Five quick facts about Adam Bandt
- Bandt has been the leader of the Australian Greens since 2020 and a member of parliament since 2010.
- He was the first Greens candidate to win a seat in a general election for the House of Representatives.
- The 52-year-old has framed the upcoming election as an opportunity for the Greens to win "new seats across the country" and potentially play a pivotal role in a minority government.
- During his time at university, he was a member of the Left Alliance, a national organisation of socialist, feminist, and progressive students.
- Under his leadership, the Greens have come up with what they refer to as a series of "Robin Hood-style" policies to take to the election, which would tax the super-rich to free up money for the cost of living issues.
What did Adam Bandt do before he entered politics?
Bandt was born in Adelaide but spent most of his childhood in Perth. After working with a string of student unions both before and after earning his degree in Law and Arts at Murdoch University, Bandt moved to Melbourne to pursue a career as a public interest lawyer.
He eventually became a partner at the firm Slater & Gordon, where he specialised in industrial law and represented several unions. After going part-time in 2008, he completed a PhD at Monash University.
What is Adam Bandt's electoral record?
- Bandt was first elected to the House of Representatives for Melbourne in 2010 and then re-elected in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2022.
- He was deputy leader for the Greens between 2012-2015.
- Before that, he held several senior positions within the party, including as its spokesperson for climate change and employment.
When did Adam Bandt become the leader of the Greens?
He took on the role in 2020, after then-leader Richard Di Natale announced his resignation from the party and immediate retirement from politics for family reasons. Bandt was elected to the position unopposed.
What was Adam Bandt's first speech in parliament about?
Bandt used his first speech in 2010 to focus on a string of progressive issues. He framed climate change as the greatest moral challenge facing the world while calling out both of the major parties for their lack of action.
He also advocated for treaty negotiations with First Nations communities, a more compassionate approach to asylum seeker policies, free education, and universal healthcare.
