Alison Anderson
Encyclopedia
Alison Anderson is an Australia
n politician. She has been a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
since 2005, representing the electorate of MacDonnell
, and is a prominent indigenous activist and former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
(ATSIC) Central Zone Commissioner. She was one of the party's star candidate
s at the 2005 election
.
Anderson was re-elected unopposed as the Member for MacDonnell in the August 2008 Territory election and with the subsequent return of the Henderson Labor Government was appointed to Cabinet. She has previously held the position of Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; Minister for Parks and Wildlife; Minister for Arts and Museums; and Minister for Indigenous Policy.
Anderson speaks six indigenous languages, Anmatyerre
, Luritja
, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri
, Western Arrernte
and Yankunytjatjara
. She is also an accomplished artist.
and was raised in a number of other communities, including Hermannsburg
and Papunya
. She moved to Alice Springs
to attend school, studying at Traeger Park School, Alice Springs High School, and St Phillips College. She subsequently received a Diploma of Community Management from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
.
Returning to Papunya, she was elected Chief Executive Officer of the Papunya Community Council in 1985, a role which she fulfilled until handing it over to her husband, Steve Handley, in 2000. She thereby became a prominent representative for the town, then as now one of the country's most impoverished communities, where basic services failed entirely at times. In this role, Anderson was heavily involved throughout the 1990s in conflicts with successive Country Liberal Party
territory governments over the provision of electricity, education, and health services.
. Eight months later, she nominated for the position of deputy chairperson after the resignation of Ray Robinson, but was defeated by one vote despite Robinson's endorsement. She supported the federal government's decision to abolish ATSIC in 2004, declaring that reform of the organisation was overdue, but was sharply critical of their decision to replace it with only a consultative committee. She was nevertheless appointed by the federal government as a Central Australian representative to their Round Table on indigenous issues later that year.
, traditionally a safe Labor seat, but then held by two-term CLP member John Elferink
. She had previously been preselected by the party to stand at the 2001 election
, but had withdrawn. She subsequently resigned from the ATSIC board, and was confirmed as the Labor candidate in March. She was widely seen as a star candidate
during the campaign, due to her high profile in Central Australia, stemming from her work as an ATSIC Commissioner. Her campaign suffered an early blow when her husband was charged with stealing offences in February. She suffered a further blow when, through April and May, the Alice Springs News and The Age
aired sweeping allegations of corruption and mismanagement during her husband's administration of Papunya. She resisted calls from the opposition to stand aside as the candidate, dismissing the claims as a smear campaign. In spite of the allegations, she was easily elected in June, defeating Elferink with a swing of more than 30%.
The Papunya scandal continued to afflict Anderson in her first months in parliament, as the Commonwealth government launched an investigation into allegations of misuse of government funds by the town administration. This escalated in September, when her now-estranged husband, against whom she had taken out a restraining order, filed a statutory declaration with police alleging that Anderson was responsible for corrupt activities during his administration, and had attempted to bribe elders during her campaign. She was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing in the police investigation. The Commonwealth investigation, while reporting widespread missing funds, did not attribute responsibility for this to Anderson. However, allegations of mismanagement persisted in the media for months afterwards.
As her electorate represents much of Central Australia, Anderson has often acted as a spokesperson on issues affecting the communities in the area. In May 2007, she risked expulsion from the party by joining Barbara McCarthy and Karl Hampton
in crossing the floor to vote against a government bill to allow the continuation of mining at the McArthur River Mine, near Borroloola
.
on 4 August 2009, commenting that "I'm not happy with the way we have conducted ourselves as a government." She also noted her unhappiness that Chief Minister Paul Henderson did not speak out in her defence following an article severely criticising her written by journalist Nigel Adlam in the Northern Territory News
. The resignation comes after Anderson had been very critical of the Northern Territory government about what she considered to be the inefficient operation of the $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program
.
On 8 September 2011, she joined the Country Liberal Party
, the main opposition party to the Labor Party in the Territory.
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 Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral parliament of the Northern Territory in Australia. It sits in Parliament House, located on State Square, close to the centre of the city of Darwin.-History:...
since 2005, representing the electorate of MacDonnell
Electoral division of MacDonnell
MacDonnell is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1974, and derives its name from the nearby MacDonnell Ranges. MacDonnell is an almost entirely rural electorate, covering 333398.61 km², and taking in the resort town of...
