Rachel Siewert
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| Rachel Siewert | |
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Australian Greens Senator for Western Australia
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2005 |
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| Born | November 4, 1961 |
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| Nationality | Australian  |
| Political party | Australian Greens |
| Website | RachelSiewert.org.au |
Senator Rachel Siewert is an Australian politician from the Australian Greens.
She was elected to represent the State of Western Australia in the Senate at the 2004 federal election. From 1987 until her election campaign, Rachel Siewert had pioneered the establishment and expansion of the Conservation Council of Western Australia. This was at a time when the public awareness grew around environmental issues involving forests, water, mining (particularly uranium mining), urban planning, biodiversity loss and lack of regulation. She was awarded the Bessie Rischbieth Conservation Award in 2003.
The other Green elected at the 2004 election was Christine Milne (Tasmania), joining Australian Greens Senators Bob Brown (Tasmania) and Kerry Nettle (New South Wales).
Senator Rachel Siewert is the deputy chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport (RRAT) standing committee, and has been an active member of a number of committees (including Community Affairs, Environment Communications Information Technology and the Arts, Legal and Constitutional, Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Joint Committee on Native Title and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Account) and has made a significant contribution to a number Inquiries as listed below. She was the chair of the RRAT References Committee prior to the rearrangement of the committee structure last year that saw the eradication of all non-government chairs and the consolidation of references and legislative committees.
Petrol sniffing Inquiry (2005-06) – Bob Brown referred this inquiry to the Community Affairs committee, Rachel played an active role in the inquiry, ensured its extension to include WA and SA as well as the NT, pressed the need to deal with the underlying causes of the problem and the need for diversionary programs. This report led to substantial funding for the roll-out of Opal fuel and for community programs, and Rachel’s ongoing pursuit of the matter through the chamber has forced the government to step in when the program has been running off the rails.
Peak Oil Inquiry (2006) – Christine Milne referred this inquiry and Rachel chaired it for most of its operation (until the committee system changed). It made a major contribution to raising the profile of the threats posed to Australia by the uncertainty of our oil supply. As chair, Rachel oversaw the committee’s interim report before the committee system changed. Rachel then spoke on the report to a number of oil, energy and biofuels conferences and forums.
Water Policy Inquiry (2006) – Rachel chaired this inquiry, which highlighted the problems presented by climate change for the Murray Darling Basin and the need for a comprehensive national water policy. She oversaw the interim report (when the committee system changed) and contributed a substantive minority report to the final report of the inquiry.
Salinity Inquiry (2005) – With a degree in agricultural science, experience as a salinity and soil conservation officer and on the WA salinity council, and extensive contacts within both WA farming and salinity research, Rachel made a major contribution to this inquiry.
Stolen Wages (2006-07) – This inquiry was referred by Andrew Bartlett (Dems). Rachel ensured that it was extended to WA and played a major role in engaging with stakeholders, inviting submissions and locating witnesses. She also wrote additional comments to the report to highlight Commonwealth culpability and the recalcitrance of the WA government in releasing evidence to the inquiry. This ultimately led to uncovering evidence that the Commonwealth had directed the WA government on withholding wages and benefits, and to the WA Government establishing its own inquiry.
SEQ water supplies, Traveston dam inquiry (2007) – Rachel played a central role in this inquiry, particularly in ensuring community engagement with the inquiry, and was instrumental in ensuring it was extended to cover plans for piping water from Northern NSW to SEQ. She presented additional comments to the report highlighting where the final report did not go far enough.
Agricultural strategy for a changing climate (2007 - 2008) – Rachel and Christine succeed in referring this inquiry to committee in September 2007 after two previous attempts in November 2006 and March 2007. It focuses on the need for an understanding of the impacts of climate change on our agricultural zones and the need for a strategy to increase the resilience of our farming systems. This issue is now in the headlines.
