ACT Greens

ACT Greens
Leader	Shane Rattenbury
Founded	1992
Headquarters	85 Northbourne Ave, Turner ACT 2612
Ideology	Green politics
National affiliation	Australian Greens
Colours	Green
Legislative Assembly	6 / 25
House of Representatives	0 / 3 (ACT seats)
Senate	0 / 2 (ACT seats)
Website
act.greens.org.au
Politics of Australia Political parties Elections

The ACT Greens is a green political party located in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), and a member of the federation of the Australian Greens. Both parties were formed in 1992, three years after the ACT achieved self-government in 1989.

Since its formation the ACT Greens has had a significant presence in the ACT Legislative Assembly, having formed minority or coalition governments with the ACT Labor Party since 2008.

Since the 2020 election, the Greens hold a record 6 seats in the Assembly, one in each of the Yerrabi, Ginninderra, Murrumbidgee and Brindabella electorates, and two in the electorate of Kurrajong. The Labor-Greens Parliamentary Agreement for the 10th Assembly heralds the first time a Greens party has been returned for a fourth term as balance of power holders anywhere in the world.^{[citation needed]}

History[]

1995 - 1998 Assembly

Two Greens candidates, Lucy Horodny and Kerrie Tucker, were successful at the 1995 election, the first to be run under the Hare-Clark system. The election resulted in a hung parliament, but the Liberal Party was able to form government with two independents.

1998 - 2001 Assembly

Kerrie Tucker was left as the only Greens member during this assembly, in which the Liberal Party again formed government with the help of independents.

2001 - 2004 Assembly

Kerrie Tucker was once again the only Greens member during this assembly, in which the Labor Party formed a minority government with her support and that of Australian Democrat Roslyn Dundas. There was no formal parliamentary agreement between the three governing parties for this assembly.

2004 - 2008 Assembly

This was the first ACT election since the enactment of a fixed four-year term. Deb Foskey was the sole Greens member of the assembly, in which the Labor Party held the majority.

2008 - 2012 Assembly

Following the 2008 election, the ACT Greens held the balance of power in the 17-member Legislative Assembly, with four members (Amanda Bresnan, Meredith Hunter, Shane Rattenbury and Caroline Le Couteur), to Labor's seven and the Liberals with six.^[1][2][3] After almost two weeks of deliberations with both the Labor and Liberal parties, the Greens chose to support a Labor minority government.^[4][5][6]

The Greens and the ALP signed a 'Parliamentary Agreement' to formalize the arrangement. Under the agreement, the Greens secured a range of parliamentary reforms, including implementing Latimer House principles on accountability and collaboration, mandating equal speaking time to government and opposition for all debates, requiring triple bottom line impact analysis for all bills and major policy proposals, and requiring that bills not be debated in the same sitting period as they are introduced.

In the policy arena, achievements included legislated greenhouse gas reduction targets, a major government investment into renewable energy, RE targets, solar access rights for new housing, significant funding for cycle paths, a rapid bus network and park-and-ride sites, 40 km/h speed limits around shopping areas, legislation to reduce single-use plastic shopping bags, investment in urban wetlands, a free legal service for homeless people, and implementing UN principles of Responsible Investment by government. Further policy achievements occurred in the areas of schools and education, health service provision, housing, and gay rights.

The 2008 Parliamentary Agreement also ensured that the Greens chaired three of the Assembly's key committees. In exchange, the Greens agreed to maintain confidence in Chief Minister Jon Stanhope.^[7] The Greens also secured Government support for the nomination of Shane Rattenbury as Speaker of the Assembly - the first Greens Speaker in any parliament in the world.^[8]

The Greens required the Government to report on progress against the measures outlined in the agreement on an annual basis. The first joint communiqué on the progress of the agreement was issued in July 2008.^[9]

2012 - 2016 Assembly

Following the 2012 ACT election, Shane Rattenbury was the only ACT Greens MLA to retain his seat in the Legislative Assembly.,^[10] however he entered into a power sharing arrangement to allow the Labor Party to once again form minority government.^{[citation needed]}

The Greens and the ALP signed a renewed Parliamentary Agreement, thereby securing further parliamentary reforms, the most significant being that there should be a minimum of one hour of Executive members Business in the Assembly each sitting week, and that amendments to bills must be tabled a day before debate.

