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10 unusual facts about Australian Greens


Abortion in Australia

However, in 2002, it became the first jurisdiction in Australia to legalise abortion in full, when the Stanhope ALP government, with the assistance of Green and independent members, passed the Crimes (Abolition of Offence of Abortion) Act 2002, removing abortion from the criminal statute books altogether.

Electoral district of Melbourne

The electorate has been traditional Labor territory since 1908, but has become increasingly marginal against the Australian Greens since 2002.

February 2010 Australian cyberattacks

The proposal is not expected to go forward due to the opposition from The Coalition and the Greens.

Jay Weatherill

A conscience vote for a Greens-initiated gay marriage bill was announced by Weatherill in August 2012, following the announcement of Tasmania's planned changes.

Jennifer Kanis

Kanis retained the seat for Labor on a 51.5 per cent (–4.7) two-candidate-preferred vote against Australian Greens candidate and fellow Melbourne City councillor Cathy Oke.

Julian McGauran

This prompted calls from Labor senators and Greens Senator Bob Brown that he be sacked as Deputy Government Whip in the Senate.

Peter Tinley

He was ultimately elected as the member for Willagee with over 60% of the two-party-preferred vote against the Greens' Hsien Harper.

Ray Groom

After that election the Liberal Party lost its majority and the Australian Labor Party refused to enter into any agreement with the Australian Greens, so the Liberals were forced into a minority government.

Shi Zhengrong

He has donated funds for renewable energy research to the University of NSW, Australia "because he felt it was not getting an appropriate level of government support", according to Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne.

Simon Sheikh

In 2012, a few months after stepping down as National Director of GetUp, Sheikh successfully ran for pre-selection in the ACT as an Australian Greens Senate candidate for the 2013 Federal Election.


David Feeney

It was initially expected that he would succeed Robert Ray as the lead Labor Senate candidate, but as a result of factional agreements involving the powerful Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association this position went to former Senator Jacinta Collins, and Feeney was given the third position on the Labor ticket, which he narrowly won, ahead of the Australian Greens candidate.

David Risstrom

In 1999, Risstrom became the first member of the Australian Greens to be elected to public office anywhere in the state of Victoria when he was elected to Melbourne City Council with 9% of the primary vote under the proportional representation electoral system then in place.

Equal Love

Equal Love has had the support of Amnesty International, the Australian Greens and other notable individuals such as Victorian Labor Party Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike, The Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen and Australian Idol finalist Rob Mills.

Feed-in tariffs in Australia

In July 2008, a bill was introduced by Australian Greens Senator Christine Milne, (Tasmania), called the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment (Feed-In Tariff) Bill 2008.

Kathleen Maltzahn

She is a former councillor for the City of Yarra and was the Greens candidate for the state seat of Richmond in the 2010 Victorian state election.

Nuclear Disarmament Party

Jo Vallentine continued as a catalyst of the Australian Greens through her status as a WA Greens senator from 1990 until her resignation on health grounds in 1992.

Richard Denniss

Prior to his appointment at The Australia Institute, Denniss was Senior Strategic Advisor to Australian Greens Leader Senator Bob Brown and was also researcher to Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja, former Leader of the Australian Democrats.

Sallyanne Atkinson

She was eventually defeated in 1991 in a narrow upset election win by the virtually unknown Jim Soorley, who received preferences from the Greens candidate Drew Hutton.

Scottsdale, Tasmania

In July 2006 Scottsdale, the heart of Tasmania's "north-east Bible belt", was given national coverage because local Exclusive Brethren sect members were named as having conducted an advertising smear against the Australian Greens political party.

Wedge issue

Some who would typically vote Labor voted instead for the Greens and the Democrats in protest against what they saw as the ALP's complicity.