Indigenous visual arts inquiry (2006-07) –Rachel played an active role in this inquiry, particularly highlighting the problems posed by changing the permit system for carpet-bagging and removing support from CDEP for the viability of community art centres.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection (2006) –Rachel played a key role in this inquiry and drafted a minority report which the ALP signed on to, as well as some additional comments on the wider issues of the Evatt report and the need to act on its recommendations.
Child Support Inquiry (2006) – Rachel participated in this inquiry, co-authoring a dissenting report with the ALP. The Government accepted 3 of her amendments during debate on the Bill.
Social Security changes (various) – Rachel participated in several inquiries into numerous changes to the Social Security Act. The latest round of changes included amendments specifically addressing the issue of Kinship care as a result of her advocacy on the issue. The Government is also currently reviewing the issue of principal carers following her advocacy on this issue.
Welfare to Work (2006) –Rachel played an active role in both the inquiry into this legislation and the debate in the Senate, and put forward a number of amendments.
Work Choices (2006) –Rachel played an active role in both the inquiry into this legislation and the debate in the Senate, and put forward a number of amendments.
Building Industry Construction and Improvement Bill (2006) –Rachel has been a lone oppositional voice on the impacts of this bill and the ‘star chamber’ activities of the Australian Building and Construction Commission, during the inquiry into this legislation, the passing of the Bill, and during Senate Estimates.
Disabilities CSTDA Inquiry (Feb 2007) –Rachel played an active role in this inquiry, has good relationships with a range of disabilities groups and community organisations, and contributed to the recommendations of this unanimous report. Rachel is co-convenor and founder of the Parliamentary Friends of People with a Disability.
Native Title Amendment Bill (Feb 2007) –Rachel co-authored a minority report on this legislation with the ALP and put forward a number of amendments in the Senate.
Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Amendment Bill (August 2006) –Rachel authored a dissenting report on this bill and put forward amendments in the Senate.
Water Bill (2007) –Rachel wrote a minority report on this inquiry, and put a number of amendments to the Senate enacting the recommendations put forward by the Wentworth Group. She exposed a number of the flaws in this legislation in the Senate.
Northern Territory Intervention Bills (2007) –Rachel hosted the gathering of the Combined Aboriginal Organisations in Parliament, led the opposition to the intervention in the Senate (in the face of silence from the ALP), and wrote a dissenting report. She co-hosted an alternative hearing with Andrew Bartlett when the committee failed to invite the authors of the Little Children are Sacred report, and put forward amendments in the Senate. She also exposed a number of the flaws in the NT intervention during the committee of the whole process in the Senate.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Bill (June 2007) –Rachel co-authored a dissenting report with Andrew Bartlett.
Environment and Heritage Bill (Nov 2006) – Rachel played an active role on this inquiry, co-authored a Minority Report with the ALP and contributed an additional dissenting comments that went beyond what the ALP were prepared to recommend. She put forward a series of amendments to the EPBC act including triggers for matters of national environmental significance for climate change, broadscale land clearing, construction of large dams, and large-scale surface or ground water extraction or diversion.
Quarantine and Biosecurity Issues –Rachel has participated in a number of inquiries including apples, bananas, citrus canker, and equine influenza
Gene Technology (2007) –Rachel wrote a minority report on the recent inquiry into amendments to this Act.
Food Standards Australia New Zealand (2007) –Rachel wrote a minority report on the recent inquiry into amendments to this Act.
AWB Inquiry (2006) –Rachel attempted to refer the wheat for weapons issue for Senate committee inquiry prior to the government establishing the Cole Inquiry, and then pursued the issue through Senate Estimates. She also exposed the problems with AusAid buying out two AWB shipments (including ‘trucking’ costs) that were stranded by the outbreak of the war.
Senate Estimates (2005-07) –Rachel has been an active participant in Senate Estimates hearings, frequently having to run between committee hearings to track her portfolio issues across committees…
Previous Greens senators for Western Australia have been Dee Margetts, Christabel Chamarette and Jo Vallentine.
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