Andrew Bartlett

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Andrew John Julian Bartlett (born 4 August 1964), Australian politician, has been a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Queensland since 1997, representing the Australian Democrats, of which he is Deputy Leader and Party Whip.

1 Early life and background
2 Service in the Australian Senate
3 Leader of the Australian Democrats
4 2004 Federal election to present
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Early life and background

Bartlett was born in Brisbane, where he has lived all his life. He is married with one daughter. He was educated at the University of Queensland, where he graduated in arts and social work. Before entering politics, Bartlett was a social worker with the Department of Social Security, and worked with community radio station 4ZZZFM in roles including announcer and finance coordinator. A big modern music fan, he played in a number of local bands, as a drummer and keyboard player. On his personal blog, Bartlett has noted that he is a fan of both Joy Division and Nick Cave.

In 1990, Bartlett joined the staff of then Australian Democrats Leader Cheryl Kernot. Three years later he joined the staff of Democrats Senator John Woodley as an adviser and researcher. He was the Democrats' Queensland Campaign Director for the 1993 and 1996 elections and Federal Campaign Director in 1998. Bartlett was appointed to the Senate in 1997 to fill the casual vacancy caused by the resignation of Kernot, and went on to win the seat at the 2001 Federal election.

[edit] Service in the Australian Senate

A consistent and vocal campaigner for refugees and asylum seekers, Bartlett is the only Australian parliamentarian to have visited every refugee detention centre in Australia, as well as those on Christmas Island and Nauru (detention centres off the Australian mainland, see Australia's Pacific Solution) where he went three times to meet with detainees.

Bartlett initiated the Senate Inquiry into Australia's refugee determination system which produced the "Sanctuary Under Review" report in 2000, and has participated in numerous other committee inquiries into immigration matters.

Bartlett has spoken many times on behalf of those living in poverty, as well as the physically and mentally disabled. He also takes a close interest in the environment and animal welfare. In 2003 he introduced a private member's bill to overhaul the animal welfare system in Australia. His petition to end the live sheep export trade has received well over 100,000 signatures.

Bartlett was a strong opponent of Australia's involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He introduced a private member's bill designed to ensure no Prime Minister of Australia could again send the country to war without the consent of both houses of parliament. When the bill was debated in the Senate, speakers from both major parties indicated their opposition to it, although there was no formal vote taken.

Bartlett has also campaigned strongly for gay rights. In 2004, he famously cried in the Senate chamber over a proposed law to define marriage as between a man and a woman, which he called an "absolute disgrace".^[1]

Bartlett co-sponsored the Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill 2006, which was introduced into the Senate on December 5, 2006. If enacted, it would prevent Australia from using, manufacturing or possessing cluster munitions.

[edit] Leader of the Australian Democrats

After the resignation of then Party Leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja in 2002, Bartlett was elected to the Democrats Party Leadership in October that year.

As Leader Bartlett stablised the Democrats Party Room and continued to be the strongest voice in the Senate maintaining pressure on the Government's maltreatment of refugees and maladministration of the Immigration Dept. He also oversaw the Democrats using their balance of power role to help force the Government to provide hugely increased funds to start fixing up Medicare, protecting the welfare payments of sole parents, the unemployed and the disabled and helped negotiate the partial achievement of a long-standing goal of allowing some same sex couples to have the same superannuation entitlements as opposite sex couples.

In December 2003, Bartlett stepped aside as leader after an incident involving Liberal Senator Jeannie Ferris when leaving the Senate chamber after a vote. Bartlett, who had been drinking at a Liberal Party function held just outside the chamber, was accused of stealing five bottles of wine from the function. Sometime after Ferris retrieved the wine, Bartlett approached Ferris, and was accused of grabbing her arm and calling her a "fucking bitch" and verbally abusing her. Ferris described the incident, saying she was "absolutely stunned that somebody would assault somebody on the floor of the Senate chamber in that way. As I walked away he continued to shout insults at me, until I got right outside into one of the courtyards, where he was still saying the same thing to me over and over again." Parliamentary video of part of the incident appeared to show that Bartlett was drunk in the chamber.

The next morning, Bartlett formally apologised in person and then in writing to Ferris, sending a bottle of wine with his letter. Ferris took offense to the apology, describing the offering as "quite inappropriate ... as an apology for drunken behaviour involving abuse and a physical attack."^[2]

Bartlett did not deny any of Ferris's allegations when they were publicised. He said that his behaviour had been "totally unacceptable", and that he had apologised in writing to Senator Ferris, to the Senate, and to his party. Bartlett's former employer, John Woodley, stated in an interview that Bartlett had been an alcoholic for some time.

The Democrats issued a statement stating that Deputy Leader Senator Lyn Allison would serve as the Acting Leader of the party. In the week following the incident, senior Democrats including Stott Despoja said that they thought Bartlett should formally resign as Leader. Others said that he should be given an opportunity to deal with his problems. On 12 December Bartlett announced that he would not resign. He gave his party an assurance that he would totally abstain from drinking, which he repeated upon his resumption of the leadership in January 2004. Bartlett then resumed the Leadership after receiving strong support form the Party membership as well as the majority of the Democrat Senators.

Although Bartlett kept his pledge to give up drinking, political commentators expressed doubts that his standing would recover from the incident. He maintained his normal workload upon resuming the position of Leader, but the party's support levels remained at the same low levels they had been from the period of Stott Despoja's resigniation. He was unable to have a significant impact during the 2004 election campaign, which began in August. The Democrats were defending three Senate seats, and all three were lost, with one going to the Australian Greens and two to the Liberal Party. The Democrats polled their lowest vote since the party's creation in 1977.

[edit] 2004 Federal election to present

After the election Bartlett did not comment on questions over whether or not he would resign, stating that the party's membership would decide the leadership, which is the party's standard practice. He subsequently decided not to nominate for the leadership, allowing Allison to be elected unopposed. Senator Bartlett was elected Deputy Leader unopposed.

In 2004, Barlett become the first Australian federal politician to operate his own blog. In 2006, he is still only one of just a handful (other known federal politicians who blog being Kate Lundy, Malcolm Turnbull and Steve Fielding).

Bartlett will face re-election at the 2007 election. Based on the recent electoral performance of the Australian Democrats, he is considered unlikely to win re-election.