Aidan McLindon
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Beaudesert
In office 21 March 2009 – 24 March 2012
Preceded by	Kev Lingard
Succeeded by	Jon Krause
Leader of The Queensland Party
In office 5 August 2010 – 9 August 2011
Deputy	Peter Pyke
Preceded by	Party established
Succeeded by	Party merged
Leader of Katter's Australian Party in Queensland
In office 9 August 2011 – 26 April 2012
Leader	Bob Katter
Preceded by	Party established
Succeeded by	Robbie Katter
Deputy Leader of the Freedom Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 29 September 2022
Leader	Morgan Jonas
Preceded by	Party established
Personal details
Born	Aidan Patrick McLindon (1980-02-26) 26 February 1980 Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Political party	Freedom (since 2022)
Other political affiliations	Liberal (until 2004) National (2004–2008) Liberal National (2008–2010) Queensland Party (2010–2012) Katter's Australian (2012–2013) Family First (2013) Federation (2021)
Residence(s)	Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia
Education	Springwood State High School
Alma mater	Griffith University

Aidan Patrick McLindon (born 26 February 1980) is an Australian politician. He was first elected for the seat of Beaudesert to the Queensland State Parliament for the Liberal National Party at the 2009 state election. He resigned from that party to become an independent in May 2010, and in June 2010 he established The Queensland Party, which he merged with Katter's Australian Party in August 2011. He lost his seat to the LNP at the 2012 election.^[1][2] Bob Katter appointed McLindon as National Director for the newly created Katter's Australian Party. 18 months later McLindon resigned to spend more time with his family.^[3][4] McLindon established an independent political consultancy, AMac Consultants Pty Ltd, following the 2013 federal election.

Early life and background

McLindon was born in Darwin, Northern Territory, and was a bar attendant and musician before entering politics. He attended school at Springwood State High School where he was elected a prefect.

McLindon gained some publicity in the media for his musical interests, especially his involvement in the alternative rock band KiLLTV. In 2005, he was fined $250 on a public nuisance charge after jumping on the set of the Big Brother season 5 finale as Gretel Killeen prepared to announce the winner.^[5][6][7]

His military service included roles as an infantry soldier and driver 1997–2002 in the Australian Army.

McLindon cites an early interest in politics at the age of 15 from work experience at Queensland Parliament House in 1995. He later went on to complete a degree in Government and Politics, majoring in Public Policy, at Griffith University.^[8] McLindon acknowledged a number of academics and political scientists from the university in his inaugural speech to Queensland Parliament.^[9]

Political career

In 1998 McLindon was preselected by the Liberal Party to run for the state seat of Waterford as Australia's youngest politically endorsed candidate at the age of 17 years, where he claims to have doorknocked 17,500 homes.^[10] McLindon came third of three candidates, with 24.5% of the vote.^[11]

McLindon served as a Logan City councillor 2004–2009, including as Chair of the Environment and Sustainability portfolio. In 2009 he was preselected to succeed Kev Lingard as the Liberal National Party candidate for Beaudesert.^[12]

McLindon successfully defended the seat at the 2009 Queensland state election for the LNP against former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson who contested the seat as an independent.

In early 2010, McLindon attracted significant media attention by unsuccessfully challenging Liberal National Party of Queensland (LNP), Lawrence Springborg, for his position in the party at a parliamentary meeting of the LNP.^[13]

In May 2010, McLindon and Burnett MP Rob Messenger, who had seconded McLindon's nomination as deputy leader, resigned from the LNP to sit as Independents, claiming that the party had become victim to "flawed political process".^[14] McLindon said that the LNP needed to “wake up a bit and start being relevant".^[15]

In June 2010, McLindon announced the formation of a new party, The Queensland Party, based on "moderate" ideals. McLindon stated that the party would run in all Queensland seats at the next state election, with the exception of the five seats held by Independent MPs.^[16]

In August 2011, McLindon announced the merger of The Queensland Party with Katter's Australian Party. Some members of The Queensland Party opposed the merger but an Electoral Commission of Queensland investigation found that they did not have the required numbers to maintain the separate registration of the party and it was removed from the register of political parties in December 2011.^[17] Most Queensland Party candidates were endorsed by Katter's Australian Party.^[18] As part of the deal, McLindon became the merged party's Queensland state leader.

McLindon has advocated the removal of poker machines from towns and cities around Queensland to be moved into a new "AusVegas" in the Cairns region.^[19] He has also been a vocal advocate for the restoration of the Upper House in Queensland.^[20]

McLindon had no political party affiliations from 2013 until 2021, when he joined the Australian Federation Party.^[21] On 4 July 2022, he announced his candidacy on behalf of the right-wing Freedom Party for the seat of Mulgrave in Victoria to contest against Daniel Andrews in the state elections. McLindon was unsuccessful, receiving 2.2% of the vote, and failing to unseat the Premier.^[22][23] On 6 September 2023, it was reported that McLindon was attempting to join the Victorian Liberal Party for the second time. This would require a majority of the state assembly to approve.^[24]

References