Robert James Brown (born 27 December 1944) is an Australian former politician, medical doctor and environmentalist. He was a
senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
and the parliamentary leader of the
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, are a confederation of Green state and territory political parties in Australia. As of the 2022 federal election, the Greens are the third largest political party in Australia by vote and th ...
. Brown was elected to the
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives (Australia), House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter ...
on the
Tasmanian Greens
The Tasmanian Greens are a political party in Australia which developed from numerous environmental campaigns in Tasmania, including the flooding of Lake Pedder and the Franklin Dam campaign. They form a part of the Australian Greens.
The party ...
ticket, joining with sitting
Greens Western Australia
Greens Western Australia, commonly known as the Greens WA, is a List of member parties of the Australian Greens, member party of the Australian Greens in Western Australia. The Greens (WA) was formed following the merger of the Western Australia ...
senator
Dee Margetts
Diane Elizabeth Margetts (born 5 March 1955), known as Dee Margetts, is a former Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Senate from 1993 to 1999 and a member of the Western Australian Legislative Council from 2001 to 2005, re ...
to form the first group of Australian Greens senators following the
1996 federal election. He was re-elected in
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
and in
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
. He was
the first The First may refer to:
* ''The First'' (album), the first Japanese studio album by South Korean boy group Shinee
* ''The First'' (musical), a musical with a book by critic Joel Siegel
* The First (TV channel), an American conservative opinion ne ...
openly gay member of the
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia (officially the Federal Parliament, also called the Commonwealth Parliament) is the legislature, legislative branch of the government of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch (represented by the ...
and the first openly gay leader of an Australian political party.
While serving in the Tasmanian parliament, Brown successfully campaigned for a large increase in the protected wilderness areas. Brown led the Australian Greens from the party's foundation in 1992 until April 2012, a period in which polls grew to around 10% at state and federal levels (13.1% of the primary vote in 2010). From 2002 to 2004, when minor parties held the balance of power in the Senate, Brown became a well-recognised politician. In October 2003 Brown was the subject of international media interest when he was suspended from the parliament for interjecting during an address by United States president
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
.
On 13 April 2012, Brown resigned as leader of the Greens and indicated his intention to resign from the Senate in June. This occurred on 15 June 2012.
Early life and education
Brown was born in
Oberon, New South Wales
Oberon is a town located within the Oberon Council local government area, in the central tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. The main industries are farming, forestry and wood products. The town usually receives snowfall during the ...
, one of twins, and attended
Trunkey Public School,
Coffs Harbour High School
Coffs Harbour High School is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Comprehensive school, comprehensive secondary school, secondary day school, located in Coffs Harbour, in the Mid North Coas ...
(1957–60) and
Blacktown Boys High School
Blacktown Boys High School (BBHS) is a government-funded single-sex academically partially selective secondary day school for boys, located in Blacktown, a western Sydney suburb of New South Wales, Australia.
Established in 1956 as Blackto ...
. In his senior year, he was elected
school captain
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...
.
After finishing high school, Brown enrolled in medicine at
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
, where he obtained a
Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...
degree.
In his early 20s, Brown was inspired by the then-Prime Minister
Robert Menzies
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...
, and nearly joined the
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia, one of the two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-left Australian Labor Party. It was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Au ...
.
Pre-parliamentary career
Brown practised medicine for a time at the
Royal Canberra Hospital
Royal Canberra Hospital was the first hospital in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It opened in 1914 (a year after the planned city was opened) on the Acton Peninsula, as the Canberra Community Hospital. It grew to become the major hospital in ...
. During his tenure at the hospital, he and other senior medical staff took a
pacifist
Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...
stance by refusing to certify young men who did not wish to fight in the Vietnam War as fit to be conscripted.
[Thompson (1984) p.13] He then worked as a resident at
Darwin and
Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
hospitals. At the latter post, he met John Hawkins, a surgeon who had kayaked rivers in Tasmania.
