Emerson was born in Ipswich, Queensland, where his father, an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, was working at the nearby Amberley Air Force base. Emerson attended schools across Australia and overseas as his family moved with the RAAF. He graduated from high school in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. Emerson attended the University of Queensland where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in law and journalism and 1987 with a Bachelor of Economics. While at university, he edited the student newspaper Semper Floreat and was chairman of the Journalism Students Association. During his studies he resided at St Leo's College.
Early career
Emerson began his media career in 1988 as a cadet journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Brisbane. In 1991 he moved to Sydney to work as a reporter on ABC Radio's current affairs programs, AM, PM and The World Today. He returned to Brisbane in 1992 as the senior Queensland reporter for ABC Radio Current Affairs. In 1994 he joined the national newspaper The Australian as its Queensland political reporter. In 1998 he was appointed the paper's Queensland Bureau Chief and in 2000 was National Chief of staff for The Australian during the Sydney Olympics. In 2001 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study political campaigning, including undertaking research at Harvard University and in Washington D.C. In 2004 he left The Australian to become a director and equity partner in Brisbane-based public and media relations firm Crook Publicity. In 2009 he contested the seat of Indooroopilly at the Queensland state election for the Liberal National Party of Queensland. Emerson was co-founder of the St Lucia Community Association and held executive roles on local P&Fs including at Nudgee Junior College and Brisbane Boys College. He was a team manager at Wests Junior Rugby from 2005 to 2007. Emerson was also a volunteer at RSPCA Australia where he worked as a qualified dog trainer at weekends.
Political career
Emerson was elected to the Queensland Parliament at 21 March2009 state election, representing the seat of Indooroopilly for the Liberal National Party with a two-party-preferred vote of 56 per cent. At the election he defeated Labor's candidate Sarah Warner and the sitting member Ronan Lee from the Queensland Greens, who defected from the Labor in 2008. On 24 March 2012, Emerson was re-elected as the Member for Indooroopilly for the Liberal National Party, contributing to the party's total of 78, giving the party a majority for the first time in the Parliament, and subsequently forming government. At the election Emerson achieved a swing of 14 points with a first preference vote of 61% and a two-party preferred vote of 70%, the highest of any candidate in the seat of Indooroopilly's history. Emerson was appointed as the Transport and Main Roads Minister in the first Newman Ministry. and was sworn in by the Governor on Tuesday 3 April 2012 at Queensland Government House. On 31 January 2015, Emerson was re-elected as the Member for Indooroopilly for the LNP despite the party narrowly losing the overall election. After the election, Emerson was appointed the LNP's Shadow Transport Minister in the Queensland Parliament. A Shadow Cabinet reshuffle on 9 May 2016, saw Emerson appointed as the LNP's Shadow Treasurer and Shadow Minister for Small Business.
Personal life
Emerson is married to Robyn and the couple have a daughter and a son. They met while studying at the University of Queensland and married in Brisbane in 1991. Described as an avid adventurer, Emerson has trekked the Himalayas including the 5400m Thorong La pass, climbed the 5900m Mount Kilimanjaro and trekked the Kokoda Trail. He has also rock climbed Kangaroo Point cliffs, abseiled Brisbane's AMP tower and swung off the Goodwill Bridge for charity.
