Mark Speakman

Mark Raymond Speakman (born 6 November 1959) is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly since 2011, representing Cronulla for the Liberal Party. On 21 April 2023, he became the Leader of the Opposition and Leader of the Liberal Party in New South Wales.

Between April 2015 and January 2017, he was the Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Heritage, and the Assistant Minister for Planning in the second Baird government, and the Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence in the Berejiklian and Perrottet ministries.

He was the New South Wales Attorney General from January 2017 until the defeat of the state Coalition government at the March 2023 state election. He was a member of the second Berejiklian ministry from April 2019 until April 2023, and the first line-up of the Perrottet ministry.

Early years and background
Speakman attended government schools in Caringbah, including Caringbah High School, before studying law and economics at the University of Sydney and then the University of Cambridge, from which he graduated with a master's degree. A practising lawyer, he was called to the bar in 1991, and was made senior counsel in 2004.

Political career
Speakman was a member of the Cronulla branch of the Young Liberals. During his time in the United Kingdom, he paid £6 to become a life member of the Cambridge University Conservative Association.

Preselected in November 2010, following the announcement that the sitting member, Malcolm Kerr, would retire, Speakman overcame a challenge from Stephen Mutch, a former member for the federal seat of Cook and former state member of the Legislative Council. Speakman had challenged Mutch for the Cook preselection prior to the 1998 federal election, but withdrew from the contest when former state deputy Liberal leader, Bruce Baird, became the compromise candidate.

At the 2011 state election, Speakman was elected with a swing of 9.4 points and won the seat with 75.5 per cent of the vote on a two-party-preferred basis. Speakman's main opponent was Stefanie Jones, representing Labor. Premier O'Farrell considered elevating Speakman to the ministry following the election, but he was not made a minister until April 2015 when, following the 2015 state election, he was appointed as Minister for the Environment, the Minister for Heritage, and the Assistant Minister for Planning in the second Baird ministry.

Following the resignation of Mike Baird as Premier, Gladys Berejiklian was elected as Liberal leader and sworn in as Premier. The First Berejiklian ministry was subsequently formed with Speakman sworn in as the Attorney General of NSW with effect from 30 January 2017. Following the 2019 state election Speakman was appointed as the Minister for the Prevention of Domestic Violence in addition to his responsibilities as NSW Attorney General in the second Berejiklian ministry with effect from 2 April 2019; a title subsequently amended as the Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Sexual Violence in May 2021. In the second arrangement of the Perrottet ministry, he retained the portfolio title of Attorney General.

In September 2018, Speakman reportedly broke Victor Dominello's arm in an office arm wrestling match.

In April 2023, after the Liberal Party’s defeat in the 2023 New South Wales state election, he was elected as Leader of the Liberal Party and hence Leader of the Opposition. On 9 June 2023, Speakman was granted retention of The Honourable title by the Governor for life, for having served as a Member of the Executive Council for more than three years.

Political views
Despite some initial concerns, Speakman supported the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, but at the same time stated that he would not campaign for it. He supports the use of quotas to increase female representation in the Liberal Party room.

Personal life
Speakman has a pet dog named Lucy, a rescue dog who has her own Instagram account.