| Honorific-Prefix: | The Honourable |
| Rob Schwarten | |
| Office: | Minister for Information and Communication Technology of Queensland |
| Term Start: | 12 October 2006 |
| Term End: | 21 February 2011 |
| Premier: | Peter Beattie Anna Bligh |
| Predecessor: | Chris Cummins |
| Successor: | Simon Finn |
| Office1: | Leader of the House of Queensland |
| Term Start1: | 28 July 2005 |
| Term End1: | 26 March 2009 |
| Premier1: | Peter Beattie Anna Bligh |
| Predecessor1: | Anna Bligh |
| Successor1: | Judy Spence |
| Office2: | Minister for Racing of Queensland |
| Term Start2: | 12 February 2004 |
| Term End2: | 13 September 2006 |
| Premier2: | Peter Beattie |
| Predecessor2: | Peter Beattie acting |
| Successor2: | Merged into Public Works |
| Office3: | Minister for Public Works of Queensland |
| Term Start3: | 29 June 1998 |
| Term End3: | 21 February 2011 |
| Premier3: | Peter Beattie Anna Bligh |
| Predecessor3: | David Watson |
| Successor3: | Simon Finn |
| Office4: | Minister for Housing of Queensland |
| Term Start4: | 29 June 1998 |
| Term End4: | 26 March 2009 |
| Premier4: | Peter Beattie Anna Bligh |
| Predecessor4: | David Watson |
| Successor4: | Karen Struthers |
| Office5: | Shadow Minister for Public Works and Administrative Services |
| Term Start5: | 7 October 1997 |
| Term End5: | 29 June 1998 |
| Leader5: | Peter Beattie |
| Predecessor5: | Lorraine Bird |
| Successor5: | Bruce Laming |
| Office6: | Shadow Minister for Natural Resources |
| Term Start6: | 7 October 1997 |
| Term End6: | 29 June 1998 |
| Leader6: | Peter Beattie |
| Predecessor6: | Henry Palaszczuk |
| Successor6: | Vince Lester |
| Office7: | Shadow Minister for Primary Industries |
| Term Start7: | 17 December 1996 |
| Term End7: | 7 October 1997 |
| Leader7: | Peter Beattie |
| Predecessor7: | Bob Gibbs |
| Successor7: | Henry Palaszczuk |
| Office8: | Shadow Minister for Emergency Services |
| Term Start8: | 27 February 1996 |
| Term End8: | 17 December 1996 |
| Leader8: | Peter Beattie |
| Predecessor8: | Brian Littleproud |
| Successor8: | Dean Wells |
| Office9: | Shadow Minister for Rural Communities |
| Term Start9: | 27 February 1996 |
| Term End9: | 17 December 1996 |
| Leader9: | Peter Beattie |
| Predecessor9: | Trevor Perrett |
| Successor9: | Henry Palaszczuk |
| Office10: | Member of the Queensland Parliament for Rockhampton |
| Term Start10: | 15 July 1995 |
| Term End10: | 24 March 2012 |
| Predecessor10: | Paul Braddy |
| Successor10: | Bill Byrne |
| Office11: | Member of the Queensland Parliament for Rockhampton North |
| Term Start11: | 2 December 1989 |
| Term End11: | 15 July 1995 |
| Predecessor11: | Les Yewdale |
| Successor11: | District abolished |
| Birth Name: | Robert Evan Schwarten |
| Birth Date: | 6 October 1954 |
| Birth Place: | Rockhampton, Queensland |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Party: | Labor Party |
| Spouse: | Judith Ann Armstrong |
| Children: | 2 |
| Alma Mater: | Rockhampton State High School |
| Occupation: | Teacher |
Robert Evan Schwarten (born 6 October 1954) is an Australian politician.[1]
Schwarten was born in Rockhampton, and is married with two sons.
Before his entry into politics, he was a teacher and a ministerial advisor to the Deputy Premier.
From 1985 to 1991 he was an alderman on Rockhampton City Council. A member of the Labor Party, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland in 1989 as the member for Rockhampton North, however this seat was abolished in a redistribution ahead of the 1992 election. Schwarten contested the newly created seat of Keppel, but was defeated by Vince Lester of the National Party.
In 1995 he was reelected to parliament, this time as the member for Rockhampton. He was Minister for Public Works and Information and Communication Technology in Anna Bligh's Labor Government. He held the Public Works portfolio from 1998 to 2011.[1] Schwarten stood down from Parliament and was replaced by Bill Byrne, who held the seat for Labor.
Schwarten drew national media attention when he was involved in a violent scuffle with Craig Brown, the husband of Federal MP Kirsten Livermore, following Rockhampton's Labour Day celebrations in May 2000. Brown lodged a formal complaint with the Queensland Police Service alleging assault occasioning bodily harm, but the complaint was later withdrawn. Premier Peter Beattie described the altercation between Schwarten and Brown as a "robust debate at a Labour Day function". Following the incident, the state Labor government faced several days of the state opposition referring to the incident in Parliament Question Time, where the opposition alleged that the police were ready to charge Schwarten, but held off after learning that both Schwarten and Brown were due to meet with senior Australian Labor Party figures in an attempt to resolve the situation.[2] [3] [4]
In July 2010, it was reported that Schwarten had become involved in a verbal stoush with other diners at a Rockhampton restaurant. An unnamed customer had told media that Schwarten was swearing, shouting and threatening to fight other customers. However, Schwarten claimed he was provoked. He said while he and his wife Judy were sitting down to a meal, customers began being offensive, verbally attacking him, and upsetting his wife. Judy Schwarten said that she was upset at the incident and claimed her husband had gone over to shake hands with the customers but they shoved him away. The manager of the restaurant apologised to Schwarten following the incident.[5]
In January 2012, 62 year-old Brian John Hillier was charged with three counts of wilful damage after he used his vehicle to deliberately ram the home of Robert Schwarten in the Rockhampton suburb of Park Avenue, and the office of Kirsten Livermore in the Rockhampton CBD.[6] Earlier, Hiller had also rammed another private residence in what was believed to be a case of mistaken identity as the house was located next door to a home belonging to someone with the surname, Livermore.[7]
Police told the Rockhampton Magistrates Court that they had found handwritten notes in Hiller's vehicle of addresses and markings on a street map. Police also said that discovered a litany of large, hand-written anti-government signage strewn along the front fence of Hiller's property at Rockyview, on the northern outskirts of Rockhampton. Hiller applied for bail on 27 January 2012, which the police prosecutor opposed as police believed Hillier may have confronted Schwarten and Livermore under the guise of political activism. The bail application was refused and Hiller was remanded in custody.[8] Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh condemned the actions of the man saying that his behaviour had no place in Australian democracy.[9]