Brown travelled to London in 1970 and worked at Hounslow Cottage Hospital and
St Mary Abbots Hospital
St Mary Abbots Hospital was a hospital that operated from 1871 to 1992 at a site on Marloes Road in Kensington, London.
History
The hospital building, which was designed by Alfred Williams as a workhouse infirmary and built by John T. Chappell, ...
in
South Kensington
South Kensington, nicknamed Little Paris, is a district just west of Central London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Historically it settled on part of the scattered Middlesex village of Brompton. Its name was supplanted with ...
.
[Thompson (1984) p.43] He was the resident doctor on duty at St Mary Abbots Hospital when
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
was brought in.
At the time of his retirement, many media outlets erroneously reported that he had pronounced Hendrix dead. Brown later clarified that, while he had been on duty when Hendrix was brought in, "he had been dead for some hours", and Hendrix was officially pronounced dead by a different doctor—who was, coincidentally, also an Australian.
Brown moved to
Tasmania
)
, nickname =
, image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdi ...
in 1972 and worked as a
general practitioner in
Launceston. He soon became involved in the state's
environmental movement
The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement), also including conservation and green politics, is a diverse philosophical, social, and political movement for addressing environmental issues. Environmentalists a ...
, in particular the campaign to save
Lake Pedder
Lake Pedder, once a glacial outwash lake, is a man-made impoundment and diversion lake located in the southwest of Tasmania, Australia. In addition to its natural catchment from the Frankland Range, the lake is formed by the 1972 damming of the ...
. By 1972, he was a member of the newly formed
United Tasmania Group
The United Tasmania Group (UTG) is generally acknowledged as the world's first Green party to contest elections. The party was formed on 23 March 1972, during a meeting of the Lake Pedder Action Committee (LPAC) at the Hobart Town Hall in order ...
, Australia's first
"green" party. For a period of two years during the 1970s, Brown served time as a member of a
Thylacine
The thylacine ( , or , also ) (''Thylacinus cynocephalus'') is an extinct carnivorous marsupial that was native to the Australian mainland and the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. The last known live animal was captured in 1930 in Tasman ...
search team.
In 1976, he fasted for a week on top of Mt Wellington in protest against the arrival at Hobart of the nuclear-powered warship .
State politics
![Bob Brown](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Bob_Brown.jpg)
In 1978 Brown was appointed director of the
Tasmanian Wilderness Society
The Tasmanian Wilderness Society was a Tasmanian environmental group that started in 1976 in response to a proposal by the state's Hydro Electric Commission to construct a dam on the Gordon River, downstream from the Franklin River, that led to t ...
. In the late 1970s he emerged as a leader of the campaign to prevent construction of the
Franklin Dam
The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of the most significant e ...
, which would have flooded the
Franklin River
The Franklin River is a major perennial river located in the Central Highlands and western regions of Tasmania, Australia. The river is located in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park at the mid northern area of the Tasmanian Wilder ...
valley as part of a
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...
project. Brown was among the 1500 people arrested while protesting during the campaign. He subsequently spent 19 days in Hobart's
Risdon Prison
Risdon Prison Complex is an Australian medium to maximum security prison for males located in Risdon Vale near Hobart, Tasmania. The facility is operated by the Tasmanian Prison Service, an agency of the Department of Justice of the Governme ...
. On the day of his release in 1983, he became a member of Tasmania's parliament for the
House of Assembly
House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level.
Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible governme ...
seat of
Denison after the
Democrats MP
Norm Sanders
Norman Karl Sanders (born 15 October 1932) is an Australian former politician, representing the Australian Democrats in the Tasmanian House of Assembly from 1980 to 1982 and the Australian Senate from 1985 to 1990.
Early life
Born in Clevela ...
resigned to successfully stand for the
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the Bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives (Australia), House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter ...
;
Brown was elected to replace him on a countback.
The Franklin campaign was a success after Federal government intervention protected the Franklin River in 1983.
