Greg Withers

Greg Withers {formerly known as Greg Francis) is "from western Sydney and is a longtime friend of former ACTU president and now federal Labor candidate Greg Combet. They were sharing a flat in Sydney when Ms Bligh walked into Mr Withers's life.

"After they moved to Brisbane in the late 1980s, Mr Withers was a senior political adviser in the early days of the Goss government before moving to the public service, where one of his stints was in the office of the co-ordinator-general, a senior post that put him close to the centre of the action in the premier's office."

He is married to Anna Bligh.