Christine Milne
| Senator Christine Milne BA(Hons), CertEduc | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of the Australian Greens | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 13 April 2012 | |
| Deputy | Adam Bandt |
| Preceded by | Bob Brown |
| Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens | |
| In office 10 November 2008 – 13 April 2012 | |
| Leader | Bob Brown |
| Preceded by | New position |
| Succeeded by | Adam Bandt |
| Senator for Tasmania | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 1 July 2005 | |
| Leader of the Tasmanian Greens | |
| In office 1993–1998 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Brown |
| Succeeded by | Peg Putt |
| Member of the Tasmanian Parliament for Lyons | |
| In office 13 May 1989 – 24 February, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Chris Batt |
| Succeeded by | This branch of the electorate discontinued |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 May 1953 Latrobe, Tasmania |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Greens (2000-present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Tasmanian Greens (1989-1998) |
| Spouse(s) | Neville Milne (m. 1975-1999) |
| Children | Two sons[1] |
| Website | christine-milne.greensmps.org.au |
Christine Anne Milne (born 14 May 1953, Latrobe, Tasmania)[2] is an Australian Senator and leader of the parliamentary caucus of the Australian Greens.[3]
From 1975 to 1984 Milne worked as a secondary school teacher, teaching English, History and Social Science. She first came to public attention for her role in opposing the building of the Wesley Vale pulp mill near Bass Strait in North Western Tasmania on the basis of its environmental impact. She also participated in the ultimately successful campaign opposing the Franklin Dam and was arrested and jailed in 1983.[4]
Political career
Milne was first elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1989 as a member of the Tasmanian Greens in the electorate of Lyons,[2] one of five Green politicians elected at that election. She was part of the Labor–Green Accord, a political agreement between the Australian Labor Party and the Tasmanian Greens to form government after the 1989 general election had resulted in a hung parliament.[5] When Bob Brown stood down in 1993 to contest the federal election, she became leader of the Greens in the Tasmanian Parliament and the first female leader of a political party in Tasmania.[2]
She oversaw a loose alliance between the Greens and Liberals after the 1996 general election. During that time, Tasmania saw significant economic and social reform. Measures included gun law reform, liberalisation of gay laws, an apology to the Indigenous stolen generation and support for an Australian republic.[6] In 1998, the major parties voted to restructure the House of Assembly from 35 to 25 seats, increasing the quota of votes required to be elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly. Liberal Premier Tony Rundle immediately called an election, which his party subsequently lost. Due to the changes, Milne lost her seat, leaving the Greens with one remaining seat.
After her career in state politics, she was an adviser to Senator Bob Brown from 2000 until she was elected to represent Tasmania in the Federal Senate at the 2004 federal election.[7] Preferences to Family First from the Australian Labor Party almost prevented her from being elected; however, she managed to reach a quota mostly as a result of the high level of below-the-line voting in Tasmania. The other Green elected at that election was Rachel Siewert from Western Australia.
Milne was Vice President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN, also known as the World Conservation Union) from 2005 to 2008.[8] She became Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens on 10 November 2008.[7]
In 2009, she debated the shortcomings of Australian Climate Change Regulatory Authority Bill 2009 in the federal parliament.[9]
On 13 April 2012, Milne became the leader of the Australian Greens Party after the resignation of Bob Brown.[10]
Notes
- ↑ Misha Schubert, Stephanie Peatling and Gary Tippet, Milne takes a soft sell approach , The Age, 15 April 2012
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Parliamentary Library profile, Parliament of Tasmania
- ↑ "Bob Brown resigns as Greens leader and Senator". The Age. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
- ↑ "Senator Christine Milne". Q&A (ABC Television). Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ↑ Ward, Airlie (10 March 2006). "Minority Government". Stateline Tasmania (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). Retrieved 10 September 2010.
- ↑ , "ABC's Q&A"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Christine Milne, Senate Biography
- ↑ Senator Christine Milne, National Press Club of Australia
- ↑ Australian Senate Hansard Monday, 30 November 2009
- ↑ As it happened: Bob Brown resigns as Greens leader - Australian Broadcasting Corporation - Retrieved 13 April 2012.
References
External links
- Articles by Milne
- Milne, Christine (2008-03-20). "A Road to Nowhere". New Matilda. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
- Green Christine: A Profile of Senator Milne by Amanda Lohrey, The Monthly, February 2008
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Bob Brown |
Federal Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens 2012–present |
Incumbent |
| Preceded by New office |
Deputy Federal Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens 2008–2012 |
Succeeded by Adam Bandt |
| Preceded by Bob Brown |
Leader of the Tasmanian Greens 1993–1998 |
Succeeded by Peg Putt |
| ||||||||