During his first term of office, Brown introduced a wide range of private member's initiatives, which include freedom of information, death with dignity, lowering parliamentary salaries, gay law reform, banning the battery-hen industry and advocation for nuclear free Tasmania. His 1987 bill to ban semi-automatic guns was voted down by both Liberal and Labor members of Tasmania's House of Assembly, nine years before the
Port Arthur massacre resulted in a successful federal Liberal bid to achieve the same results.
In 1989 Tasmania's system of
proportional representation
Proportional representation (PR) refers to a type of electoral system under which subgroups of an electorate are reflected proportionately in the elected body. The concept applies mainly to geographical (e.g. states, regions) and political divis ...
allowed the Greens to win five out of 35 seats in the Tasmanian House of Assembly and Brown became their leader.
[In 1989, the Greens did not have formal leadership positions, but Brown's official senate biography lists his leadership of the state party from 1989–1993 as his first parliamentary party position.] He agreed to support a minority
Labor Party government, on the basis of a negotiated
Accord (signed by Michael Field and Bob Brown) in which the Green independents agreed to support the budget but not motions of no confidence, and the ALP agreed to develop a more open parliamentary process, to consult on departmental appointments, provide a legislative research service, parity in parliamentary staffing and a reform agenda which included equal opportunities, freedom of information, national parks protection and public disclosure of bulk power contracts and royalties from mining companies. This agreement, however, broke down over forestry issues in 1992. In 1993 Brown resigned from the House of Assembly and stood unsuccessfully for the federal
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
.
During 1990-1991 Brown advocated for a merger of the Green Independents with the
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is a centrist political party in Australia. Founded in 1977 from a merger of the Australia Party and the New Liberal Movement, both of which were descended from Liberal Party dissenting splinter groups, it was Australia ...
to form the "Green Democrats", as opposed to confederating with other Green Parties and forming the
Australian Greens
The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, are a confederation of Green state and territory political parties in Australia. As of the 2022 federal election, the Greens are the third largest political party in Australia by vote and th ...
.
However, following a change in leadership in the Democrats, this plan could not continue and the Independents aligned themselves towards a unified Green Party.
Federal politics
![Greg Barber Bob Brown Brian Walters](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Greg_Barber_Bob_Brown_Brian_Walters.jpg)
Brown was elected to the Australian Senate for Tasmania in 1996, and was an outspoken voice in opposition to the conservative government of
John Howard
John Winston Howard (born 26 July 1939) is an Australian former politician who served as the 25th prime minister of Australia from 1996 to 2007, holding office as leader of the Liberal Party. His eleven-year tenure as prime minister is the s ...
, and in support of green and human rights issues, including international issues such as
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
,
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
and
West Papua. He also introduced bills for constitutional reform, forest protection, to block radioactive waste dumping, to ban mandatory sentencing of Aboriginal children, to prohibit the use of
cluster munitions
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicl ...
and for greenhouse abatement.
At the 2001 federal election Brown was re-elected to the Senate with a greatly increased vote, and was outspoken on Prime Minister John Howard's refusal to allow 438 asylum seekers (mostly from
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
) to land on
Christmas Island
Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory comprising the island of the same name. It is located in the Indian Ocean, around south of Java and Sumatra and around north-west of the ...
after they had been rescued from their sinking boat in the Indian Ocean by the
MV Tampa
MV ''Tampa'' was a roll-on/roll-off container ship completed in 1984 by Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. in South Korea for the Norway-based firm, Wilhelmsen Lines Shipowning.
In 2001, the vessel was at the centre of the Tampa Affair when its ...
, a Norwegian freighter. Brown was equally critical of Opposition Leader
Kim Beazley
Kim Christian Beazley (born 14 December 1948) is an Australian former politician and diplomat. He was leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and leader of the opposition from 1996 to 2001 and 2005 to 2006, having previously been a cabinet ...
's acquiescence to John Howard's stance on the
Tampa incident.
