Shayne Neumann
Shayne Neumann
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Shayne Neumann

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Shayne Neumann

Shayne Kenneth Neumann (born 26 August 1961) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2007, representing the Division of Blair. In March 2013, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Attorney-General and Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing. After the 2013 federal election, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs and for Ageing. In 2016, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Immigration and Border Protection. After the 2019 federal election, he was appointed Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and Defence Personnel.

Neumann was born in Ipswich, Queensland. Neither of his parents completed high school; his father was a meatworker and his mother was a shop assistant. In his maiden speech, he stated: "In my childhood, I was exposed to the twin evils of addiction to alcohol and gambling. I lived through the poverty caused thereby and the pain of the divorce which followed."

Neumann attended Ipswich East State Primary School and Bundamba State Secondary College. His first job was as a cleaner at a meatworks in Dinmore. He completed a Bachelors of Arts majoring in government and economics, and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. Shayne was a partner in the Brisbane-based law firm of Neumann and Turnour Lawyers, which he established at the age of 26 in partnership with Matthew Turnour (brother of former Federal MP Jim Turnour). He specialised in family law.

Neumann has cited the rise of Pauline Hanson in his home town of Ipswich as his motivation for becoming more involved in politics.

Neumann was the Labor candidate for Blair at the 2004 federal election, and was heavily defeated by sitting Liberal member Cameron Thompson who received 61.21 percent of the two-party-preferred vote. Blair was considered a Liberal safe seat at the time.

Neumann sought a rematch in 2007. This time, he was aided by two factors. Firstly, a redistribution of the electoral boundaries, finalised in 2006, pushed Blair further into Ipswich while cutting out the conservative-leaning rural towns of Esk and Kingaroy, roughly halving Thompson's majority and putting Blair just outside the range of seats that Labor would have needed to win government. Secondly, there was a big Labor resurgence across the country at the 2007 federal election under the leadership of Kevin Rudd. This resurgence was at its greatest in Rudd's home state of Queensland. Neumann won the seat on a swing of 10.17 points.

Neumann was re-elected in 2010 with only a modest swing against him. He was re-elected in 2013, actually picking up a small swing in his favour as Labor lost government. In 2016, Neumann technically made Blair a safe Labor seat by taking 58.88 percent of the two-party vote.

Neumann supported Rudd in the Australian Labor Party leadership spill on 26 June 2013. He stated that "it was a really tough decision because I thought it was in the best interests of our state and of the people in my electorate." In Labor's October 2013 leadership spill, Neumann supported Bill Shorten.

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