party to form the Liberal National Party in 2008,[4] but was subsequently appointed Shadow Minister for Education in 2009. He was appointed Minister for Housing and Public Works under Campbell Newman following the party's landslide victory at the 2012 state election; however, he resigned in November following a series of controversies surrounding his ministerial dealings with his lobbyist son and allegations he had moonlighted as a GP while a minister.
Following his resignation, Dr Flegg filed a defamation case against the source of the allegations, media advisor Graham Hallett. The case concluded with Dr Flegg winning the defamation action, successfully demonstrating that Hallett had defamed Dr Flegg and caused him significant material detriment due to the loss of his role as a minister. At a total of $775,000, the sum of damages awarded to Dr Flegg was the largest ever recorded for a defamation case in Queensland legal history.
In October 2014, the LNP State Executive refused to support Dr Flegg's party preselection as a candidate for the January 2015 election, instead choosing to replace him with former AMA President Dr. Christian Rowan.[5] He remained an LNP Member of Parliament until the January 2015 election when he did not re-contest his seat. There was some speculation that Newman could transfer from his marginal seat of Ashgrove to Moggill after Flegg was denied preselection. Moggill was the safest LNP seat in Brisbane; at the time, the LNP sat on a majority of 23.9 percent. However, Newman ruled out a transfer.[6]
"One of the richest politicians to sit in Queensland parliament [Bruce] won a record $775,000 in damages after suing his former media adviser and regular houseguest for defamation."[7]
He has three sons, one of whom, Jonathon Flegg, ran unsuccessfully for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly beachside seat of Coogee in 2007.[8]