Brown was particularly vocal in his opposition to Australian participation in the
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
and became recognised as a leading voice for the anti-war/peace movement. When President Bush visited Canberra on 23 October 2003, Brown and fellow senator
Kerry Nettle
Kerry Michelle Nettle (born 24 December 1973) is a former Australian Senator and member of the Australian Greens in New South Wales. Elected at the 2001 federal election on a primary vote of 4.36 percent with One Nation and micro-party pref ...
interjected during his address to a joint sitting of the two houses of parliament.
During Bush's speech Brown and Nettle wore signs referring to
David Hicks
David Matthew Hicks (born 7 August 1975) is an Australian who attended al-Qaeda's Al Farouq training camp in Afghanistan, and met with Osama bin Laden during 2001. He was then detained by the United States in Guantanamo Bay detention camp ...
and
Mamdouh Habib
Mamdouh Habib (born 3 June 1955) is an Egyptian and Australian citizen with dual nationality, best known for having been held for more than three years by the United States as an enemy combatant, by both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and ...
, two Australian citizens held at
Guantánamo Bay, Cuba
Guantánamo (, , ) is a municipality and city in southeast Cuba and capital of Guantánamo Province.
Guantánamo is served by the Caimanera port near the site of a U.S. naval base. The area produces sugarcane and cotton wool. These are tradition ...
, at that time (Habib was later released without charge and Hicks served a prison term for
providing material support for terrorism
In United States law, providing material support for terrorism is a crime prohibited by the USA PATRIOT Act and codified in title 18 of the United States Code, section2339Aan2339B It applies primarily to groups designated as terrorists by the St ...
), following their apprehension by United States forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan respectively. Bush accepted the interjections with good humour but the
Speaker of the House
The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England.
Usage
The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...
,
Neil Andrew
John Neil Andrew (born 7 June 1944) is a former Australian politician. He served in the House of Representatives for over 20 years from 1983 to 2004 representing the Division of Wakefield in South Australia for the Liberal Party. He became the ...
formally "named" Brown and Nettle. This meant that they were both suspended from the Parliament for 24 hours which prevented them from being present during a similar address from Chinese President
Hu Jintao
Hu Jintao (born 21 December 1942) is a Chinese politician who served as the 16–17th general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from 2002 to 2012, the 6th president of the People's Republic of China (PRC) from 2003 to 2013, an ...
the next day. After the speech, however, Brown shook Bush's hand.
Brown opposed the Howard Government's amendments to the Marriage Act in 2004, stating that "Mr Howard should relax and accept
gay marriages as part of the future's social fabric".
In December 2004, forestry and export woodchip company
Gunns Limited
Gunns Limited was a major forestry enterprise located in Tasmania, Australia. It had operations in forest management, woodchipping, sawmilling and veneer production. The company was placed into liquidation in March 2013.
History
Founded in 1 ...
attempted to sue Brown and others for $6.3 million, in an action which media reports say related to "ongoing damaging campaigns and activities" against the company. The original
Statement of Claim issued by Gunns was struck out by the Supreme Court and costs were awarded against Gunns for the initial proceedings. Gunns ultimately failed with the company finally dropping all claims against Brown on 13 December 2006 while continuing its case against others including The Wilderness Society.
Brown was formally elected as the first Federal Parliamentary Leader of The Greens on 28 November 2005, following almost a decade of service as de facto leader since his election to the Senate in 1996.
In February 2007, the Tasmanian State Government and the Australian Federal Government responded by changing the text of the State's Regional Forest Agreement. New clauses make it clear that the word 'protection' relates only to whether the two respective governments deem a species to be protected rather than the meaning of the word being based on actual evidence of such.
In early 2007, Brown attracted scorn from sections of the media and the major political parties for his proposal to commit to a plan within three years, that would eventually see the banning of coal exports. Brown described coal exports as the "energy industry's heroin habit" and stated that the export of alternative technologies should be the priority.
Brown was re-elected in the
2007 federal election. He announced his intention to stand again at the Greens National Conference in November 2005.