, and is a prominent indigenous activist and former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission was the Australian Government body through which Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were formally involved in the processes of government affecting their lives...
(ATSIC) Central Zone Commissioner. She was one of the party's star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
s at the 2005 election
Northern Territory legislative election, 2005
A general election was held in the Northern Territory, Australia, on 18 June 2005. The centre-left Australian Labor Party, led by Chief Minister Clare Martin, won a second term with a landslide victory, winning six of the ten seats held by the opposition Country Liberal Party in the 25-member...
.
Anderson was re-elected unopposed as the Member for MacDonnell in the August 2008 Territory election and with the subsequent return of the Henderson Labor Government was appointed to Cabinet. She has previously held the position of Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage; Minister for Parks and Wildlife; Minister for Arts and Museums; and Minister for Indigenous Policy.
Anderson speaks six indigenous languages, Anmatyerre
Anmatyerre
Anmatyerr, are an Indigenous Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. They are from an area near Arnka , Arwerlt Atwaty Anmatyerr, are an Indigenous Australian people, or language group, from the Northern Territory. They are from an area near Arnka (Mount Leichhardt),...
, Luritja
Luritja
Luritja is a name used to refer to several dialects of the Indigenous Australian Western Desert Language, and thereby also to the people who speak these varieties, and their traditional lands.-Origin and meaning of Luritja:...
, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri
Warlpiri language
The Warlpiri language is spoken by about 3000 of the Warlpiri people in Australia's Northern Territory. It is one of the Ngarrkic languages of the large Southwest branch of the Pama–Nyungan family, and is one of the largest aboriginal languages in Australia in terms of number of speakers.-...
, Western Arrernte
Western Arrernte
Western Arrernte refers to Arrernte people who traditionally live in Arrernte lands west of Alice Springs. It also refers to a dialect of the Arrernte language that is spoken in this area. Some people argue that Western Arrernte is an entirely different language and group of people to Central...
and Yankunytjatjara
Yankunytjatjara language
Yankunytjatjara is an Australian Aboriginal language. It is one of the Wati languages, belonging to the large Southwest branch of the Pama–Nyungan family...
. She is also an accomplished artist.
Early life and career
Anderson was born in the remote community of Haasts BluffHaasts Bluff, Northern Territory
Haasts Bluff, also known as Ikuntji, is an Indigenous Australian community in Central Australia, a region of the Northern Territory. The community is located in the MacDonnell Shire local government area, west of Alice Springs...
and was raised in a number of other communities, including Hermannsburg
Hermannsburg, Northern Territory
Hermannsburg is an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 131 km southwest of Alice Springs. It is known in the local Western Arrernte language as Ntaria....
and Papunya
Papunya, Northern Territory
Papunya is a small Indigenous Australian community of about 299 people roughly 240 km northwest of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory, Australia...
. She moved to Alice Springs
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
to attend school, studying at Traeger Park School, Alice Springs High School, and St Phillips College. She subsequently received a Diploma of Community Management from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education provides training and further education , and higher education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It is based in Batchelor, Northern Territory in Australia...
.
Returning to Papunya, she was elected Chief Executive Officer of the Papunya Community Council in 1985, a role which she fulfilled until handing it over to her husband, Steve Handley, in 2000. She thereby became a prominent representative for the town, then as now one of the country's most impoverished communities, where basic services failed entirely at times. In this role, Anderson was heavily involved throughout the 1990s in conflicts with successive Country Liberal Party
Country Liberal Party
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...
territory governments over the provision of electricity, education, and health services.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Anderson was first elected as the ATSIC Commissioner for the Northern Territory Central Zone in November 1999. She developed a reputation as an advocate for women's rights within the organisation, and in 2003, was involved in the creation of ATSIC's women's advisory board. She became seen as a leading contender for chairperson of the organisation, and in 2002, unsuccessfully challenged veteran leader Geoff ClarkGeoff Clark
Geoff Clark is an Australian Aboriginal politician and activist. Clark led the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission until it was effectively disbanded in 2004.- Personal :...
