Christine Milne

Senator Christine Milne BA(Hons), CertEduc
Senator for Tasmania
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2005
Constituency	Tasmania
Personal details
Born	14 May 1953 (1953-05-14) (age 58) Latrobe, Tasmania
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Greens
Website	christine-milne.greensmps.org.au

Christine Anne Milne (born 14 May 1953, Latrobe, Tasmania)^[1] is an Australian Senator and deputy leader of the Australian Greens.^[2]

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.^[3]

She was first elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in 1989 as a member of the Tasmanian Greens in the electorate of Lyons,^[1] 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.^[4] 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.^[1]

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.^[5] 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.^[6] She became Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens on 10 November 2008.^[5]

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Parliamentary Library profile, Parliament of Tasmania
2. ^ "Milne named first Greens deputy leader". ABC News. 10 November 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/11/10/2415385.htm. Retrieved 10 September 2010. 
3. ^ "Senator Christine Milne". Q&A (ABC Television). http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/senators/milne.htm. Retrieved 10 September 2010. 
4. ^ Ward, Airlie (10 March 2006). "Minority Government". Stateline Tasmania (Australian Broadcasting Corporation). http://www.abc.net.au/stateline/tas/content/2006/s1588941.htm. Retrieved 10 September 2010. 
5. ^ ^{a b} Christine Milne, Senate Biography
6. ^ Senator Christine Milne, National Press Club of Australia

References

• Personal Home Page
• Australian Greens' YouTube Channel
• Senator Christine Milne's YouTube Channel

External links

• Articles by Milne

• Milne, Christine (2008-03-20). "A Road to Nowhere". New Matilda. http://www.newmatilda.com/2008/03/20/road-nowhere. Retrieved 2008-03-24. 

• Green Christine: A Profile of Senator Milne by Amanda Lohrey, The Monthly, February 2008

Party political offices
Preceded by Bob Brown	Leader of the Tasmanian Greens 1993–1998	Succeeded by Peg Putt
Preceded by New office	Deputy Federal Parliamentary Leader of the Australian Greens 2008–present	Incumbent

Persondata
Name	Milne, Christine Anne
Alternative names
Short description	Australian politician
Date of birth	14 May 1953
Place of birth	Latrobe, Tasmania
Date of death	living
Place of death