Sarah Hanson-Young

Senator
Sarah Hanson-Young
Senator for South Australia
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 July 2008
Personal details
Born 23 December 1981
Melbourne[1]
Nationality Australian
Political party Greens
Children 1
Residence Daw Park, Adelaide[2]
Website SarahInTheSenate.com

Sarah Coral Hanson-Young (born 23 December 1981) is an Australian politician. She has been a Greens member of the Senate since July 2008, representing the state of South Australia. She is the youngest Senator, and the youngest woman, ever elected to the Australian Parliament.[3]

Early life and education

Hanson-Young was born in Melbourne,[4] and grew up near Orbost in East Gippsland.[5] She has worked on several community projects in Orbost including the establishment of the Orbost Youth Centre. In 1999 she was awarded the Australia Day Young Citizen of the Year award for Gippsland, Victoria.

She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences from the University of Adelaide. While studying she was first Environment Officer in 2001/2002 then President in 2002/2003 of the Students' Association of the University of Adelaide.[4][6]

Career

In 2004, Hanson-Young worked as a bank teller;[4] and, from the same year until she took parliamentary office in 2008, she worked for Amnesty International as Campaign Manager for South Australia and the Northern Territory.[4]

As of 2006, she was studying for a postgraduate law degree.[7][8]

Prior to her entry into politics, she also worked as media advisor to Mark Parnell (SA Greens) in the 2006 South Australian election[7][8] and was a campaigner with Justice for Refugees (SA).[9]

Political career

Hanson-Young was a candidate for the South Australian Legislative Council in the 2006 state election, ranked fourth on the Greens' ticket.[10][11]

Hanson-Young was elected senator for South Australia at the 2007 federal election. She was the first Greens senator to be elected in that state, the youngest person - at 25 - ever elected to the Australian senate,[3] and the youngest woman ever elected to the Australian parliament.[12] Although the South Australian Green primary vote remained relatively unchanged, preferences from the Australian Labor Party provided the required quota for a Greens senator.[13][14]

As of 2011 Hanson-Young's portfolio responsibilities within the Greens include childcare, education, sexuality, human rights, gender identity and the status of women and youth.[15]

Hanson-Young became the focus of attention on 18 June 2009 when the Senate President ordered the removal of her two-year-old daughter from the Senate chamber during a division. Formal parliamentary procedures do not allow for senators or members to bring their children onto floor of the Senate and House of Representatives chamber.[16] Public reaction on the matter was divided, and ignited a debate on accommodating children and their carers in the workplace.[17]

Hanson-Young challenged Christine Milne for the Green deputy leadership in October 2010 but was unsuccessful.[18] Following the resignation of Australian Greens leader Bob Brown in 2012, she again nominated for the deputy leadership but lost, by an undisclosed margin, to Adam Bandt.[19] Hanson-Young was re-elected to the Senate at the 2013 federal election.

In December 2013, Hanson-Young, along with Senators Louise Pratt (ALP) and Sue Boyce (LNP) established a cross-party working group on marriage equality.[20]

Personal life

Hanson-Young was married to former local government councillor Zane Young; the couple divorced in 2011.[21][22] Together they have one child.[17]

References

  1. ↑ "Senator Sarah Hanson-Young Parliamentary Biography". ParlInfo. Commonwealth of Australia. 2 July 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  2. ↑ "Form A: Statement of Registrable Interests". OpenAustralia.org. Commonwealth of Australia. 22 September 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rob Lundie & Martin Lumb "Research Note 13 1998–99 Update on Selected Australian Political Records" (Parliament of Australia). Access date: 13 August 2013.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Biography for HANSON-YOUNG, Sarah Coral". ParlInfo. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "ETS 'not tough enough'". ABC News Online (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). 9 October 2009. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  6. ↑ Crook, Andrew (1 October 2010). "Crikey List: which MPs were involved in student politics?". Crikey.com.au. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Edwards, Verity (27 October 2006). "Greens pin Senate hopes on 'new Natasha'". The Australian (News Corporation). Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Natasha 'my Senate hero'". Border Mail. 28 October 2006.
  9. ↑ Heywood, John (14 June 2006). "New refugee bill opposed". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 2006. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  10. ↑ "2006 SA election candidates". Electoral Commission of South Australia. 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  11. ↑ "2006 Legislative Council Candidates - Voting Tickets: Australian Greens". Electoral Commission of South Australia. 2006. Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  12. ↑ "Greens a new 'third force'". The Advertiser. 26 November 2007. Retrieved 26 November 2007.
  13. ↑ "Senate Results: South Australia – Federal Election 2007". ABC Elections. Retrieved 5 January 2008. Cathy Perry (ALP) is excluded at count 23, giving 71,615 votes to Sarah Hanson-Young, who achieves quota.
  14. ↑ "2007 Senate Count for South Australia". Australian Electoral Commission. 2007.
  15. ↑ "Australian Greens Senators - Portfolios as at 24 June 2009". GreensMPs.org. Australian Greens. 24 June 2009.
  16. ↑ "Children in the parliamentary chambers". Australian Parliament House. October 2009.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Kleinig, Xanthe; Rehn, Alison (20 June 2009). "Mums condemn Sarah Hanson-Young". News.com.au (News Corporation). Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  18. ↑ "Sarah Hanson-Young challenges for Deputy Leader of the Greens". Sydney Morning Herald (Fairfax Media). 26 October 2010.
  19. ↑ "Deputy post boosts Bandt". The Age (Fairfax Media). 14 April 2012.
  20. ↑ Same-sex couples wait on High Court ruling, Herald Sun, 11 December 2013
  21. ↑ "City of Mitcham - Overton Ward". November 2006 Local Government Election Report. State Electoral Office of South Australia. 2006. (page 111)
  22. ↑ Jones, Gemma (12 November 2011). "Taxing year for Green warrior". The Advertiser.

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