Sarah Hanson-Young
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| Sarah Hanson-Young | |
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Australian Greens Senator for South Australia
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2008 |
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| Born | 23 December 1981 Orbost, Victoria |
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| Nationality | Australian  |
| Political party | Australian Greens |
| Website | SarahInTheSenate.com |
Sarah Hanson-Young is an Australian Senator-elect and member of the South Australian Greens. At the 2007 federal election, she became the youngest person ever elected to the Senate,[1] and the youngest woman ever elected to Australian Parliament[2], as well as South Australia's first Greens Senator. Although the SA Green primary vote was relatively unchanged, preferences from the Australian Labor Party got the required quota needed.[3]
She was previously a candidate for the Legislative Council in the 2006 South Australian election.
As a young, student-activist politician, and president of the Students' Association of the University of Adelaide, comparisons have been drawn between her and retiring Australian Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja.[4]
Hanson-Young has been active in community groups and NGOs on environmental, human rights, women's and youth related issues, primarily through Amnesty International. She worked on several community projects in Orbost including the establishment of the Orbost Youth Centre.[citation needed] In 1999 she was awarded "Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year" for Gippsland, Victoria. She was the Environment Officer of the Students' Association of the University of Adelaide in 2001 and in 2002 was elected its President — its first independent president since Natasha Stott Despoja in 1990.
Formerly a board member of Unibooks and Justice for Refugees (SA)[5], Hanson-Young has also mentored young people through The Smith Family Tertiary Mentor Program.[6]
Hanson-Young is also a student, partway through a postgraduate law degree and holds a Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences from the University of Adelaide. She is currently employed as the Community Campaigner and South Australian and Northern Territory Regional Coordinator for Amnesty International SA-NT, and has worked as a Greens media advisor.[7]
Her husband, Zane Young,[8] has served on the City of Mitcham council since November 2006.[9] He was a Greens candidate for Waite in the 2006 South Australian election.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ Rob Lundie & Martin Lumb "Research Note 13 1998-99 Update on Selected Australian Political Records" (Parliament of Australia). Access date: November 25, 2007.
- ^ Greens a new 'third force'. The Advertiser (November 26, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-11-26.
- ^ Senate Results: South Australia - Federal Election 2007. ABC Elections. Retrieved on 2008-01-05. Cathy Perry (ALP) is excluded at count 23, giving 71,615 votes to Sarah Hanson-Young, who achieves quota.
- ^ Greens pin Senate hopes on 'new Natasha'. The Australian (October 26, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ The Guardian (published by the Communist Party of Australia)
- ^ Smith Family Tertiary Mentor Program Adelaide Green School Presenters and Workshops: 'Positioning the Greens' Workshop Presenters. The Green Institute (May, 2005). Retrieved on 2007-02-19.
- ^ Natasha ‘my Senate hero’, Border Mail, 28 Oct 2006
- ^ GreensSA website
- ^ City of Mitcham.
- ^ ABC Waite electorate profile
[edit] External links
- Sarah Hanson-Young campaign website
- South Australian Green Party Website (includes photos)
- Amnesty turns its hand to ending domestic violence, ABC News Online, 20 Sep 2004
- Greens unveil their 'Natasha', Advertiser Adelaide, 25 Oct 2006
- Greens pin Senate hopes on 'new Natasha', The Australian, 26 Oct 2006
