[1] Lawlor served as a Gold Coast City councillor for two terms up to 1994; he chaired the council's planning committee for three years.
[8] Lawlor, Bell and Gary Baildon were the only three aldermen to vote against the amalgamation of Gold Coast City and Albert Shire.
Lawlor teamed up with the new premier, Rob Borbidge, together with local National Party MP and racing driver Allan Grice to oppose the proposed relocation.
As the former Planning Committee chairman, Lawlor said that the previous council had decreed that no further commercial development or reclamation of the Broadwater would take place.
[12] Another victory claimed by Lawlor on behalf of the council was the 1992 prevention of commercial development proposals for Crown land on South Stradbroke Island, including a golf course by Christopher Skase.
Meanwhile, in 1991 council acquired 4ha of privately owned land near the southernmost tip of the island and had it rezoned to public open space.
Veivers was Minister for Emergency Services and Sport in the Borbidge Government and had been a Rugby League international before being elected to the seat in 1987.
[citation needed] As a sitting Alderman and local solicitor Lawlor (44) ran for the Electoral District of Southport for the first time in 1992 as a candidate for the incumbent Labor Goss Government.
[16] Veivers' margin was reduced to 2.3% with Lawlor attracting 45% of the primary vote, the conservative opposition won six of the eight Gold Coast electoral districts.
[17] In the lead up to the 1995 election Veivers argued that his small margin was only "on paper" as this campaign would not be a three-cornered contest involving both major conservative parties.
Issues raised during the campaign included a government proposed Gold Coast tolled motorway with the Opposition promising an alternative 18 month upgrade to the highway.
Additionally Lawlor raised issues of education, crime and health care, he also emphasised that having a local member in the ruling government was the way to capture public funds.
Lawlor said that these issues were not on the agenda, that it was dirty politics and that it misrepresented the facts and Labor policy, "it is absolute lies".
The 2001 Labor election campaign was dominated by the leader Premier Beattie, voters were told to "just vote 1" in a tactic to deprive the conservatives of the benefit from One Nation preferences.
[15][23][24] Days before the election Borbidge announced that Veivers would head a bid for the 2010 World Expo which provided a last minute boost for the veteran MP.
[15] In his inaugural speech to the Queensland Parliament Lawlor identified a Gold Coast light rail system as the answer to the high growth in local population and traffic, indicating that roads and cars alone could not be relied upon, he attacked the Howard federal government for not supporting the project.
Lawlor attacked the previous Borbidge government for approving a horizon tank for film making that was to be constructed on public land at the Southport Spit.
The Mayor Gary Baildon attributed the decision to Lawlor's election commitments and subsequent campaign against Harbour Visions 2020.
[32] The Courier-Mail speculated that Lawlor was a front-runner for a Cabinet position immediately after the election but Margaret Keech, the Member for Albert was promoted.
The LNP used the stadium upgrade as a key election issue and emphasised a contrasting priority of transport and health on the Gold Coast.
[35] Lawlor's first stouch in Parliament was with Opposition racing spokesman Howard Hobbs over an alleged forged document the opposition had tabled in parliament which was a draft letter from the Queensland Principal Club, Lawlor accused Hobbs of misleading the House by not checking the letter's authenticity.
[40] In 2003 long-term friend and fellow turf club icon Peter Gallagher (66) died after a six-month battle with cancer.
The committee recommended: On 24 March 2009 after the reelection of the Bligh Labor government, the Premier announced that Lawlor would be one of eight Members to be promoted to the Cabinet as a Minister.
Lawlor became Tourism Minister at the height of the Global Economic Crisis[47] Body corporate fees structures were challenged in March 2010 by Lawlor in new legislation which prevents penthouse owners from spreading their higher body corporate fees onto smaller unit owners.
Lawlor rejected suggestions that there would be a move of 500 public servants by May 2010 and said that it was early stages of consultation and each employee's situation would be looked at on a case-by-case basis.
[49] Born 1 March 1948 in North Queensland the eldest of five boys, Lawlor moved to Southport as a small child.
After graduation Lawlor worked for the Commonwealth Bank and studied economics at the University of Queensland but did not complete the degree.