Following his re-election and that of the new
Labor Government, Brown called on the new Prime Minister,
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
, to set fixed carbon targets immediately, and to announce their levels at the upcoming
United Nations Bali Climate Change Conference in December 2007, continuing his climate campaigning, and saying that it was "obvious" what the outcome would be if Australia was to not set carbon emissions goals.
In 2005, Brown brought a legal case against
Forestry Tasmania
Sustainable Timber Tasmania (formerly Forestry Tasmania) is a government business enterprise wholly owned by the Government of Tasmania, Australia. It is responsible for the management of public production forest in Tasmania, which is about 80 ...
in the Federal Court, in an attempt to protect Tasmania's
Wielangta forest
The Wielangta forest is in south-east Tasmania, Australia. It is notable for its role in a 2006 court case that called into question the effectiveness of Australia's cooperative Commonwealth-State forest management regime known as Regional Fores ...
from clearfell logging. The 1997 Tasmanian
Regional Forest Agreement
The Regional Forest Agreements (RFA) are 20 year plans for the conservation and sustainable management of Australia's native forests, and are intended to provide certainty to commercial forestry operations while protecting environmental values. The ...
(RFA) exempted logging operations from endangered species laws but required the protection of endangered species. Bob Brown brought a case against Forestry Tasmania citing threats to endangered species like the
Swift parrot
The swift parrot (''Lathamus discolor'') is a species of broad-tailed parrot, found only in southeastern Australia. The species breeds in Tasmania during the summer and migrates north to south eastern mainland Australia from Griffith-Warialda ...
and
Wielangta Stag Beetle
''Lissotes latidens'', commonly known as the Wielangta stag beetle or broad-toothed stag beetle, is a species of stag beetle which is only found in an area centred in Wielangta Forest in eastern Tasmania
)
, nickname ...
. In December 2006, Judge Shane Marshall awarded the case in Brown's favour. On appeal to the full bench of the
Federal Court level, the case was lost, without rejecting the earlier judgement that logging would further endanger these species. In May 2008 the
High Court denied leave to appeal that decision after the wording of the RFA was changed.
Brown was ordered to pay $240,000 to Forestry Tasmania, which he said he could not afford to pay. Failure to pay would have resulted in bankruptcy proceedings which would have cost Brown his Senate seat. Brown had earlier rejected a settlement offer from Forestry Tasmania that would have required him to have only paid $200,000 of the costs he had incurred. On 9 June 2009, Australian entrepreneur
Dick Smith promised to help bail him out if necessary, an offer that was not needed after pledges of support from over 1,000 donors covered Brown's legal bill within a few days of his announcement.
In 2011, after the
2010–11 Queensland floods
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
Brown drew criticism for suggesting that half the
Mineral Resource Rent Tax
The Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) was a tax on profits generated from the mining of non-renewable resources in Australia. It was a replacement for the proposed Resource Super Profit Tax (RSPT).
The tax, levied on 30% of the "super profits" fr ...
be allocated to future natural catastrophes. He made comments to the effect that climate change, specifically the impact on climate from the mining sector should be held at least partially responsible for the flooding.
In 2011, Brown supported the
2011 military intervention in Libya
On 19 March 2011, a multi-state NATO-led coalition began a military intervention in Libya, to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, in response to events during the First Libyan Civil War. With ten votes in favour and five ...
.
On 24 March 2012, at the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Tasmanian Greens, Brown warned about degradation of the Earth and the impact that could have on future generations. He postulated that other civilisations in the universe are:
not communicating with Earth. They have themselves. They have come and gone. And now it's our turn.
As a possible approach to pre-empting this he proposed a Global Parliament. He was met with a standing ovation. The then deputy leader
Christine Milne
Christine Anne Milne (; born 14 May 1953) is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Tasmania. She was the leader of the parliamentary caucus of the Australian Greens from 2012 to 2015. Milne stepped down as leader on 6 May 2015, ...
said it was "a very inspiring speech". There was criticism of his approach. At the Global Greens Conference in Dakar, Senegal Africa, 1 April 2012, Bob Brown advocated that there be established a "global parliament" where "every citizen should have an equal say". The final resolution supported by the Australian Greens and others, was passed.
