BIOGRAPHY

Paul Scarr brings to the Senate his experience of 25 years in the private sector, including working as a senior executive in the mining industry. He currently serves as Deputy Opposition Whip and as Chair of the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee.

Paul was born in Sydney in 1969 and moved to Queensland with his family at the age of 7. The Scarr family joined the many people who came to Queensland from interstate, looking for the opportunities provided by a government that supported development.

After completing high school at Ipswich Grammar School, he enrolled at the University of Queensland, and in 1992, graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws (Honours). In 2007, Paul completed a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance. He is now a fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia. 

Following his time at UQ, Paul went on to have a successful career as a Senior Associate in two of Brisbane’s premier law firms: Allens Arthur Robertson (now Allens) and King & Wood Mallesons. This period of his professional life included two years working in Papua New Guinea, which provided him with a unique appreciation of the country as Australia’s closest neighbour and a keen interest in furthering Australia’s relationship with the Pacific.

After being approached to take on the role of Company Secretary and General Counsel at PanAust Limited, Paul joined the Brisbane-based mining company.  PanAust went on to become one of the top 100 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange with annual revenue in excess of $1 Billion.

He formed part of the leadership team that built two mines in South East Asia, navigated the Global Financial Crisis and negotiated with some of Australia’s most significant trading partners, including government and private sector stakeholders in Laos, Myanmar, Chile, PNG, Thailand, South Korea, India, Japan and China. Performing in this role for 12 years, Paul experienced first-hand the impact government can have on business and its ability to create jobs and provide opportunity for people.

Throughout his working life, Paul has maintained a strong commitment to community service, being an active contributor to the Sherwood Community Festival Association Inc., supporting the activities of the local Rwandan community (including the annual commemoration of the Rwandan genocide), as well as providing assistance to participants in organisations such as Down Syndrome Swimming Australia. After becoming a lawyer, Paul was also active in providing free legal advice in community legal centres. In PNG, Paul volunteered his time to assist students in their legal studies.

From the age of 17, when Paul first joined the Indooroopilly Branch of the Queensland Young Liberals, he has had a keen interest and an active involvement in Australian political life. As a member of the Liberal National Party for over 30 years, he strongly believes in and shares its timeless values of free enterprise, smaller government, the importance of the family as the fundamental building block of society, and the freedoms of conscience, religion, expression and association. Paul believes in a society which provides opportunity for all and support for those in need.

Paul and his wife, Louise, were married in 2012 and live in Brisbane, together with their two rescue greyhounds. In his spare time he enjoys indulging his passion for history.

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“My family raised me with the values that are part of my character today: respect for others, personal integrity, a belief in hard work as well as in the importance of the great Australian sense of humour. Those are the values I take to Canberra as your Senator.”
 
 

Parliamentary Committee Memberships

  • Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee (Chair)

  • Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee (Deputy Chair)

  • Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation

  • Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

  • Senate Standing Committee for the Selection of Bills

  • Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services

Testimonials

New Gallery

“Paul is a man of conviction. He is a man of real values. His virtues include real intellect and the ability to clearly articulate well-considered and persuasive arguments. He has never shirked hard work. I know he will make a huge contribution to the Senate on behalf of Queensland and for the benefit of the whole of Australia.”

- Neal O’Connor, Lawyer and Company Director

“We need people in Parliament with common sense. People who are committed to the community - just like Paul Scarr. We need people in Parliament who see people as individuals and who will stand up for our rights. I know Paul Scarr and he will do just that.”

- Viv Rogers, former President of the Sherwood Community Festival Association Inc.

“In my capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of PanAust Limited, I have worked very closely with Paul Scarr over a period of 7 years, including through the Global Financial Crisis. One of the reasons the Board trusted Paul was because of his great integrity. He would always put the interests of others ahead of himself. I have been in many challenging situations in my career; I can think of no one better than Paul Scarr to have on my side.”

- Garry Hounsell, Chairman of Myer Holdings Limited, previous Chairman of PanAust Limited

“Paul’s counsel is always well reasoned, carefully considered and communicated in a manner that is simultaneously both articulate and entertaining. It always comes carefully blended from the head and the heart with the just right balance of conviction, passion and objectivity. His values are such that he is always a willing supporter of others in need of assistance.”

- Fred Hess, Managing Director of PanAust Limited

“From the first moment I worked with Paul, he impressed me with his outstanding professionalism, his integrity and the great care he put into everything he did. Paul is reliable. You can count on him always. You know he will do what he says he will do.”

- Francisco Tomic, co-founder and first President of the Mining Council of Chile

“Paul has the ability to cut through the minutia to identify the crux of an issue and resolve it. He carries a broad experience in not only legal expertise but cultural and social awareness that is important in doing business anywhere in the world today. I cannot recommend him more highly as not only a legal practitioner and corporate executive, but as a person also.”

- Steve Patrick, Partner Dentons Lawyers, Port Moresby