Adele Carles
Encyclopedia
Adele Simone Carles is an Australia
n politician. She has been a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
since May 2009, representing the electorate of Fremantle
. Initially elected as a Greens WA
member, she resigned from the party on 6 May 2010 to sit as an independent. Carles was the first Greens MP to be elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
. In November 2010, Carles agreed to guarantee confidence and supply
votes for the incumbent Colin Barnett
Liberal
minority government
.
. She polled 27.6% of the vote against Labor Attorney-General Jim McGinty
(38.7%), marginally less than Liberal candidate Brian Christie (30.2%).
to run again in Fremantle in a by-election
following the retirement of Jim McGinty. With the Liberal Party not contesting the election, Carles was rated a chance of becoming only the second Greens candidate to be elected to a lower house of Parliament from a single member electorate, after Michael Organ
in the NSW federal Division of Cunningham
from 2002-2004.
Carles won the seat with 44.06% of the primary vote, ahead of the ALP's candidate and former Fremantle Mayor, Peter Tagliaferri
, as well as receiving enough preferences from other candidates to gain an absolute majority of ballots cast. This was the highest primary vote result for the Greens in a state or federal election in Australia, and the first time the Greens had outpolled all other parties on their primary vote. Their previous record vote was 38.96% in the 2005 Marrickville by-election
in New South Wales
(also not contested by the Liberals).
and herself had been engaged in a "mutual, albeit stupid" affair that lasted several months. Carles had previously denied the affair despite persistent rumours, claiming to be a victim of a Labor party smear campaign.
On 6 May 2010, she resigned from the Greens to sit as an independent.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician. She has been a member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
since May 2009, representing the electorate of Fremantle
Electoral district of Fremantle
Fremantle is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Western Australia.The district is located in the inner south-west of Perth, centring on the port of Fremantle....
. Initially elected as a Greens WA
Greens Western Australia
The Greens Western Australia is the state branch of the Australian Greens in Western Australia. The Greens WA was formed following the merger of the WA Greens and the Green Earth Alliance...
member, she resigned from the party on 6 May 2010 to sit as an independent. Carles was the first Greens MP to be elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
. In November 2010, Carles agreed to guarantee confidence and supply
Confidence and supply
In a parliamentary democracy confidence and supply are required for a government to hold power. A confidence and supply agreement is an agreement that a minor party or independent member of parliament will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation votes by voting in favour...
votes for the incumbent Colin Barnett
Colin Barnett
Colin James Barnett , Australian politician, is the leader of the Western Australian Liberal Party, the 29th and current Premier of Western Australia since the 2008 election and served as the Treasurer of Western Australia in 2010. He was sworn into office by Governor Ken Michael on 23 September 2008...
Liberal
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...
minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
.
2008 state election
Carles, a solicitor before entering politics, was narrowly defeated in the 2008 state electionWestern Australian state election, 2008
A general election was held in the state of Western Australia on Saturday 6 September 2008 to elect 59 members to the Legislative Assembly and 36 members to the Legislative Council...
. She polled 27.6% of the vote against Labor Attorney-General Jim McGinty
Jim McGinty
James Andrew McGinty is an Australian politician. He was a Labor member of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly from 1990 to 2009, representing the district of Fremantle. He was Labor Party leader and Leader of the Opposition from 1994 to 1996...
(38.7%), marginally less than Liberal candidate Brian Christie (30.2%).
2009 Fremantle by-election
In 2009, Carles was preselected by Greens WAGreens Western Australia
The Greens Western Australia is the state branch of the Australian Greens in Western Australia. The Greens WA was formed following the merger of the WA Greens and the Green Earth Alliance...
to run again in Fremantle in a by-election
Fremantle state by-election, 2009
A by-election was held in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly district of Fremantle on 16 May 2009. It was triggered by the resignation of sitting member Jim McGinty.The Labor Party was defending a seat that they had held continuously since 1924...
following the retirement of Jim McGinty. With the Liberal Party not contesting the election, Carles was rated a chance of becoming only the second Greens candidate to be elected to a lower house of Parliament from a single member electorate, 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...
in the NSW federal Division of Cunningham
Division of Cunningham
The Division of Cunningham is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Allan Cunningham, a 19th century explorer of New South Wales and Queensland. It is located on the coast of New South Wales between southern Sydney and Wollongong, and...
from 2002-2004.
Carles won the seat with 44.06% of the primary vote, ahead of the ALP's candidate and former Fremantle Mayor, Peter Tagliaferri
Peter Tagliaferri
Peter Tagliaferri is an Australian politician. He is a former Mayor of the City of Fremantle, a position he held for eight and a half years.-Background:...
, as well as receiving enough preferences from other candidates to gain an absolute majority of ballots cast. This was the highest primary vote result for the Greens in a state or federal election in Australia, and the first time the Greens had outpolled all other parties on their primary vote. Their previous record vote was 38.96% in the 2005 Marrickville by-election
Marrickville by-election, 2005
A by-election was held in the State Electoral District of Marrickville in New South Wales, Australia on 17 September 2005.The by-election was prompted by the resignation of the sitting member Deputy Premier Andrew Refshauge on 10 August 2005, in the wake of the resignation of Premier Bob Carr.The...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(also not contested by the Liberals).
Buswell affair
In April 2010, Carles publicly acknowledged that Liberal Treasurer Troy BuswellTroy Buswell
Troy Raymond Buswell is currently the Liberal member for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of Vasse, and the Minister for Transport and Minister for Housing. He was Leader of the Opposition for several months in 2008, then served as Treasurer of Western Australia in the Barnett...
and herself had been engaged in a "mutual, albeit stupid" affair that lasted several months. Carles had previously denied the affair despite persistent rumours, claiming to be a victim of a Labor party smear campaign.
On 6 May 2010, she resigned from the Greens to sit as an independent.