Bio

Member’s Biography

Member’s Name:           Jarrod Bleijie

Electorate:                      Kawana

Biography

Jarrod Bleijie was first elected in March 2009 at 26 years of age to the Queensland State Parliament as the Member for Kawana, re-elected in March 2012 and again in January 2015, December 2017 and October 2020. In addition to serving as a local member, he has served in the roles of Shadow Attorney General and Shadow Minister for Justice, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice; Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services and Corrections; Shadow Minister for Employment, Industrial Relations, Skills and Training and Shadow Minister for Fair Trading; Shadow Minister for Education, Industrial Relations and Manager of Opposition Business; Shadow Minister for Finance and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Manager of Opposition Business and is currently the Deputy Leader of the Opposition; Shadow Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Shadow Minister for Olympic and Paralympic Infrastructure and Jobs and Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations.

In Government, Jarrod led reforms with respect to red tape reduction in the small business, property and consumer sector, as Minister responsible for Fair Trading.

He is best known locally for championing with his community for the construction of Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

More broadly, Jarrod is known for designing and introducing as Attorney General and Minister for Justice, what some commentators and community leaders described at the time, as the strongest laws in the country – commonly referred to as VLAD laws – to deal with the threat of criminal motorcycle gangs.

Jarrod’s family has a small business background where Jarrod learnt the lessons that ‘you get out of life what you put into it’, and ‘nothing is easy and hard work pays off’.

Prior to being elected to Parliament, Jarrod studied law through the Queensland University of Technology and worked as a lawyer on the Sunshine Coast, mainly in the areas of business, corporate, and property law.

Jarrod’s love for his community lead to him becoming a Justice of the Peace (Qualified) when he was 18 years old. This love of community continues to this day and has Jarrod involved in a large number of Sunshine Coast organisations including Rotary, Lions, Kawana Soccer Club, Kawana Waters Surf Lifesaving Club, Amputee Support Association Sunshine Coast Inc and the Caloundra Chorale and Theatre Company.

Jarrod lives in the Kawana Electorate with his wife Sally and their three children, Taylor, Madison and Jasper.

Jarrod is keen to ensure that all his electorate is economically prosperous, jobs are created, and opportunities are presented.  Simply, Jarrod wants people to be able to live, learn and earn on the Sunshine Coast.

When Jarrod is not working it is likely you will find him just off shore of one of our wonderful beaches, fishing in his boat.