The Agreement also secured key policy commitments, including the construction of a Light Rail network, Stage 1 of which was opened in May 2019, and a target of 90% renewable electricity by 2020. This latter commitment was later upgraded to 100%, and the target was reached at the end of 2019. Other initiatives included funding to restore the ecological health of Canberra's lakes, new models for social housing, assistance to households to reduce energy use and bills, a ban on battery hens, sow stalls and puppy and kitten farms, increased funding for mental health, and more public drinking fountains.

Marriage equality legislation was also a key commitment, and was enacted in 2013, but was overturned at Federal level.

The agreement gave Shane Rattenbury the ministerial portfolios of Ageing; Housing; Corrections; and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, as well as Territory and Municipal Services in the Second Gallagher Ministry and the First Barr Ministry.

2016 - 2020 Assembly

Shane Rattenbury retained a seat in the expanded Legislative Assembly at the 2016 ACT election, and held the ministerial portfolios of Climate Change and Sustainability; Corrections and Justice Health; Justice, Consumer Affairs and Road Safety; and Mental Health. Caroline Le Couteur was also reelected, after losing her seat in 2012. The Greens maintained their position in the balance of power for a third consecutive term, and the ACT Greens and ACT Labor parties signed another parliamentary agreement setting out the terms of their power-sharing arrangement in government.^[11]

Once again, the Greens secured an ambitious and progressive raft of commitments in the parliamentary agreement, including the establishment of an Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, a ban on greyhound racing, action to minimise gambling harm by reducing the number of licensed poker machines in the capital, a legislated commitment to zero emissions by 2050, Light Rail Stage 2 from Civic to Woden, more nurse-led Walk In Centres, an Office of Mental Health, free bus travel for seniors and concession-card holders, reforms to the Energy Efficiency Ratings scheme, and Gonski needs-based education funding.

2020 - 2024 Assembly

As per legislation, the next ACT Legislative Assembly election will take place on October 17, 2020. 3 Greens candidates will be standing in four of the five ACT electorates, and four Greens cadidates will stand in the Kurrajong electorate, making a total of 16.[1] Shane Rattenbury is standing for his fourth term, while Caroline Le Couteur will retire. Key initiatives of the ACT Greens' election platform for 2020 include kickstarting Australia's electric vehicle, green housing, and green infrastructure revolutions; establishing a Caring for Country conservation package; leading a Cycling Revolution package; and reaching 30% tree canopy coverage across the ACT.[2]

Electoral results[]

State[]

Legislative Assembly
Election year	# of overall votes	% of overall vote	# of overall seats won	+/–	Position
1995	14,967	9.1 (#3)	2 / 17		Crossbench
1998	16,417	9.1 (#4)	1 / 17	1
2001	17,369	9.1 (#3)	1 / 17
2004	18,997	9.3 (#3)	1 / 17
2008	33,057	15.6 (#3)	4 / 17	3	Crossbench (supporting ACT Labor government)
2012	23,773	10.7 (#3)	1 / 17	3	Coalition government with ACT Labor
2016	25,109	10.3 (#3)	2 / 25	1
2020	36,307	13.5 (#3)	6 / 25	4

Federal[]

Election	ACT House seats				ACT Senate seats
	Votes	%	Seats	+/–	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
2001	14,335	7.1	0 / 2		14,825	7.2	0 / 2
2004	22,440	10.8	0 / 2	0	34,575	16.4	0 / 2	0
2007	29,424	13.2	0 / 2	0	48,384	21.5	0 / 2	0
2010	42,942	19.2	0 / 2	0	52,546	22.9	0 / 2	0
2013	32,356	13.4	0 / 2	0	47,553	19.3	0 / 2	0
2016	38,129	15.1	0 / 2	0	41,006	16.1	0 / 2	0
2019	44,804	16.9	0 / 3	0	47,855	17.71	0 / 2	0

Members of Parliament[]

Current Legislative Assembly members[]

Kerrie Tucker and Lucy Horodny

• Shane Rattenbury (2008–current)
• Rebecca Vassarotti (2020–current)
• Emma Davidson (2020–current)
• Andrew Braddock (2020–current)
• Jo Clay (2020–current)
• Johnathan Davis (2020–current)

Previous Legislative Assembly members[]

• Lucy Horodny (1995–1998)
• Kerrie Tucker (1995–2004)
• Deb Foskey (2004–2008)
• Amanda Bresnan (2008–2012)
• Meredith Hunter (2008–2012)
• Caroline Le Couteur (2008–2012, 2016–2020)

References[]

External links[]

• http://act.greens.org.au/