Verity Barton

Who is Verity Barton?

Verity Mary Barton is an Australian politician who is the Liberal National member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland for Broadwater, having defeated Peta-Kaye Croft at the 2012 state election.

Barton was educated at All Hallows' School in Brisbane. She went onto further studies in Law and Politics at Bond University on the Gold Coast and Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to her election she worked for George Brandis who is currently Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for the Arts.

Aged 26 years, 7 months and 18 days old when first elected, Barton is the youngest woman ever elected to the Queensland Parliament. Barton is a member of the Legal Affairs and Community Safety Committee and she has been appointed as Temporary Chair of Committees, a role which sees her serve as an acting Deputy Speaker in the Parliament.

Barton joined LNP-predecessor the former Liberal Party at 17 and is a third-generation member. She has held various senior local branch positions, including Chair of the Broadwater State Electorate Council. She has been a member of the LNP State Council and was been a member of the Young LNP Management Committee from 2010 until 2012. Barton is the granddaughter of former member for Kurilpa, Clive Hughes.