Meet Paul

Paul Scarr, your Senator for Queensland.

Senator Paul Scarr was first elected to the Senate in 2019 representing the State of Queensland.

As a member of the Liberal National Party, Senator Scarr currently serves as the Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement.  Prior to being promoted to his current position, Senator Scarr served as Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate.

During his time in Parliament, Senator Scarr has had leadership roles on some of the most important Senate Committees.

Paul currently serves as Chair of the Legal & Constitutional Affairs References Committee and Deputy Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee.

During this term of Parliament, he has contributed to reports on approximately 40 pieces of legislation which have been referred to the Committee for review.  As Chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee he has led the Committee in its deliberations on important issues, including the FOI system, sexual consent laws and missing and murdered indigenous women and children.

Senator Scarr served on the Joint Select Committee considering the legislation establishing the National Anti-Corruption Commission which delivered a unanimous report making important recommendations to the draft legislation which were adopted by Government.

Senator Scarr is the only member of the Senate who serves on both the Scrutiny of Bills Committee and the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation Committee.  Senator Scarr has served on these important scrutiny committees during his whole time in the Senate reflecting the importance he places on the Senate’s role as a ‘House of Review’.  

In the previous Parliament, Senator Scarr served as Chair of the Economics Legislation Committee and Chair of the Joint Standing Committee with oversight of the Australian Commission for Law Enforcement Integrity (a precursor to the National Anti-Corruption Commission).

Since being elected in 2019, Senator Scarr has built strong connections with multicultural communities across Queensland.  This work was recognised when Senator Scarr was appointed as Shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Engagement in 2024.  Senator Scarr is passionate about supporting new and emerging leaders in multicultural communities.

As the only Senator based in the Greater Ipswich Region, Senator Scarr is a passionate advocate for the local community.  With his office based in Springfield, one of the fastest growing areas in Queensland, Senator Scarr is a champion for the local region.  This has included successful advocacy for funding to be provided for a business case considering the Ipswich to Springfield public transport corridor.  Senator Scarr’s links to the region go back to his time as a student at Ipswich Grammar School.  

Senator Scarr also acts as a patron Senator for Federal electorates in the Brisbane City Council, Logan City Council and Somerset Regional Council areas. In this role, he assists constituents with a raft of issues including: immigration, tax, NDIS and other matters.

Prior to entering Parliament, Senator Scarr worked in the private sector for 25 years, both as a lawyer in private practice and as a senior executive in the mining industry.  
After graduating from the University of Queensland in 1991, Senator Scarr worked for two of the preeminent law firms in Australia, Allens and King Wood Mallesons.  This included two years living and working in Papua New Guinea.

Senator Scarr then worked as General Counsel and Company Secretary of PanAust Limited, a then ASX listed public company with two mines in Laos and projects in Asia, South America and the Pacific.    In this role he served as a director of companies in Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Singapore, Chile, PNG and Australia.  He brings this career expertise to bear as a member of the Joint Standing Committee on Corporations Law and Financial Services.

Senator Scarr is a graduate from the University of Queensland with degrees in Law (Hons) and Commerce.  He also holds a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia.