Career
Early career
Warburton was elected at the 1977 election as the Australian Labor Party candidate for the seat of Sandgate, succeeding Harold Dean who had held the seat for the ALP since 1960. In 1982, fellow opposition frontbencher Keith Wright deposed ALP leader Editor Casey in a secret ballot, after a string of poor election results. Warburton was appointed deputy opposition leader in Wright"s shadow cabinet, despite having served only five years in parliament.
Leader of the Opposition
In 1984, Wright resigned from the Legislative Assembly to stand for election to federal parliament.
Warburton was elected by caucus as the new Labor leader in Queensland on 29 August 1984. Warburton was often portrayed in the media as being an "old style" Labor leader.
Uncomplicated and honest. Peter Bowers, a columnist with the Sydney Morning Herald declared that Warburton was "..a straight up and down politician, no charisma, no nonsense".
Labor approached the 1986 election being given little hope of taking power, given the continued existence of the Bjelkemander, despite continued disunity and infighting between the Liberal and National parties that formed government.
Warburton"s policies included the introduction of random breath testing in Queensland, and a ban on uranium mining in Queensland, an idea that would become longstanding Labor party policy. Warburton also made overtures to the Liberals, offering to form a coalition government with them in order to break the National Party"s grip on power. Warburton hung on as leader of the opposition after this defeat, but eventually handed over the party leadership to Wayne Goss in 1988.
Minister in the Goss Government
In 1991, he switched portfolios and became Minister for Police and Emergency Services, a post he held until he retired from Parliament in 1992.
In addition to his political career, Warburton was also an enthusiastic participant in the sport of lawn bowls.
