Tim Nicholls

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Tim Nicholls

| honorific-suffix = MP

| image = TimNicholls2023.png

| caption = Nicholls in 2023

| office = Leader of the Opposition in Queensland
Elections: 2017

| term_start = 6 May 2016

| term_end = 12 December 2017

| premier = Annastacia Palaszczuk

| deputy = Deb Frecklington

| predecessor = Lawrence Springborg

| successor = Deb Frecklington

| office1 = Leader of the Liberal National Party

| term_start1 = 6 May 2016

| term_end1 = 12 December 2017

| deputy1 = Deb Frecklington

| predecessor1 = Lawrence Springborg

| successor1 = Deb Frecklington

| office2 = Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in Queensland

| term_start2 = 6 December 2007

| term_end2 = 27 July 2008

| leader2 = Mark McArdle

| predecessor2 = Mark McArdle

| successor2 = Position abolished {{Collapsed infobox section begin|Cabinet posts|titlestyle=background-color:#eee}}

| office3 = Minister for Health and Ambulance Services

| term_start3 = 1 November 2024

| term_end3 =

| premier3 = David Crisafulli

| predecessor3 = Shannon Fentiman

| successor3 =

| office4 = Minister for Trade in Queensland

| term_start4 = 3 April 2012

| term_end4 = 14 February 2015

| premier4 = Campbell Newman

| predecessor4 = Andrew Fraser

| successor4 = Jackie Trad

| office5 = Treasurer of Queensland

| term_start5 = 26 March 2012

| term_end5 = 14 February 2015

| premier5 = Campbell Newman

| predecessor5 = Andrew Fraser

| successor5 = Curtis Pitt {{Collapsed infobox section end}} {{Collapsed infobox section begin|Shadow cabinet posts|titlestyle=background-color:#eee}}

| office6 = Shadow Attorney-General
Shadow Minister for Justice

| term_start6 = 16 November 2020

| term_end6 = 28 October 2024

| leader6 = David Crisafulli

| predecessor6 = David Janetzki

| successor6 = Meaghan Scanlon

| office7 = Shadow Minister for Arts and Major Events

| term_start7 = 6 May 2016

| term_end7 = 15 December 2017

| leader7 = Himself

| predecessor7 = Jann Stuckey (Major Events)
Ian Walker (Arts)

| successor7 = Christian Rowan

| office8 = Shadow Minister for Infrastructure, Planning, Small Business, Employment and Trade

| term_start8 = 14 February 2015

| term_end8 = 6 May 2016

| leader8 = Lawrence Springborg

| predecessor8 = Tim Mulherin

| successor8 = Deb Frecklington (Infrastructure and Trade)
Jarrod Bleijie (Employment)
Scott Emerson (Small Business)
Ian Walker (Planning)

| office9 = Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Queensland

| term_start9 = 23 March 2011

| term_end9 = 24 March 2012

| leader9 = Jeff Seeney

| predecessor9 = Lawrence Springborg

| successor9 = Tim Mulherin

| office10 = Shadow Treasurer of Queensland

| leader10 = Lawrence Springborg
John-Paul Langbroek
Campbell Newman

| term_start10 = 12 August 2008

| term_end10 = 24 March 2012

| predecessor10 = Bruce Flegg

| successor10 = Curtis Pitt

| office11 = Shadow Minister for Transport

| term_start11 = 17 September 2007

| term_end11 = 12 August 2008

| leader11 = Jeff Seeney
Lawrence Springborg

| predecessor11 = Vaughan Johnson

| successor11 = Fiona Simpson{{Collapsed infobox section end}} {{Collapsed infobox section begin|Electorate|titlestyle=background-color:#eee}}

| office12 = Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Clayfield

| term_start12 = 9 September 2006

| term_end12 =

| predecessor12 = Liddy Clark

| successor12 = {{Collapsed infobox section end}} {{Collapsed infobox section begin|Local government politics|titlestyle=background-color:#eee}}

| office13 = Member of the Brisbane City Council

| term_start13 = 2000

| term_end13 = 2006

| predecessor13 =

| successor13 =

| constituency13 = Hamilton Ward {{Collapsed infobox section end}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1965|4|6}}

| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| party = Liberal National (since 2008)

| otherparty = Liberal (until 2008)

| profession = Solicitor

| education = Trinity Grammar School
Church of England Grammar School

| alma_mater = Queensland University of Technology (LLB)

}}

Timothy James Nicholls (born 6 April 1965) is an Australian politician and a former leader of the Liberal National Party of Queensland. He served as the Treasurer of Queensland and the Minister for Trade of that state between March/April 2012 and 14 February 2015. He is the member for Clayfield in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland. He was originally a member of the Liberal Party including a stint as its deputy leader, but joined the Liberal National Party in 2008 when the Liberal Party and the National Party merged in Queensland.