Resignation from Greens leadership
On 13 April 2012, Brown resigned as leader of the Greens and announced that he would be resigning from the Senate in June when his replacement was available. His deputy, Christine Milne, became Greens leader, and federal
Melbourne MP Adam Bandt
Adam Paul Bandt (born 11 March 1972) is an Australian politician and former industrial lawyer who is the leader of the Australian Greens and federal MP for Melbourne. Previously, he served as co-deputy leader of the Greens from 2012 to 2015 and ...
became Greens deputy leader.
Peter Whish-Wilson
Peter Stuart Whish-Wilson (born 24 February 1968) is an Australian politician who has been a Senator for Tasmania since 2012, representing the Australian Greens. Formerly a lecturer in economics at the University of Tasmania, Whish-Wilson was ...
, who had formerly stood for the Greens, was selected as Brown's replacement in the Senate.
Brown's resignation took place on 15 June 2012 at 3:30 pm, when he handed his resignation to the senate president,
John Hogg. Peter Whish-Wilson was sworn into the Senate on 21 June.
Post-resignation
Brown set up th
Bob Brown Foundationwith his longtime partner Paul Thomas to promote environmental awareness. Since its establishment, the Bob Brown Foundation has given out national awards to many Australian environmentalists including
Miranda Gibson, Charlie Wood,
Isaac Astill, and
Drew Hutton
Peter Drew Hutton (born 1947) is an Australian activist, academic, campaigner and past political candidate. Hutton co-founded the Queensland Greens (in 1990) and Australian Greens (in 1991) and ran in elections in Queensland and Australia at a ...
.
Brown is a supporter of the
, an organisation which advocates for democratic reformation of the United Nations.
Brown was a speaker at the Save the Kimberley concert, held on 5 October 2012. Held at Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia, the concert was part of a long-running campaign to protest against a proposal to industrialise the James Price Point area in Broome, Western Australia, Australia. Brown had also addressed a rally on 2 September 2012 in Sydney, Australia. Brown appeared at another concert in support of the Kimberley cause on 24 February 2013, with musicians Missy Higgins and John Butler also appearing, with the event held at The Esplanade in Fremantle, Western Australia. Jarrah Records, the record label that Butler co-founded with musical trio
The Waifs
The Waifs (originally styled as The WAiFS) are an Australian folk rock band formed in 1992 by sisters Vikki Thorn (harmonica, guitar, vocals) and Donna Simpson (musician), Donna Simpson (guitar, vocals) as well as Josh Cunningham (guitar, vocal ...
and band manager Phil Stevens, worked in partnership with The Wilderness Society to stage the free event that also featured the band Ball Park Music. A march to protest the proposed gas refinery construction at James Price Point accompanied the free concert and campaign supporters were photographed with banners and placards.
On 8 January 2013, it was announced that Brown would be taking over as director of the Australian chapter of
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) is a non-profit, marine conservation activism organization based in Friday Harbor, Washington, Friday Harbor on San Juan Island, Washington, in the United States. Sea Shepherd employs direct action t ...
, a non-profit,
marine conservation
Marine conservation, also known as ocean conservation, is the protection and preservation of ecosystems in oceans and seas through planned management in order to prevent the over-exploitation of these marine resources. Marine conservation is in ...
organisation. He stepped down in April 2014.
In January 2016, Brown was arrested after refusing to leave the Lapoinya Forest in Tasmania, where preparations for logging were under way. Along with another protester, who had been arrested a few days earlier, he was charged with an offence under Tasmania's Workplaces (Protection from Protesters) Act 2014. Although the charges were dropped, the two went to the
High Court to argue that the provisions under which they had been charged were unconstitutional. In October 2017 the High Court agreed, by a majority although for differing reasons, that the provisions were invalid in that they breached the constitutional freedom of political communication.
