Part 3: Queensland’s 100 most influential people - Positions 70-56
ONE of the state’s most generous philanthropists, who has donated nearly $100 million to benefit Queensland, features in our list of most influential people. As does a controversial union figure.
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- Part 1, 100-86: Who’s really running our state?
- Part 2, 85-71: Power struggle at the Broncos
- Part 4, 55-41: Labor’s ‘agent of infection’
WELCOME to the Power 100 – a who’s who of Queensland’s most influential people.
This week, couriermail.com.au will countdown to the top 10 revealed on Saturday.
Today we feature positions 70-56 on our list.
We also want you, our subscribers, to have your say. Who do you think are Queensland’s most powerful people?
Post your nominations in the comments section below or email to editor@couriermail.com.au.
And don’t miss our special Power 100 edition of QWeekend magazine this Saturday.
Queensland’s 100 most influential people: Positions 70-56
70 - GRAEME NEWTON, INFRASTRUCTURE
The chief executive of the Cross River Rail Delivery Authority is responsible for the successful construction of the most expensive public transport infrastructure project in Queensland – described by the Government as an initiative that will shape the southeast corner for decades to come.
The Palaszczuk Government undertook an international search for the person to lead the $5.4 billion track, tunnel and stations project before choosing Mr Newton, whose track record was already well-known to them.
He headed the Queensland Reconstruction Authority, charged with rebuilding after the devastating natural disasters of 2010-11, for nearly four years under both the Bligh and Newman governments.
Earlier, he was CEO of Queensland Water Infrastructure during the aborted Traveston Crossing Dam period, and Coordinator-General and Director-General of Infrastructure and Planning.
A former Army officer, Mr Newton returns to the public service after three years as a lead partner with Deloitte Australia, where he was a crisis management expert.
69 - MICHAEL RAVBAR, CFMEU SECRETARY
As controversial as he is powerful thanks to his appearance at the Federal Government’s Trade Union royal commission, the head of the Queensland chapter of the CFMEU holds incredible sway on both a state and national level.
The union and its financial support might have helped Labor win the last two elections.
He is not afraid to attack his own side. He campaigned against Labor in the lead-up to the election, which was held after the Government passed industrial manslaughter laws it had promised the union.
Mr Ravbar also took a swing at the Government on the day it was sworn in after its November election win, in protest at the make-up of the Cabinet.
68 - MARK VON ITZSTEIN, SCIENTIST
Mark von Itzstein led the team that discovered the world’s first anti-flu drug, Relenza, in 1993, a discovery that resulted in him appearing on the cover of Time magazine.
In 2000, he founded Griffith University’s Institute for Glycomics on the Gold Coast, which is working on a variety of deadly and debilitating diseases including malaria, melanoma, leukaemia, meningococcal disease and Zika virus.
As a teenager, Professor von Itzstein had to choose between science and becoming a professional equestrian.
An accomplished horse rider, he had an offer to go to an elite riding school in Europe. He chose science.
67 - CLIVE BERGHOFER, PHILANTHROPIST
One of the state’s most generous philanthropists, his name is prominent above the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute adjacent to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.
He overcame an impoverished childhood and dyslexia to become a successful land developer. Once top dog in Toowoomba, serving as a councillor or mayor for almost two decades in the 1980s and ’90s and a state MP for four years, his influence now lies in giving, rather than making, money.
His total donations are now close to $100 million, including the single biggest charitable gift ever in Queensland – the $50.1 million he gave to QIMR in 2013.
His willingness to be public in his giving, and to work with people such as American Chuck Feeney who has donated $500 million here, has done much to inspire other wealthy Australians and encourage a stronger culture of philanthropy.
66 - DON O’RORKE, DEVELOPER
A founder of the Consolidated Properties Group, Don O’Rorke has been a stalwart of the state’s development industry for more than three decades.
The company currently has more than $2 billion of projects in the pipeline.
They include the $850 million Yeerongpilly Green urban village of 1200 apartments, shops and dining being developed on Brisbane’s southside over a decade; Cornerstone Living, a $600 million masterplanned community of apartments and townhouses in Coopers Plains; and the 40-storey Spire apartment block in Queen St.
A former Property Council state president, he also has been a director of Brisbane Marketing and the Wesley Research Institute.
He sits on the Reserve Bank’s Small Business Finance Advisory Panel and, a keen surfer, was on the board of Surfing Australia for 12 years.
Consolidated has regularly donated to both sides of politics over the years, contributing $104,000 in 2016 and 2017.
