Adam Bandt

Adam Bandt
MP
Bandt in 2010
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
Assumed office
21 July 2017
Serving with Rachel Siewert
Acting
Leader Richard Di Natale
Preceded by Scott Ludlam and
Larissa Waters
Succeeded by TBA
In office
13 April 2012  6 May 2015
Leader Christine Milne
Preceded by Christine Milne
Succeeded by Scott Ludlam and
Larissa Waters
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Melbourne
Assumed office
21 August 2010
Preceded by Lindsay Tanner
Personal details
Born Adam Paul Bandt
(1972-03-11) 11 March 1972
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Political party Green (since 2004)
Other political
affiliations
Labor (until 1989)
Spouse(s)
Claudia Perkins (m. 2013)
Children 2
Residence Flemington, Victoria, Australia
Education Hollywood Senior High School
Alma mater Murdoch University
Monash University
Occupation Industrial lawyer
(Slater & Gordon)
Profession Solicitor
Politician
Website Official website

Adam Paul Bandt (born 11 March 1972) is an Australian politician, former industrial lawyer and acting Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens. Bandt was elected to the Division of Melbourne in the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia, at the 2010 federal election. He is the first member of the Australian Greens to be elected to the House of Representatives at a general election, but the second after Michael Organ, who was elected at a by-election.

Bandt contested the seat in 2007 and narrowly lost to Labor's Lindsay Tanner. Post his successful 2010 election, Bandt retained the seat of Melbourne at the 2013 and the 2016 elections, increasing his majority each time.

Early life and education

Bandt was born in Adelaide, 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.[1]

At Murdoch University, Bandt was a student activist and member of the Left Alliance. He graduated in 1996 with Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees, and was awarded the Sir Ronald Wilson Prize for Academic Achievement. While a student, he was quoted as calling the Greens a "bourgeois" party.[2] He was president of the student union and an active campaigner for higher living allowances for students, and for free education.[3] From 1987 to 1989, he was a member of the Labor Party.[4]

Pre-political career

Prior to his election to parliament, Bandt lived in Parkville and worked as an industrial, labour relations, and public interest lawyer, and was a partner at a major national law firm. He had articles published on links between anti-terror legislation and labour laws[5] and worked on issues facing outworkers in the textiles industry.[6]

In 2008, Bandt completed a PhD in law and politics from Monash University, with his thesis titled "Work to Rule: Rethinking Marx, Pashukanis and Law". In 2012, he described his thesis as looking "at the connection between globalisation and the trend of governments to take away peoples' rights by suspending the rule of law", saying he "reviewed authors who write about the connection between the economy and the law from across the political spectrum", ultimately arguing "that governments increasingly don't accept that people have inalienable rights". Bandt had his thesis suppressed for three years in the hopes of having it published as a book.[7]

Political career

2007 federal election

Bandt was preselected to stand as the Greens candidate for the federal Division of Melbourne at the 2007 election against Labor's Lindsay Tanner, the then Shadow Minister for Finance. 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. Nationally he was the most successful candidate from any minor party contesting a House of Representatives seat.[8] [9]

2010 federal election

Following the 2007 federal election Melbourne had become Australia's only Labor/Greens marginal seat.[10] Bandt was preselected as Greens candidate for the second time, running against a new Labor candidate, Cath Bowtell,[11] following the retirement of long-time member Tanner from Federal Parliament. At 8:22 pm[12][13] on election night, 21 August, he declared victory for the Australian Greens.[14][15][16][17] Bandt received a primary vote of 36.2 percent and a two-party-preferred vote of 56 percent against Labor, a swing to him of 13.4 and 10.8 points, respectively.[18] 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."[19][20][21]

2013 federal election

In 2013 Bandt was re-elected in the seat of Melbourne, despite this time the Liberal Party directing preferences to Labor ahead of The Greens.[22] Bandt retained the seat with a 42.6 percent primary and 55.2 percent two-party-preferred vote.[23] Bandt sat on Christine Milne's frontbench.

