Ken O'Dowd | |
|---|---|
 O'Dowd in 2019 | |
| Member of theAustralian Parliament forFlynn | |
| In office 21 August 2010 – 11 April 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Trevor |
| Succeeded by | Colin Boyce |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kenneth Desmond O'Dowd (1950-06-30)30 June 1950 (age 75) Gladstone, Queensland, Australia |
| Party | Liberal National Party (Nationals) |
| Domestic partner | Shirley Watts |
| Children | 2 |
Kenneth Desmond O'Dowd (born 30 June 1950) is an Australian former politician. He was a member of theHouse of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, representing theDivision of Flynn for theNational Party.
O'Dowd was born inGladstone, Queensland. He grew up on his parents' farm inBracewell,Mount Larcom.[1] O'Dowd was educated at Bracewell State School, Mount Larcom High School andRockhampton Grammar School. While still at school O'Dowd worked on his parents' farm, neighbours' farms, as a contract milker, on the railways as a fettler, on flying gangs, and on the construction of railway lines.[2]
O'Dowd has two children and four grandchildren.[1]
O'Dowd became a payroll clerk at Queensland Aluminium Limited (QAL) Gladstone. From 1970 to 1978 he worked on the construction of theBougainville Copper Mine in New Guinea. In 1978, he worked at the Gladstone seaport terminal within the fuel industry, until establishing his ownMobil fuel distributorship inEmerald in 1981, which he sold in 1988. He became partner of a Shell distributorship in 1988, which was sold ten years later. In 1998, O'Dowd bought and renovated a Rockhampton pub, renaming it O'Dowd's Irish Pub, which he sold in 2004. From 1998, onwards he operated Busteed Building Supplies.[2][3]
O'Dowd contested the Division of Flynn for the Liberal National Party at the 2010 Federal election and won the seat fromLabor's one term incumbentChris Trevor.[4] He continued to hold the seat in the2013,2016 and2019 federal elections.
O'Dowd supports building HELE coal fired power stations, inland rail (such as the controversialToowoomba Wellcamp Airport to Gladstone link),[5] and opening up more agricultural land.[6][7]
In November 2020, O'Dowd announced he would not contest the next election.
O'Dowd is a member of Parliamentary Friends of Palestine. He has stated on several occasions thatIsrael is perpetrating a form of apartheid upon Palestinians.[8]
O'Dowd has disputed thescientific consensus on climate change, denying thatclimate change is caused by humanity.[9]
| Parliament of Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member forFlynn 2010–2022 | Succeeded by |
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