Posted 13/04/2012 by Sophia Fernandes
On 13 April 2012, Senator Bob Brown announced his retirement as leader of the Australian Greens and resignation from the Senate with the intention to leave the Senate when a candidate for the vacancy has been found.
Senator Bob Brown entered Federal Parliament as a Senator for Tasmania in 1996, he was re-elected in 2001 and again in 2007. Senator Brown has had a long parliamentary career, having served in the Tasmanian House of Assembly for Denison from 1983 to his resignation in 1993. He was Parliamentary Leader of the Greens (Tas.) during his tenure in the Tasmanian parliament and was elected leader of the Australian Greens in 2005. During his tenure, Senator Brown has led the rise of the Australian Greens to the position that the party holds now with nine Senators and one Member in the House of Representatives in the current Federal Parliament.
The Parliamentary Library publication
Balancing act: the Australian Greens 2008-2011, provides further details on the emergence of the party's position holding the balance of power in the Senate and sharing the balance of power in the House of Representatives. Included in the appendices is a useful timeline of the rise of the Australian Greens and a list of private Member's and Senators' Bills introduced since 1996.
In his
first speech to the Federal Parliament, Senator Brown spoke about his views on the need for prioritising environmental sustainability, the increase in environmental refugees in the world and the rise of the Greens around the world.
The
Parliamentary Handbook contains further biographical and parliamentary information on Senator Bob Brown including party positions and committee service.
When Senator Brown leaves the Senate his seat will become vacant and will be filled according to Section 15 of the Constitution. This Parliamentary Library flagpost on
Casual vacancies in the Senate provides details on this process.
Compiled by Sophia Fernandes and Martin Lumb