In August 2016, Brown joined the crew of
Sea Shepherd
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
on board their ship
''Steve Irwin'', as it joined the campaign against proposed drilling in the Great Australian Bight.
Opposition to a Queensland coal mine
In April 2019 Brown led a convoy of vehicles to protest against the proposed
Carmichael coal mine
The Carmichael coal mine is a coal mine in Queensland, Australia which produced its first shipment of coal in December 2021.
The mine has drawn criticism for its environmental impacts on the Great Barrier Reef, water usage and carbon emissions ...
.
Opposition to a Tasmanian wind farm
In July 2019 Brown came out strongly opposing a large wind farm to be set up in Northern Tasmania, raising concern for bird species.
Personal life
In a newspaper interview in 1976, Brown announced that he had a same-sex partner
to highlight discrimination and encourage law reform because
homosexual activity in Tasmania remained a crime
until 1997.
Brown currently lives in
Eggs and Bacon Bay
Eggs And Bacon Bay is a community in Tasmania within the local government area of Huon Valley. It is approximately 44 km from the state capital Hobart and 17 km from the nearest township Cygnet. Eggs and Bacon Bay covers an area of 1.24 squ ...
, Tasmania, with his long-time partner, Paul Thomas, a farmer and activist whom he met in 1996.
Brown was the founder, in 1990, of the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, now
Bush Heritage Australia
Bush Heritage Australia is a non-profit organisation with headquarters in Melbourne, Australia, that operates throughout Australia. It was previously known as the Australian Bush Heritage Fund, which is still its legal name. It's vision is: Heal ...
, a non-profit environmental organisation dedicated to purchasing and preserving Australian
bushland
In Australia, bushland is a blanket term for land which supports remnant vegetation or land which is disturbed but still retains a predominance of the original floristics and structure.
Human survival in bushland has a whole mythology evolving ...
. He was President of the organisation until 1996.
On 20 March 2011 Brown donated a 14-hectare (35-acre) property and house he had owned for 38 years to Bush Heritage Australia. The property is located 47 kilometres (29 miles) south-west of
Launceston, Tasmania
Launceston () or () is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia, at the confluence of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (kanamaluka). As of 2021, Launceston has a population of 87,645. Material was copied ...
, in the
Liffey Valley
Liffey Valley Shopping Centre is a shopping centre located in Dublin 22, Ireland which Comprises 80 stores and 20 Restaurants. The centre opened on and is located near the junction of the M50 motorway and N4 road closely surrounded by Lucan ...
. According to Australian Geographic, it is a site of historic and symbolic significance.
Brown describes himself as a "lapsed
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
".
In an interview with Richard Fidler on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
radio,
Nigel Brennan
Nigel Brennan (born 18 May 1972) is an Australians, Australian photojournalist and author. In 2008, Islamist insurgents in southern Somalia kidnapped him and Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout. He was released 15 months later after a ...
, an Australian photojournalist who was kidnapped in Somalia and held hostage for 462 days, revealed Brown had contributed $100,000 of his own money to help pay the ransom for his release. It was also revealed that Brown contacted Australian businessman
Dick Smith asking that he also contribute funds towards the release of Brennan Brennan, who was released in November 2009, also stated in this interview that Brown had to borrow this money, an assertion also made in various media outlets at the time of Brennan's release. In the same interview, Brennan notes that in contrast to Brown's compassion, the Australian government seemed unconcerned with his welfare, Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd
Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
dismissed his mother's anxiety at having her son released.
In July 2012, Bob Brown was inducted into the Hall of Fame at
Coffs Harbour High School
Coffs Harbour High School is a Education in Australia#Government schools, government-funded Mixed-sex school, co-educational Comprehensive school, comprehensive secondary school, secondary day school, located in Coffs Harbour, in the Mid North Coas ...
, where he had spent a significant part of his secondary school years.
