Bill Byrne (politician)

Bill Byrne
Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries
In office 11 November 2016 – 7 October 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Leanne Donaldson
Succeeded by	Anthony Lynham
In office 16 February 2015 – 7 December 2015
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	John McVeigh
Succeeded by	Leanne Donaldson
Minister for Rural Economic Development
In office 11 November 2016 – 7 October 2017
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	New ministry
Succeeded by	Anthony Lynham
Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Minister for Corrective Services
In office 7 December 2015 – 11 November 2016
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Jo-Ann Miller
Succeeded by	Mark Ryan
Minister for Sport and Racing
In office 16 February 2015 – 7 December 2015
Premier	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Steve Dickson
Succeeded by	Curtis Pitt (Sport) Grace Grace (Racing)
Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation
In office 4 March 2014 – 14 February 2015
Leader	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Curtis Pitt
Succeeded by	Jann Stuckey
Shadow Minister for Police, Corrective Services and Emergency Services Shadow Minister for Construction and Public Works Shadow Minister for National Parks
In office 19 April 2012 – 14 February 2015
Leader	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	John-Paul Langbroek (Police) Ros Bates (Building Industry)
Succeeded by	Jarrod Bleijie (Police) Rob Molhoek (Public Works) Stephen Bennett (National Parks)
Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection
In office 19 April 2012 – 10 May 2012
Leader	Annastacia Palaszczuk
Preceded by	Andrew Powell
Succeeded by	Jackie Trad
Member of the Queensland Parliament for Rockhampton
In office 24 March 2012 – 25 November 2017
Preceded by	Robert Schwarten
Succeeded by	Barry O'Rourke
Personal details
Born	William Stephen Byrne (1958-04-19) 19 April 1958 Bundaberg, Queensland
Political party	Labor
Website	billbyrne.com.au
Military service
Allegiance	Australia
Branch/service	Australian Army (1980–1999) Australian Army Reserve (2000–present)
Years of service	1980–present
Rank	Lieutenant colonel
Unit	3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment

William Stephen Byrne (born 19 April 1958) is an Australian Labor politician who was elected to represent Rockhampton in the Legislative Assembly of Queensland at the 2012 state election. He served until his retirement due to ill health in 2017.

His party was heavily defeated at the 2012 election and Byrne was one of seven ALP members of the Legislative Assembly returned at that election.

Of the seven ALP members returned at the general election, Byrne was the only one new to the Legislative Assembly although Jackie Trad was soon elected in South Brisbane replacing former Premier Anna Bligh who resigned immediately after the election defeat.

After Labor's victory in the 2015 Queensland state election, he was sworn in as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Sport and Racing in the Palaszczuk Ministry on 16 February 2015.

In December 2015, Byrne's portfolio in the Palaszczuk Ministry changed when he became the new Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services and the new Minister for Corrective Services. He regained the Agriculture and Fisheries portfolio and was given the new ministry of Regional Economic Development in a November 2016 reshuffle.

In February 2016, the state opposition called for an investigation into Byrne under firearms laws after he admitted to using a rifle to shoot rats at his home twenty years earlier.

On 7 October 2017, Byrne announced that he had resigned from the Queensland Cabinet as Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Economic Development, and that he would not be contesting the next election. He cited a serious and "life threatening" health issue as the reason for his retirement.