Christine Milne
Encyclopedia
Christine Anne Milne is an Australian Senator and deputy leader of the Australian Greens
.
Christine Milne 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 allegedly harmful environmental impact. She also participated in the blockade opposing the Franklin Dam
, in the ultimately successful campaign to save the Franklin River, when she was arrested and jailed in 1983.
in 1989 as a member of the Tasmanian Greens
in the electorate of Lyons
, 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
. 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.
She oversaw a loose alliance between the Greens and Liberals after the 1996 general election, allowing the Liberals to govern in a minority until 1998 when the major parties voted to restructure the House of Assembly (from 35 to 25 seats), a move the Greens claimed was deliberately aimed at removing their influence in parliament. Liberal Premier Tony Rundle immediately called an election, which his party subsequently lost. Milne lost her seat, leaving the Greens with only one seat.
After her career in state politics, she was an advisor to Senator Bob Brown
from 2000 until she was elected to represent Tasmania in the Federal Senate
at the 2004 federal election. Preferences to Family First
from the Australian Labor Party
almost prevented her from being elected, however she managed to reach a quota mostly due to the high level of below the line voting in Tasmania. The other Green elected at that election was Rachel Siewert
from Western Australia.
Christine Milne was Vice President of the IUCN (also known as World Conservation Union
) from 2005–2008. She became Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens on 10 November 2008.
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...
.
Christine Milne first came to public attention for her role in opposing the building of the Wesley Vale pulp mill
Wesley Vale pulp mill
The Wesley Vale pulp mill was a planned kraft process pulp mill was to be built near Wesley Vale in northern Tasmania in the late 1980s. The claim that waste would have been generated by the mill and present a threat to Tasmania's World Heritage listed forests became a significant environmental and...
near Bass Strait
Bass Strait
Bass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
in North Western Tasmania on the basis of its allegedly harmful environmental impact. She also participated in the blockade opposing the Franklin Dam
Franklin Dam
The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of most significant environmental campaigns in Australian history.The dam was...
, in the ultimately successful campaign to save the Franklin River, when she was arrested and jailed in 1983.
Political career
She was first elected to the Tasmanian House of AssemblyTasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
in 1989 as a member of the Tasmanian Greens
Tasmanian Greens
The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign...
in the electorate of Lyons
Division of Lyons (state)
The Electoral Division of Lyons, Tasmania is one of the 5 electorates in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, the lower house. The division is named after Joseph Lyons, Prime Minister of Australia 1931–39, Premier of Tasmania from 1923–1928 and his wife Dame Enid Lyons, the first woman elected to the...
, 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
Hung parliament
In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...
. When Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
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.
She oversaw a loose alliance between the Greens and Liberals after the 1996 general election, allowing the Liberals to govern in a minority until 1998 when the major parties voted to restructure the House of Assembly (from 35 to 25 seats), a move the Greens claimed was deliberately aimed at removing their influence in parliament. Liberal Premier Tony Rundle immediately called an election, which his party subsequently lost. Milne lost her seat, leaving the Greens with only one seat.
After her career in state politics, she was an advisor to Senator Bob Brown
Bob Brown
Robert James Brown is an Australian senator, the inaugural Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens and was the first openly gay member of the Parliament of Australia...
from 2000 until she was elected to represent Tasmania in the Federal Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
at the 2004 federal election. Preferences to Family First
Family First Party
The Family First Party is a socially conservative minor political party in Australia. It has two members in the South Australian Legislative Council...
from the Australian 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...
almost prevented her from being elected, however she managed to reach a quota mostly due to the high level of below the line voting in Tasmania. The other Green elected at that election was Rachel Siewert
Rachel Siewert
Rachel Mary Siewert is an Australian Greens politician who was elected to represent Western Australia in the Australian Senate at the 2004 federal election....
from Western Australia.
Christine Milne was Vice President of the IUCN (also known as World Conservation Union
World Conservation Union
The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources is an international organization dedicated to finding "pragmatic solutions to our most pressing environment and development challenges." The organization publishes the IUCN Red List, compiling information from a network of...
) from 2005–2008. She became Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens on 10 November 2008.
External links
- Articles by Milne
- Green Christine: A Profile of Senator Milne by Amanda LohreyAmanda LohreyAmanda Francis Lillian Lohrey, , in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) is a writer, and novelist. She completed her education at the University of Tasmania before taking up a scholarship at Cambridge University in the United Kingdom. From 1988 to 1994 she lectured in writing and textual studies at the...
, The MonthlyThe MonthlyThe Monthly is an Australian national magazine of politics, society and the arts, which is published eleven times per year on a monthly basis except the December/January issue. Founded in 2005, it is published by Melbourne property developer Morry Schwartz...
, February 2008