The Hon. Warren Truss MP has been the Federal Member for Wide Bay for 26 years and recently retired as Deputy Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development.
He became Leader of the Nationals in 2007 and at the time of his retirement was the longest serving federal leader of any political party in Australia.
A third generation farmer from the Kumbia district near Kingaroy in Queensland, Mr Truss first won the federal seat of Wide Bay in 1990.
He was a Minister in the Howard Government for 10 years, serving as Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs in October 1997, and a year later, Minister for Community Services. In July 1999 Mr Truss became the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, where he served for six years. He became Minister for Transport and Regional Services in July 2005 and, in September 2006, was appointed Minister for Trade. On the election of the Abbott Government he returned to the portfolio of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
Before entering Parliament, Mr Truss was a Kingaroy Shire Councillor (1976 to 1990), including seven years as Mayor. He was Deputy Chairman of the Queensland Grain Handling Authority and a member of the State Council of the Queensland Graingrowers Association for more than 10 years.
Mr Truss is also former State and National President of the Rural Youth Organisation and President of the Lutheran Youth of Queensland.
At the 2013 federal election, Mr Truss led The Nationals to the Party’s best electoral result in 30 years.
