Rosa Lee Long
Encyclopedia
Rosa Theresa Lee Long is a former member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
representing the electorate Tablelands
in Northern Queensland
, Australia
for the One Nation Party. Lee Long served three consecutive terms in office between 2001 and 2009, making her One Nation's longest serving politician.
Prior to the 2009 Queensland state election
, the electorate of Tablelands was abolished and the Electoral district of Dalrymple
was introduced.
Lee Long contested the new electorate but lost to Liberal National candidate Shane Knuth
.
, and has three daughters. Lee Long is a widow, her late husband was of Chinese descent
, a fact that has aroused considerable interest given the One Nation Party's strong anti-immigration stance.
in 2001 to represent the seat of Tablelands
. Tablelands had before 1998 been a safe seat for the National Party
, but fell at the 1998 election to Shaun Nelson
of the One Nation Party. Lee Long was a campaign worker for Nelson during this election. Nelson subsequently left the party in 1999 amid internal tensions, and recontested the seat at the 2001 election as an independent, losing out to Lee Long. By this point, support for the One Nation party had sharply declined from the party's high point, and Lee Long was one of only three One Nation MPs in the Legislative Assembly.
In her inaugural address to parliament, Lee Long attacked globalisation and the Government's policy of privatisation, blaming them for a decline in the agricultural and mining industries in her electorate.
She has been a member of the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee since 11 October 2006, and a member of the Estimates Committee in both 2006 and 2008. She has also previously served on the Members' Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee from 18 March 2004 to 15 August 2006, the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee (3 May 2001 – 13 January 2004), and the Select Committee on Travelsafe (2 May 2001 to 13 January 2004).
's departure to form a new party, Pauline's United Australia Party
, Lee Long in a television interview leading up to that election, stated that she still agreed with Hanson's policies, saying "Pauline Hanson was right back then, she's right now, and we have to continue the fight".
Queensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
representing the electorate Tablelands
Electoral district of Tablelands
Tablelands was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.Prior to its abolition, it encompassed towns on the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns, including Mareeba, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Chillagoe and Mount Molloy. The seat was won by the One Nation Party...
in Northern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
for the One Nation Party. Lee Long served three consecutive terms in office between 2001 and 2009, making her One Nation's longest serving politician.
Prior to the 2009 Queensland state election
Queensland state election, 2009
The Queensland state election was held to elect members to the unicameral Parliament of Queensland on 21 March 2009. The election saw the incumbent Labor government led by Premier Anna Bligh defeat the Liberal National Party of Queensland led by Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg, and gain a...
, the electorate of Tablelands was abolished and the Electoral district of Dalrymple
Electoral district of Dalrymple
The district of Dalrymple is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.-Geography:Based in inland northern Queensland, Dalrymple is a north–south elongated electorate, running from the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns at its northern end, down to areas...
was introduced.
Lee Long contested the new electorate but lost to Liberal National candidate Shane Knuth
Shane Knuth
Shane Andrew Knuth is an Australian politician. He has represented the seats of Charters Towers and Dalrymple in the Queensland Legislative Assembly, for the National Party , the Liberal National Party and Katter's Australian Party .Knuth was born in the Queensland town of Tully...
.
Personal
Lee Long was born in Atherton, QueenslandAtherton, Queensland
Atherton is a town on the Atherton Tablelands of Far North Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Atherton had a population of 7,068.-Roads:...
, and has three daughters. Lee Long is a widow, her late husband was of Chinese descent
Chinese Australian
Chinese Australian is an Australian of Chinese heritage. In the 2006 Australian Census, 669,890 Australian residents identified themselves as having Chinese ancestry, either alone or with another ancestry....
, a fact that has aroused considerable interest given the One Nation Party's strong anti-immigration stance.