65 - GARY SPENCE, LNP STATE PRESIDENT
One of the state’s most powerful conservative figures, Gary Spence was instrumental in the 2008 merger of the Liberal and National parties to become the LNP.
He was the party’s inaugural vice-president before succeeding Bruce McIver to become president in November 2015 and also sits on the federal management committee of the National Party of Australia and the federal executive of the Liberal Party of Australia.
He has a background in the development industry and was a former Urban Development Institute of Australia director. He has threatened to challenge Labor’s developer donation ban in court.
64 - PAUL DE JERSEY, GOVERNOR
On paper, he is the most powerful person in the state, but Paul de Jersey’s influence is more theoretical than actual.
As the Queen’s representative, the 69-year-old has the power to sack the government of the day if he is convinced it has lost the support of the Parliament to ensure the supply of funds to continue to run the state – as Governor-General Sir John Kerr did to the Whitlam federal government in 1975.
In practice, the 26th Governor of Queensland appoints ministers and summons and dissolves Parliament on the advice of the Premier, and gives Royal Assent to bills passed by Parliament. Many of his duties are ceremonial.
The Governor does have the power to grant a pardon or commute a sentence passed by courts.
Formerly Chief Justice for 16 years, he has a legal mind second to none and his opinion and advice is undoubtedly sought on a range of issues.
63 - IAN O’CONNOR, ACADEMIC
The vice-chancellor of Griffith University and chairman of the Queensland Art Gallery board of trustees has a broad brush stroke of influence across arts and education.
A believer in the power of culture to support innovation and new business, Professor O’Connor AC, has driven Griffith University’s planned hub for innovative, digitally-enabled design, a place where art meets science and health.
Since his 2005 appointment to the top job at Queensland’s third largest university, with more than 50,000 students at Brisbane, Gold Coast and Logan campuses, he has increased the institution’s influence in the Asia-Pacific region and brought in many leading researchers.
Prof O’Connor is a board member of Open Universities Australia, Trade and Investment Queensland, and the Foundation for Australian Studies in China.
He is also a member of the Legacy Advisory Committee for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
62 - PHILLIP ASPINALL, CHURCH LEADER
Responsible for leading southeast Queensland’s second largest religious group, the Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane is also a driver of money-making ventures for the sprawling diocese.
He oversees 507 clergy in more than 130 parishes, and 20 schools, from Bundaberg to Coolangatta and west to the borders of South Australia and the Northern Territory.
From 2014 to 2017, he worked closely with Dean Peter Catt on raising funds for the extensive $7.5 million restoration of St John’s Cathedral after it was severely damaged by a storm.
The former Tasmanian teacher has also initiated schemes including allowing churchgoers to leave their estates to the diocese by encouraging them to create favourable wills.
Since his appointment in 2002, the married father-of-two has never been far from the public spotlight.
Recently managing the church’s role in the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, he has openly criticised Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers.
61 - WALTER SOFRONOFF, COURT OF APPEAL
For decades Walter Sofronoff was the go-to barrister for just about everyone with enough cash to get him in Queensland.
The Ferrari-driving Queen’s Counsel became the second-ranked judge in Queensland last year when he replaced Margaret McMurdo as the president of the Court of Appeal.
But his influence and experience in some of the state’s top jobs makes him arguably more powerful than Chief Justice Catherine Holmes.
The son of Russian immigrants, President Sofronoff was Queensland’s solicitor-general for almost a decade before he quit amid tensions between the judiciary and the then-Newman government.
When Walter Sofronoff does things, people take notice – and he had drawn a line in the sand.
He went on to head the inquiry into the Grantham floods and spearheaded the successful bid to reinstate Gerard Baden-Clay’s murder conviction – unusually being briefed ahead of his successor as solicitor-general, Peter Dunning QC, and reportedly charging just $327 plus GST.
It was well short of the almost $20,000 he would usually command.
It is understood President Sofronoff was a preferred candidate for a judicial role for years, but it wasn’t until last year that he decided the time was right, telling The Courier-Mail it was “the one remaining thing that I haven’t done”.
60 - JIM SOORLEY, CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBER
IF you’re reading this sitting outside a cafe, you can thank Jim Soorley for introducing outdoor dining – and the urban renewal of inner-city suburbs.
Fifteen years since he exited City Hall after 12 years as lord mayor, his legacy remains strong, as does his influence.
