Kerry Nettle
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Kerry Michelle Nettle (born 24 December 1973) is an Australian Senator.
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[edit] Early Life
She was born in Sydney, New South Wales, attended the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney (Croydon), and was educated at the University of New South Wales, where she obtained a degree in environmental science and was active in student politics, caucusing with the group known as the Non-Aligned Left. She worked as office coordinator for The Greens (NSW) and then as a youth worker. She joined the Australian Greens in 1998 and was elected to the Australian Senate for New South Wales in November 2001, joining Senator Bob Brown.
[edit] Policies: Immigration and Human Rights
Senator Nettle strongly supports the right of poltical refugees and asylum seekers to have a fair process and hearing in Australia. Nettle visited Christmas Island in January 2006 in opposition to the Australian Government's detention of 43 West Papuans that landed on Cape York in January 2006.[1] Kerry has expressed similiar concern for the 83 Sri Lankan refugees that are being held in Nauru. [2]
[edit] Iraq War
When United States President George W. Bush visited Canberra on 23 October 2003, Nettle and Brown took their opposition to the war in Iraq to the point of interjecting during his address to a joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. They wore signs referring to David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib, two Australian citizens who were then being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, following their apprehension by United States forces in either (this is disputed) Afghanistan or Pakistan. Habib has since been released.
Bush accepted the interjections with good humour, but the Speaker of the House, Neil Andrew, formally "named" Nettle and Brown and they were suspended from the Parliament for 24 hours. Nettle tried to hand Bush a letter from Habib's wife but was stopped by Liberal MPs and Senators who jostled her and prevented her from approaching Bush. Liberal Senator Ross Lightfoot reportedly told Nettle to "Fuck off and die."[3]
Nettle also remains fervently committed to bringing David Hicks back to Australia. Every day that the Australian Senate has been sitting for the past six months Senator Nettle has filed a motion to bring David Hicks back to Australia. [4]
[edit] Israel/Palestine Conflict
Senator Nettle visited Israel and Palestine in January 2007, where she examined "what impact the construction of the separation wall and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict has on communities in Palestine and Israel". [5] Nettle spoke with both Israelis and Palestinians in an effort to understand and ameliorate conflicts between both groups.
[edit] Women's Rights
Senator Nettle supports gender equality, as well as a women's reproductive rights.[6] During a debate on the abortion drug RU486 in February 2006, Senator Nettle wore a t-shirt into parliament bearing the slogan "Mr Abbott get your rosaries off my ovaries", in reference to the Catholic faith of Health Minister Tony Abbott.
[edit] External links
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Current members of the Australian Senate
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