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| Adam Bandt | |
|---|---|
| Name | Adam Bandt |
| Birth date | 11 March 1972 |
| Birth place | Adelaide, South Australia |
| Alma mater | University of Melbourne, Monash University |
| Occupation | Politician, lawyer, academic |
| Party | Australian Greens |
| Office | Leader of the Australian Greens |
| Term start | 4 February 2020 |
| Predecessor | Richard Di Natale |
| Spouse | Anna Flannery |
Adam Bandt
Adam Bandt is an Australian politician, lawyer and academic who serves as leader of the Australian Greens. He has represented the federal division of Melbourne in the Australian House of Representatives since 2010 and became leader of the Greens following the resignation of Richard Di Natale. Bandt is known for his advocacy on climate policy, industrial relations, and civil liberties, and he has been active in debates involving the Labor Party (Australian Labor Party), the Liberal Party of Australia, and the Coalition (Australia).
Bandt was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and raised in Perth, Western Australia and Mildura, Victoria. He attended local schools before studying law and arts at the University of Melbourne and later completed postgraduate studies at Monash University where he engaged with student politics and campus activism. During his university years he was involved with unions and participated in movements connected to Australian Council of Trade Unions campaigns, interactions with figures from the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch), and protests that echoed national debates such as those surrounding the Republicanism in Australia movement and responses to policies by governments led by John Howard.
Bandt practised as an industrial lawyer, working with firms and advisers linked to workplace disputes involving the Transport Workers Union of Australia, the Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union and other trade unions. He lectured at the University of Melbourne and contributed to research on employment law, industrial relations and human rights that intersected with matters overseen by institutions such as the Fair Work Commission. Bandt also provided legal advice during industrial disputes that involved employers represented before courts like the Federal Court of Australia and tribunals established under legislation such as the Fair Work Act 2009.
Bandt's early political activity included membership of Australian Greens state branches and candidacies in Victorian state elections and federal by-elections where he contested seats against candidates from the Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch), the Liberal Party of Australia, and minor parties such as the Palmer United Party. He was elected to the Australian House of Representatives for Melbourne at the 2010 federal election, succeeding long-serving independents and challenging representatives from the Labor Party (Australian Labor Party). In parliament he has been part of committees addressing environment and communications, engaging with inquiries that referenced agencies like the Australian Energy Market Operator, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and debates involving the Paris Agreement.
Following the resignation of Richard Di Natale, Bandt was elected leader of the Australian Greens by the party's federal parliamentary members. His leadership coincided with interactions between the Greens and major parties during episodes such as minority government negotiations and climate policy standoffs involving administrations led by figures like Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese. As leader he has shaped party strategy, working with colleagues including Larissa Waters, Nick McKim, Sarah Hanson-Young, and Adam Bandt's parliamentary colleagues to advance legislative initiatives and to respond to national crises like bushfires and global issues such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bandt advocates for ambitious climate action aligned with international commitments under the Paris Agreement and has supported renewable projects that intersect with policies administered by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. He promotes workers' rights in concert with unions such as the Australian Council of Trade Unions and has criticised industrial approaches taken by both Liberal Party of Australia and Australian Labor Party governments. Bandt has championed civil liberties and privacy in debates involving the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation and has opposed legislation expanding surveillance powers. On foreign policy he has engaged with issues relating to relations with China and security arrangements involving partners like the United States and regional forums such as the ASEAN.
Since winning Melbourne in 2010, Bandt has contested multiple federal elections, facing challengers from the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party of Australia, and minor parties including the Australian Greens (Victoria), United Australia Party and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party at state level. In parliament he has introduced and supported private members' bills on climate, industrial relations and housing, and has been an active participant in question time and committee hearings involving agencies like the Treasury (Australia), the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Health. Bandt has also used filibustering and procedural tactics in the Australian House of Representatives to draw attention to issues such as energy policy and social justice.
Bandt is married to Anna Flannery and has one child; the family resides in the inner-city Melbourne area of the division he represents. His public image is shaped by frequent media appearances on outlets that cover federal politics, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, major newspapers like The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald, and engagement with civil society groups such as environmental organisations and trade unions. Bandt's style combines grassroots activism with parliamentary procedure, and he is often compared in public discourse with leaders of other progressive parties and figures in Australian politics including Bob Brown and Christine Milne.
Category:Members of the Australian House of Representatives Category:Leaders of the Australian Greens Category:Australian lawyers Category:1972 births Category:Living people