The forthright former Catholic priest, 67, is not shy of getting in the ears of today’s decision-makers and his informal networks are expansive. He played a behind-the-scenes role in Logan Mayor Luke Smith’s election campaign.
Mr Soorley has been an active lobbyist, largely for the development industry, but had to forego that to take up a position as non-executive chairman of the government-owned electricity generator CS Energy. He also chairs Unitywater and last year joined the board of miner TerraCom.
Appointed by the Palaszczuk Government to review the 2016 local government elections, Mr Soorley’s report slammed the Electoral Commission of Queensland as a “secretive, authoritarian organisation’’ with a “cavalier culture’’.
59 - IAN MACFARLANE, RESOURCES COUNCIL
Known as Macca or Chainsaw, Ian Macfarlane casts a long shadow over the resources sector.
A straight talker, former farmer and head of the Queensland Grains Council and later the Farmers’ Federation, Macfarlane entered politics in the seat of Groome in 1998 and was a well-regarded minister in the Howard and Abbott governments.
He retired after a controversial plan to switch from the Liberals to the Nationals, in a bid to retain his Cabinet position, failed.
He now heads up the Queensland Resources Council where he is the voice of the resources sector.
He is also a director of Woodside Petroleum, one of Australia’s major oil and gas producers.
58 - CAMERON MILNER, COMPANY DIRECTOR
The long-time Labor warrior is a director of Next Level Strategic Services, a business he holds with former LNP chief of staff David Moore.
Milner has been credited as being one of the most successful strategists for the Labor Party. He was Labor’s state secretary when Peter Beattie unleashed political dominance in Queensland and was chief of staff to Bill Shorten, who lost the federal election in 2016 by a whisker.
At the past state election campaign, he helped steer Annastacia Palaszczuk to victory.
Milner’s political and business reach enables him to open doors to political offices across the country. Once considered a potential candidate to replace MP for Lilley Wayne Swan, Milner has now successfully expanded his policy and business interests across the country.
57 - TRACEY VIEIRA, FILM/TELEVISION
Hollywood sensations Sir Anthony Hopkins, Chris Hemsworth and Cate Blanchett have all called Queensland home for a time thanks largely to the efforts of the Screen Queensland CEO.
The filming of Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok on local soil is but one of her achievements.
She has attracted a total of $1.5 billion in production investment to Queensland.
Think Warner Bros’ Aquaman, Legendary Entertainment’s Kong: Skull Island and Pacific Rim 2, Sony Columbia’s The Shallows and Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
She was a leader in the successful lobby to lift the location tax offset to help lure more overseas productions here and has helped restored Queensland as an industry powerhouse.
Ms Vieira has secured the first fully funded features program with subscription video on demand company Stan, the first Netflix original series for Australia, and a business building program called Enterprise Queensland.
Screen Queensland’s first Strategic Plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the screen industry is also her initiative, and she is an integral player in the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, held in Brisbane, and the rebirth of the Brisbane International Film Festival.
56 - CAMPBELL NEWMAN, FORMER PREMIER
Despite not running, Campbell Newman played a pivotal role in deciding the outcome of last November’s State Election.
His previous reign as Queensland’s most divisive – some would argue decisive — premier since Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen cast a long shadow over the campaign.
Labor’s success in exploiting the memory of LNP leader Tim Nicholls’ time as Mr Newman’s treasurer ensured his attempts to recast himself as a man freed by self-reflection from the shackles of recent history were doomed to failure, consigning the conservative side of politics to at least another three years in Opposition.
In true Newman fashion, the former premier declared that the LNP’s defeat was down to its failure to fully promote the achievements of his era in power.
He retains a platform as a political commentator on Sky News, and has gone head-to-head with new LNP leader Deb Frecklington, accusing her of not heeding advice from disenchanted party supporters – earning himself a demand from LNP HQ to resign from the party. He branded her recent call for a toll roads inquiry “populist, retrograde nonsense”.
Under Mr Newman, the LNP went from a landslide victory to a decimating defeat in just one term of government from 2012 to 2015. But his volcanic stint in state politics tends to somewhat overshadow his earlier performance as one of Brisbane’s most dynamic and successful lord mayors.
Revelling in the nickname “Can-do Campbell”, the former Australian Army major took the city’s looming infrastructure crisis by the scruff of the neck and set about realising the TransApex vision for today’s network of toll roads, tunnels and bridges.
Tomorrow: Queensland’s Power 100 - list 55-41
Who makes your Queensland most powerful list? COMMENT BELOW
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