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| Glenn Lazarus | |
|---|---|
| Name | Glenn Lazarus |
| Birth date | 1965-12-11 |
| Birth place | Ipswich, Queensland |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Rugby league player; Politician; Builder |
| Years active | 1986–2007 (sport); 2013–2019 (politics) |
Glenn Lazarus is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer and politician who played as a prop for Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, and Melbourne Storm and later served as a Senator for Queensland representing Palmer United Party and as an independent. He won multiple premierships in the New South Wales Rugby League and National Rugby League eras and later entered federal politics during the 2013 Australian federal election era. Known for his nickname "The Brick with Eyes", he combined sporting fame from clubs and state representation with a short but high-profile parliamentary career in the Australian Senate.
Born in Ipswich, Queensland in 1965, he grew up in a working-class family with early interests in rugby league and boxing. He played junior football for local clubs in Queensland and was educated at schools in the Brisbane region while working in the trades and as a builder for businesses linked to construction in Queensland. Influenced by Queensland rugby league pathways and the professionalisation of the New South Wales Rugby League in the 1980s, he progressed through regional competitions and state representative pathways before joining elite clubs.
He made his first-grade debut with the Canberra Raiders in the late 1980s, becoming part of a squad featuring players from the 1989 NSWRL season and contributing to premiership success alongside teammates who featured in State of Origin fixtures and Kangaroo tour selections. Later he signed with the Brisbane Broncos during the club's rise under coach Wayne Bennett and won multiple premierships in the early 1990s NSWRL season era, playing in grand finals against rivals from Sydney and enjoying representative honours for Queensland Maroons in State of Origin series. In the 1999 season he joined the newly formed Melbourne Storm and captained the side to victory in the 1999 NRL Grand Final, adding to earlier premierships won with the Brisbane Broncos and Canberra Raiders to complete a rare treble of championships with three separate clubs, joining the ranks of celebrated players who achieved cross-club success in the NRL era. He also represented Australia national rugby league team in international competitions and participated in tours and tests that involved the Great Britain national rugby league team and New Zealand national rugby league team.
After retiring from professional sport in the 2000s, he engaged with community initiatives in Queensland and developed connections with figures in industry and politics, leading to involvement with United Australia Party founder Clive Palmer and the Palmer United Party ahead of the 2013 Australian federal election. Leveraging public recognition from sporting achievements and media appearances on programs involving Australian Broadcasting Corporation and commercial networks, he was preselected for a Senate ticket representing Queensland and campaigned on issues that intersected with regional infrastructure priorities, resource-sector debates involving Queensland stakeholders, and national policy discussions occurring in the lead-up to the 44th Parliament of Australia.
Elected to the Australian Senate in the 2013 Australian federal election, he served as a senator for Queensland in the 44th Parliament of Australia, initially aligned with the Palmer United Party parliamentary group before resigning to sit as an independent senator. During his term he participated in Senate committees and contributed to debates on legislation including matters referred to inquiries involving regional development, transport projects affecting Queensland, and veteran affairs that intersected with national agencies and statutory bodies. His parliamentary tenure included interactions with major party leaders from the Liberal Party of Australia, the Australian Labor Party, minor party representatives from the Australian Greens, and crossbench negotiations during sittings in Canberra.
In federal parliament he advocated for infrastructure investment in Queensland and raised issues concerning mining sector regulation, transport corridors linked to the Brisbane River, and regional economic development tied to ports and resources. He supported measures aimed at veterans' welfare and engaged with debates over constitutional and administrative reforms debated in the Australian Senate alongside motions from senators representing New South Wales, Victoria, and other states. He also took public positions on law-and-order subjects and participated in public forums featuring representatives from industry groups, unions such as the Australian Council of Trade Unions, and community organisations active in policy discussions.
Outside politics and sport he worked in the construction industry and maintained media roles, appearing on television and at public events in Queensland and nationally. For his sporting achievements he received recognition from organisations including the National Rugby League and club honours at the Brisbane Broncos, Canberra Raiders, and Melbourne Storm, being remembered in halls of fame discussions and retrospective lists of influential forwards alongside contemporaries who represented Australia and Queensland in major tournaments. He is married with family ties in Queensland and has been involved in charity work and community programs linked to health and youth sport development. Category:1965 births Category:Australian rugby league players Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Queensland Category:Palmer United Party politicians