Education

Nicholls was educated at Trinity Grammar School in Melbourne and the Anglican Church Grammar School in Brisbane.{{cite news|last=Ludlow|first=Mark|title=Ready for the Main Game|newspaper=The Australian Financial Review|date=27–28 April 2013|page=52}}

He completed a Bachelor of Laws at Queensland University of Technology.{{Cite web|url=http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/current/list/MemberDetails?ID=407905322|title=Mr Timothy (Tim) Nicholls|website=Member Details|publisher=Queensland Parliament|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171120045644/http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/current/list/MemberDetails?ID=407905322|archive-date=20 November 2017|url-status=live|access-date=20 November 2017}}

Political career

File:Tim Nicholls CEO Sleepout 2011.jpg

Nicholls, originally a solicitor, began his career as a councillor in the Hamilton ward of the Brisbane City Council, which he held for six years. In 2006 he ran as the Liberal candidate in Clayfield. He defeated incumbent member Liddy Clark on 9 September 2006 achieving a swing of 3.2 points.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/qld/2006/results/clay.htm |title=State Electoral Results for Clayfield |publisher=ABC News |access-date=2 May 2011}}

Shortly after being elected to State Parliament, Nicholls was encouraged by party colleagues to stand against Bruce Flegg for the Liberal Party leadership. He did not initially have enough support in the eight member Liberal caucus.{{cite web|url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/fleggs-wouldbe-challenger-earns-promotion/2007/04/17/1176696793597.html |title=Flegg's would-be challenger earns promotion|work=Brisbane Times|date=17 April 2007|access-date=28 January 2008}}

Shortly after the federal election of 2007, Nicholls again stood against Flegg for leadership.{{cite web|author=Name: (will appear on website) |url=http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2007/11/27/5388_gold-coast-federal-election.html |title=Federal Fallout | Gold Coast News |publisher=Goldcoast.com.au |date=27 November 2007 |access-date=2 May 2011}} Eventually Mark McArdle was offered as a neutral party and he accepted leadership with Nicholls as his deputy.{{cite web|author=Sean Parnell |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22880142-5006786,00.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913173959/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22880142-5006786,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 September 2012 |title=McArdle made Leader |publisher=The Australian |date=6 December 2007 |access-date=2 May 2011}}

The leadership dispute was rendered virtually moot when the Queensland Liberal Party and Queensland National Party merged less than a year later to form the Liberal National Party. Nicholls was appointed Shadow Treasurer by Lawrence Springborg and continued to hold that position in John-Paul Langbroek's Shadow Ministry.[http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/en/members/current/list/bio?member=Nicholls+Timothy Member Biography: Timothy Nicholls], Queensland Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 21 March 2012.

When Campbell Newman stood for the leadership of the party in April 2011, Nicholls supported him and was named interim Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Newman retained Nicholls as Shadow Treasurer. After the LNP won the largest majority government in Queensland history at the 2012 state election, Newman named Nicholls as his Treasurer, and he was sworn in on 26 March.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG32t9Hx-oA|Newman announces his deputy, treasurer] ABC News, 2012-03-24.{{cite news |url=http://au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/newshome/13256445/newman-to-form-interim-cabinet-on-monday |title=Newman to form interim cabinet on Monday |publisher=Seven News Brisbane |date=25 March 2012 }}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

=Leader of the LNP (2016–2017)=

Following the state election in 2015 which saw the LNP lose government and several difficult months in parliament, Nicholls challenged Lawrence Springborg for the leadership of the party on 6 May 2016, winning the ballot 22 votes to 19.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-05-06/lnp-leadership-decided-after-partyroom-meeting/7389500|title=Tim Nicholls wins LNP leadership spill against Lawrence Springborg|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia|date=6 May 2016}} He was the third person from the Liberal side of the merger to hold the post. After the party suffered a three-seat swing at the 2017 state election, Nicholls announced he would stand down as leader of the party.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-08/queensland-election-tim-nicholls-concedes-defeat/9239930|title=Queensland election: LNP's Tim Nicholls concedes defeat, quits LNP leadership|date=8 December 2017|publisher=ABC News|location=Australia}}