Publications
Brown has published several books including ''Wild Rivers'' (1983), ''Lake Pedder'' (1986), ''Tarkine Trails'' (1994), ''The Greens'' (1996) (with
Peter Singer
Peter Albert David Singer (born 6 July 1946) is an Australian moral philosopher, currently the Ira W. DeCamp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University. He specialises in applied ethics and approaches ethical issues from a secular, ...
), ''Memo for a Saner World'' (2004), ''Valley of the Giants'' (2004), ''Tasmania's Recherche Bay'' (2005), ''Earth'' (2009), ''In Balfour Street'' (2010) and ''Optimism: reflections on a life of action'' (2014).
He has collaborated with, or supported work of
Geoff Law.
In 2004
James Norman published the first authorised biography of Brown, entitled ''Bob Brown: A Gentle Revolutionary''.
Awards
Brown has received the following awards:
*
The Australian
''The Australian'', with its Saturday edition, ''The Weekend Australian'', is a broadsheet newspaper published by News Corp Australia since 14 July 1964.Bruns, Axel. "3.1. The active audience: Transforming journalism from gatekeeping to gatew ...
newspaper 'Australian of the Year' (1983)
*
IUCN
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...
Packard Award (1984)
*
UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...
Global 500 Roll of Honour The Global 500 Roll of Honour was an award given from 1987 to 2003 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The award recognized the environmental achievements of individuals and organizations around the world. A successor system of UNEP ...
(1987)
*
Goldman Environmental Prize
The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world's six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. ...
(1990)
* MAPW Distinguished Physician Award (1990)
*
BBC Wildlife
''BBC Wildlife'' is a British glossy, all-colour magazine about wildlife, operated and published by Immediate Media Company. It produces 13 issues a year.
''BBC Wildlife'' was launched in January 1963 as ''Animals Magazine'', edited by filmmaker ...
magazine 'World's Most Inspiring Politician' (1996)
*
National Trust
The National Trust, formally the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, is a charity and membership organisation for heritage conservation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In Scotland, there is a separate and ...
Australian National Treasure (1998)
*
Rainforest Action Network
Rainforest Action Network (RAN) is an environmental organization based in San Francisco, California, United States. The organization was founded by Randy "Hurricane" Hayes and Mike Roselle in 1985, and first gained national prominence with a gr ...
Environmental Hero (2006)
*
Australian Peace Prize
The Australian Peace Prize was an annual award presented from 2006 to 2009 to an Australian citizen or resident, or to a group based in Australia, for outstanding contributions towards peace. It was awarded by the Peace Organisation of Australia.< ...
(2009)
* Australian
Humanist
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "humani ...
of the Year (2010)
Rosslyn Ives: ''Australian Humanist of the Year 2010 Bob Brown, Political Activist''
in International Humanist and Ethical Union, 2010
References
Notes
Further reading
* Armstrong, Lance J.E. (1997). ''Good God, He's Green! A History of Tasmanian Politics 1989–1996''. Wahroonga, N.S.W., Pacific Law Press.
* Lines, William J. (2006) ''Patriots : defending Australia's natural heritage'' St Lucia, Qld. : University of Queensland Press, 2006.
*
*
External links
Brown's official website
Brown's parliamentary website
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Bob
1944 births
20th-century Australian politicians
21st-century Australian politicians
Australian anti–nuclear weapons activists
Australian conservationists
Australian general practitioners
Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Australia
Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Tasmania
Australian humanists
Australian Presbyterians
Australian republicans
Australian science writers
Australian gay writers
Gay politicians
Leaders of the Australian Greens
LGBT legislators in Australia
LGBT physicians
Australian LGBT rights activists
Living people
Members of the Australian Senate
Members of the Australian Senate for Tasmania
Members of the Tasmanian House of Assembly
People from the Central Tablelands
Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Sydney Medical School alumni
Tasmanian Wilderness Society
The Wilderness Society (Australia)
Australian twins
Goldman Environmental Prize awardees
21st-century Australian LGBT people