Warren Pitt
Honorific prefixThe Honourable
Honorific suffixAM
OfficeMinister for Main Roads
Term start13 September 2007
Term end25 March 2009
PremierAnna Bligh
PredecessorPaul Lucas
SuccessorCraig Wallace
Office 1Minister for Local Government
Term start 113 September 2007
Term end 125 March 2009
Premier 1Anna Bligh
Predecessor 1Andrew Fraser
Successor 1Desley Boyle
Office 4Minister for Communities and Disability Services
Term start 412 February 2004
Term end 413 September 2007
Premier 4Peter Beattie
Predecessor 4Position Created
Successor 4Lindy Nelson-Carr
Office 6Minister for Business, Industry and Regional Development
Term start 623 February 1995
Term end 631 July 1995
Premier 6Wayne Goss
Predecessor 6Jim Elder
Successor 6Ken Hayward
Office 7Queensland Government Chief Whip
Term start 71 October 1992
Term end 722 February 1995
Premier 7Wayne Goss
Predecessor 7Bill Prest
Successor 7Don Livingstone
Constituency am 8Mulgrave
Assembly 8Queensland Legislative
Term start 85 December 1998
Term end 820 March 2009
Predecessor 8Charles Rappolt
Successor 8Curtis Pitt
Term start 92 December 1989
Term end 915 July 1995
Predecessor 9Max Menzel
Successor 9Naomi Wilson
Birth date14 March 1948
Birth placeCairns, Queensland, Australia
Death date7 February 2025 (aged 76)
Death placeGordonvale, Queensland, Australia
Birth nameWarren Pitt
PartyLabor
SpouseLinda Pitt
OccupationTeacher

Warren Pitt (14 March 1948 – 7 February 2025) was an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1989 to 1995 and 1998 to 2009.[1]

Background

Born in Cairns, Pitt was a school teacher before entering politics. He underwent national service and was an army reservist from 1969 to 1975 and was active in the local community, being recognised as Mulgrave Shire Citizen of the Year in 1983.

Pitt died on 7 February 2025, at the age of 76.[2]

Political career

Pitt was elected to state parliament as the member for Mulgrave at the 1989 state election[1] defeating sitting National Party MP Max Menzel. Pitt was himself defeated two terms later at the 1995 state election by the Nationals' Naomi Wilson. Pitt sought a rematch at the 1998 state election, but leakage of Coalition preferences allowed Charles Rappolt of One Nation to defeat Pitt.

Rappolt resigned only four months into his term, and Pitt narrowly defeated Wilson in the resulting by-election,[1] providing Labor Premier Peter Beattie with a majority in his own right (previously Beattie's government had to rely on the support of independent MP Peter Wellington).

Fortuitously, Pitt served all his time in parliament as a member of the majority party. Consequently, he served in a number of government roles. In the government of Wayne Goss, Pitt served as Deputy Government Whip from March to October 1992, Government Whip from October 1992 to February 1995, and Minister for Business, Industry and Regional Development from February to July 1995.[1]

In the government of Peter Beattie, Pitt served as Chair of the Scrutiny of Legislation Committee from May 2001 to January 2004 until he became Minister for Communities and Disability Services in February 2004. He retained the portfolio for years to come, and to his responsibilities were added: Seniors in April 2004, Youth in September 2006, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships in January 2007. That gave Pitt the unusually long title of "Minister for Communities, Disability Services, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Seniors and Youth", which he retained until Beattie's retirement in September 2007.[1]

In the government of Anna Bligh, Pitt served as Minister for Main Roads and Local Government from September 2007 until his retirement in February 2009.[1]

Upon his retirement, Pitt's son Curtis was preselected as the Labor candidate in the district of Mulgrave. Curtis Pitt successfully retained the seat for the Labor Party at the 2009 state election, holding the seat until his retirement from politics in 2024.

References

  1. ^ "Former Members". Parliament of Queensland. 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Former Queensland Labor MP Warren Pitt dies". ABC News. 2025-02-07. Retrieved 2025-02-07.