. Eight months later, she nominated for the position of deputy chairperson after the resignation of Ray Robinson, but was defeated by one vote despite Robinson's endorsement. She supported the federal government's decision to abolish ATSIC in 2004, declaring that reform of the organisation was overdue, but was sharply critical of their decision to replace it with only a consultative committee. She was nevertheless appointed by the federal government as a Central Australian representative to their Round Table on indigenous issues later that year.
Northern Territory parliamentarian
In late 2004, Anderson announced her intention to contest Labor preselection for the seat of MacDonnellElectoral division of MacDonnell
MacDonnell is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1974, and derives its name from the nearby MacDonnell Ranges. MacDonnell is an almost entirely rural electorate, covering 333398.61 km², and taking in the resort town of...
, traditionally a safe Labor seat, but then held by two-term CLP member John Elferink
John Elferink
Johan Wessel Elferink is an Australian politician.He was a Country Liberal Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 1997 to 2005, representing the rural electorate of MacDonnell...
. She had previously been preselected by the party to stand at the 2001 election
Northern Territory legislative election, 2001
A general election was held in the Northern Territory, Australia, on 18 August 2001. The centre-left Australian Labor Party , led by Clare Martin, won a surprising victory over the then-majority Country Liberal Party . Before this, the CLP had held 18 out the 25 seats in theNorthern Territory...
, but had withdrawn. She subsequently resigned from the ATSIC board, and was confirmed as the Labor candidate in March. She was widely seen as a star candidate
Star candidate
A star candidate refers to a high profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate by a political party. Star candidates have usually excelled in fields outside of politics such as academia, business, the media, journalism and/or sports...
during the campaign, due to her high profile in Central Australia, stemming from her work as an ATSIC Commissioner. Her campaign suffered an early blow when her husband was charged with stealing offences in February. She suffered a further blow when, through April and May, the Alice Springs News and The Age
The Age
The 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...
aired sweeping allegations of corruption and mismanagement during her husband's administration of Papunya. She resisted calls from the opposition to stand aside as the candidate, dismissing the claims as a smear campaign. In spite of the allegations, she was easily elected in June, defeating Elferink with a swing of more than 30%.
The Papunya scandal continued to afflict Anderson in her first months in parliament, as the Commonwealth government launched an investigation into allegations of misuse of government funds by the town administration. This escalated in September, when her now-estranged husband, against whom she had taken out a restraining order, filed a statutory declaration with police alleging that Anderson was responsible for corrupt activities during his administration, and had attempted to bribe elders during her campaign. She was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing in the police investigation. The Commonwealth investigation, while reporting widespread missing funds, did not attribute responsibility for this to Anderson. However, allegations of mismanagement persisted in the media for months afterwards.
As her electorate represents much of Central Australia, Anderson has often acted as a spokesperson on issues affecting the communities in the area. In May 2007, she risked expulsion from the party by joining Barbara McCarthy and Karl Hampton
Karl Hampton
Karl Rio Hampton is an Australian politician. He is a Labor member for Stuart in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having won the seat in a 2006 by-election. He is the Minister for Environment, Regional Development, Sport and Recreation, Central Australia and Information, Communications...
in crossing the floor to vote against a government bill to allow the continuation of mining at the McArthur River Mine, near Borroloola
Borroloola, Northern Territory
Borroloola is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located on the McArthur River, about 50 km upstream from the Gulf of Carpentaria. At the 2006 census, Borroloola had a population of 773, of whom 579 declared themselves indigenous....
.
Resignation
Anderson resigned from the Australian Labor PartyAustralian 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...
on 4 August 2009, commenting that "I'm not happy with the way we have conducted ourselves as a government." She also noted her unhappiness that Chief Minister Paul Henderson did not speak out in her defence following an article severely criticising her written by journalist Nigel Adlam in the Northern Territory News
Northern Territory News
The Northern Territory News is a morning tabloid newspaper based in Darwin, Australia. It is a subsidiary of News Limited, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. It primarily serves Darwin and the rest of the Northern Territory...
. The resignation comes after Anderson had been very critical of the Northern Territory government about what she considered to be the inefficient operation of the $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program
Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program
The Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program is a joint program between the Australian Federal Government and the Northern Territory government to design and construct housing in a range of Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory...
.
On 8 September 2011, she joined the Country Liberal Party
Country Liberal Party
The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party is a Northern Territory political party affiliated with both the National and Liberal parties...
, the main opposition party to the Labor Party in the Territory.