Before Parliament
Before entering parliament, Lee Long worked as a grazier, a public servant, and owned a small business.Parliamentary career
Lee Long was elected to the Queensland Legislative AssemblyQueensland Legislative Assembly
The Queensland Legislative Assembly is the unicameral chamber of the Parliament of Queensland. Elections are held approximately once every three years. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting form of the Alternative Vote system...
in 2001 to represent the seat of Tablelands
Electoral district of Tablelands
Tablelands was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.Prior to its abolition, it encompassed towns on the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns, including Mareeba, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Chillagoe and Mount Molloy. The seat was won by the One Nation Party...
. Tablelands had before 1998 been a safe seat for the National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
, but fell at the 1998 election to Shaun Nelson
Shaun Nelson
Shaun Nelson is an Australian politician. He was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2001, representing the electorate of Tablelands. He was elected as one of 11 MPs of the One Nation Party at the 1998 state election, before resigning from the party to sit as an...
of the One Nation Party. Lee Long was a campaign worker for Nelson during this election. Nelson subsequently left the party in 1999 amid internal tensions, and recontested the seat at the 2001 election as an independent, losing out to Lee Long. By this point, support for the One Nation party had sharply declined from the party's high point, and Lee Long was one of only three One Nation MPs in the Legislative Assembly.
In her inaugural address to parliament, Lee Long attacked globalisation and the Government's policy of privatisation, blaming them for a decline in the agricultural and mining industries in her electorate.
She has been a member of the Legal, Constitutional and Administrative Review Committee since 11 October 2006, and a member of the Estimates Committee in both 2006 and 2008. She has also previously served on the Members' Ethics and Parliamentary Privileges Committee from 18 March 2004 to 15 August 2006, the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee (3 May 2001 – 13 January 2004), and the Select Committee on Travelsafe (2 May 2001 to 13 January 2004).
Political views
Despite the disintegration of the One Nation Party and Pauline HansonPauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
's departure to form a new party, Pauline's United Australia Party
Pauline's United Australia Party
Pauline's United Australia Party was an Australian political party launched by former One Nation founder Pauline Hanson on 24 May 2007 and registered by the Australian Electoral Commission on 20 September 2007....
, Lee Long in a television interview leading up to that election, stated that she still agreed with Hanson's policies, saying "Pauline Hanson was right back then, she's right now, and we have to continue the fight".
Elections contested
| Date of election | Constituency | Party | Result | Primary % | 2PP % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Tablelands Electoral district of Tablelands Tablelands was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.Prior to its abolition, it encompassed towns on the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns, including Mareeba, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Chillagoe and Mount Molloy. The seat was won by the One Nation Party... |
ONP One Nation Party One Nation is a far-right and nationalist political party in Australia. It gained 22% of the vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election and made major inroads into the vote of the existing parties... |
Elected | 47 | |
| 2004 | Tablelands Electoral district of Tablelands Tablelands was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.Prior to its abolition, it encompassed towns on the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns, including Mareeba, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Chillagoe and Mount Molloy. The seat was won by the One Nation Party... |
ONP | Elected | 46.96 | 65 |
| 2006 | Tablelands Electoral district of Tablelands Tablelands was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.Prior to its abolition, it encompassed towns on the Atherton Tablelands west of Cairns, including Mareeba, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Chillagoe and Mount Molloy. The seat was won by the One Nation Party... |
ONP | Elected | 50.06 | 69.5 |
| 2009 Queensland state election, 2009 The Queensland state election was held to elect members to the unicameral Parliament of Queensland on 21 March 2009. The election saw the incumbent Labor government led by Premier Anna Bligh defeat the Liberal National Party of Queensland led by Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg, and gain a... |
Dalrymple Electoral district of Dalrymple The district of Dalrymple is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Queensland.-Geography:Based in inland northern Queensland, Dalrymple is a north–south elongated electorate, running from the Atherton Tableland west of Cairns at its northern end, down to areas... |
ONP One Nation Party One Nation is a far-right and nationalist political party in Australia. It gained 22% of the vote translating to 11 of 89 seats in Queensland's unicameral legislative assembly at the 1998 state election and made major inroads into the vote of the existing parties... |
Defeated | 32 |