In 2015, upon the change of Green leadership from Christine Milne to Richard Di Natale, Bandt did not re-contest the deputy leadership saying he had a new baby due in the upcoming weeks. Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters were elected unopposed as co-deputies.[24]

2016 federal election

Bandt was re-elected as Member for Melbourne in the 2016 election for a third time.[25] In 2017, the Party's Co-Deputy leaders Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam were found to be ineligible to sit in Australia's Parliament owing to their status as dual citizens.[26] Rachel Siewert and Bandt were made temporary co-deputy leaders.[27] Bandt achieved national headlines in February 2018 for attacking new Senator Jim Molan. Amid threat of legal action, Bandt later apologised to the Iraq war and East Timor veteran, and said he would donate to a veterans support organisation.[28]

Personal life

Bandt's partner is former Labor staffer Claudia Perkins.[29] They have two daughters together.[30]

References

  1. Attard, Monica: Adam Bandt, Greens MP for Melbourne, Sunday Profile (ABC Local Radio), 27 August 2010.
  2. Wilson, Lauren (28 August 2010). "Greens too bourgeois for Adam Bandt when he was a uni student". Australian. News Limited. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 28 August 2010.
  3. "Adam Bandt for Lord Mayor". Make Melbourne Green. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2016.
  4. Legge, Kate (6–7 November 2010). "Greener Pastures". The Weekend Australian Magazine. The Australian. p. 22.
  5. Bandt, Adam (4 April 2006). "State waxes, rights wane – Opinion". Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 19 August 2010.
  6. "The Law Report: 15 April 2003 – Outworkers – Out in the Cold". Australia: ABC. 15 April 2003. Archived from the original on 2 February 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  7. Maiden, Samantha (23 September 2012). "How Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt hid his PhD thesis". Herald Sun. News Limited. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  8. "House of Representatives Division First Preferences". Results.aec.gov.au. 20 December 2007. Archived from the original on 29 June 2010. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  9. "Mr Adam Bandt MP". aph.gov.au. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  10. Raue, Ben (July 2009). "Greens pick Adam Bandt for Melbourne". The Tally Room. Retrieved 9 August 2010.
  11. Gordon, Josh (15 August 2010). "Bandt says he will 'side with Labor'". Age. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 16 August 2010. Retrieved 15 August 2010.
  12. Channel 9 election coverage, 21 August 2010
  13. AAP (21 August 2010). "Greens candidate Adam Bandt wins in Melbourne". News. News Limited. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  14. Le Grand, Chip (21 August 2010). "Greens celebrate historic lower house victory". The Australian. News Limited. Retrieved 21 August 2010.
  15. "Voters leave Australia hanging". ABC News. Australia: ABC. 21 August 2010. Archived from the original on 24 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  16. AAP (21 August 2010). "Greens candidate Adam Bandt wins in Melbourne". Herald Sun. News Limited. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  17. AAP (22 August 2010). "Bandt won't support Coalition: Rhiannon". Age. Fairfax. Archived from the original on 18 August 2010. Retrieved 22 August 2010.
  18. "Division of Melbourne, 2010 federal election: AEC". Archived from the original on 9 September 2010. Retrieved 12 September 2010.
  19. Sharp, Ari; Arup, Tom (23 August 2010). "Profile: Adam Bandt". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
  20. Shaw, Andrew (12 July 2010). "Will Adam Bandt be the first Greens man?". Gay News Network. Evolution Publishing. Archived from the original on 15 March 2011. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
  21. Davis, Mark. "The tricky political topography of same-sex marriage". smh.com.au. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  22. Milman, Oliver: "Adam Bandt wins re-election in Melbourne for Greens" in The Guardian, 7 September 2013
  23. Australian Electoral Commission: Virtual Tally Room, retrieved 12 October 2013
  24. "Christine Milne resigns as Greens leader". news.com.au. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  25. Election 2016: Greens MP Adam Bandt claims victory in Melbourne; abc.net.au; 3 Jul 2016
  26. Larissa Waters and Scott Ludlam: What do their resignations mean for the Senate?, abc.net.au; 16 Aug 2017
  27. Richard Di Natale's monthus horribilis: where to now for the Greens?; smh.com.au; 22 Jul 2017
  28. Adam Bandt caves in over longer apology to Jim Molan; www.theaustralian.com.au; 9 Feb 2018
  29. Le Grand, Chip (1 September 2010). "Bandt slept with the enemy in campaign". The Australian. News Limited. Archived from the original on 9 October 2010. Retrieved 30 September 2010.
  30. "Parliamentarian Adam Bandt Talks Family". thedesignfiles.net. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
Lindsay Tanner
Member for Melbourne
2010–present
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Christine Milne
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
2012–2015
Succeeded by
Scott Ludlam and Larissa Waters
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