Adam Bandt
Encyclopedia
Adam Paul Bandt is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer. Bandt was elected to the Australian House of Representatives
in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne
. He is the second member of the Australian Greens
to be elected to the lower house
of the Parliament of Australia
, after Michael Organ
, but the first to be elected at a general election. Bandt had previously contested the seat in 2007 and narrowly lost to Lindsay Tanner
.
, South Australia
—a descendant of German immigrants who emigrated to the Hahndorf and Barossa Valley
regions in the 1800s. As a child, his family moved to Perth, Western Australia
where he attended high school and university before moving to Melbourne
. Prior to his election to parliament, Bandt was an industrial, labor relations
and public interest
lawyer
living in Parkville
. He was a partner at Slater and Gordon and is currently completing his PhD in law and politics from Monash University
. His PhD thesis was "Work to Rule: Rethinking Marx, Pashukanis and Law".
At Murdoch University
, Bandt was a student activist and member of the Left Alliance. At that time he has been quoted as calling the Greens a "bourgeois" party. He was president of the student union and an active campaigner for higher living allowances for students and free education. From 1987 to 1989, he was a member of the Labor Party
.
Bandt has written on links between anti-terror legislation and labour laws and worked on issues facing outworkers in the textiles industry.
, the then Shadow Minister for Finance, and nationally was the most successful candidate from any minor party contesting a House of Representatives
seat. Bandt finished with 22.8 percent of the primary vote, an increase of 3.8 percent, and 45.3 percent of the two-candidate preferred vote after out-polling the Liberal party
's Andrea Del Ciotto after preferences.
. Bandt received a primary vote of 36.2 percent and a two-candidate preferred vote of 56 percent against Labor, a swing to him of 13.4 percent and 10.8 percent respectively. His main policy interests are environmental and human rights issues, having "nominat[ed] pushing for a price on carbon, the abolition of mandatory detention of asylum seekers and changing the law to recognise same-sex marriage as his top priorities in parliament."
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
in the 2010 Australian federal election for the Division of Melbourne
Division of Melbourne
The Division of Melbourne is an Australian Electoral Division of Victoria. It is represented by Adam Bandt of the Australian Greens.Created at Federation in 1900 the division was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
. He is the second member of the Australian Greens
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
to be elected to the lower house
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
of the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
, after Michael Organ
Michael Organ
Michael Keith Organ is an Australian politician. He was an Australian Greens member of the Australian House of Representatives between 2002 and 2004, representing the Division of Cunningham, New South Wales...
, but the first to be elected at a general election. Bandt had previously contested the seat in 2007 and narrowly lost to Lindsay Tanner
Lindsay Tanner
Lindsay James Tanner is a former Australian member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Melbourne, Victoria, for the Australian Labor Party, having first won the seat at the 1993 federal election. He was a member of the Australian Government from 3 December 2007, serving as...
.
Background
Adam Bandt was born in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
—a descendant of German immigrants who emigrated to the Hahndorf and Barossa Valley
Barossa Valley
The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region and tourist destination of South Australia, located 60 km northeast of Adelaide. It is the valley formed by the North Para River, and the Barossa Valley Way is the main road through the valley, connecting the main towns on the valley floor of...
regions in the 1800s. As a child, his family moved to Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
where he attended high school and university before moving to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Prior to his election to parliament, Bandt was an industrial, labor relations
Labor relations
Industrial relations is a multidisciplinary field that studies the employment relationship. Industrial relations is increasingly being called employment relations because of the importance of non-industrial employment relationships. Many outsiders also equate industrial relations to labour relations...
and public interest
Public interest
The public interest refers to the "common well-being" or "general welfare." The public interest is central to policy debates, politics, democracy and the nature of government itself...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
living in Parkville
Parkville, Victoria
Parkville is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne. At the 2006 Census, the population was 4,980....
. He was a partner at Slater and Gordon and is currently completing his PhD in law and politics from Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
. His PhD thesis was "Work to Rule: Rethinking Marx, Pashukanis and Law".
At Murdoch University
Murdoch University
Murdoch University is a public university based in Perth, Australia. It began operations as the state's second university in 1973, and accepted its first students in 1975...
, Bandt was a student activist and member of the Left Alliance. At that time he has been quoted as calling the Greens a "bourgeois" party. He was president of the student union and an active campaigner for higher living allowances for students and free education. From 1987 to 1989, he was a member of the Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
.
Bandt has written on links between anti-terror legislation and labour laws and worked on issues facing outworkers in the textiles industry.
2007 federal election
Bandt stood for the federal seat of Melbourne at the 2007 election against Labor's Lindsay TannerLindsay Tanner
Lindsay James Tanner is a former Australian member of the House of Representatives representing the Division of Melbourne, Victoria, for the Australian Labor Party, having first won the seat at the 1993 federal election. He was a member of the Australian Government from 3 December 2007, serving as...
, the then Shadow Minister for Finance, and nationally was the most successful candidate from any minor party contesting a House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
seat. Bandt finished with 22.8 percent of the primary vote, an increase of 3.8 percent, and 45.3 percent of the two-candidate preferred vote after out-polling the Liberal party
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
's Andrea Del Ciotto after preferences.
2010 federal election
Bandt was preselected, for the second time, to stand as the Greens candidate for the federal Division of Melbourne. Labor's Cath Bowtell was his main opponent, following the retirement of Lindsay Tanner from Federal Parliament. (following the 2007 federal election, Melbourne had become Australia's only Labor/Greens marginal seat). At 8:22 pm on election night, 21 August, he declared victory for the Australian GreensAustralian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...
. Bandt received a primary vote of 36.2 percent and a two-candidate preferred vote of 56 percent against Labor, a swing to him of 13.4 percent and 10.8 percent respectively. His main policy interests are environmental and human rights issues, having "nominat[ed] pushing for a price on carbon, the abolition of mandatory detention of asylum seekers and changing the law to recognise same-sex marriage as his top priorities in parliament."
External links
- Adam Bandt MP official site
- Profile at the Parliament of Australia
- Appearances in Parliament at Open Australia
- How two-party politics has failed voters. Adam Bandt speech at the Wheeler Centre, July 2010
- Profile: Adam Bandt, The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
,_August_22, 2010