Timothy James Clifford (born 31 March 1982) is an Australian politician. He is a member of Greens Western Australia, who represented the

East Metropolitan Region The East Metropolitan Region is a multi-member electoral region of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Perth. It was created by the ''Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987'', and b ...

in the

Western Australian Legislative Council The Western Australian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia, a state of Australia. It is regarded as a house of review for legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, the lower house. The two Houses ...

from 22 May 2017 to 21 May 2021.

Early life

Clifford was born in

Albany, Western Australia Albany ( ; nys, Kinjarling) is a port city in the Great Southern region in the Australian state of Western Australia, southeast of Perth, the state capital. The city centre is at the northern edge of Princess Royal Harbour, which is a ...

. He grew up in a single-parent household with three sisters, and his mother worked while raising her four children. During the 2000s, Clifford worked as a labourer completing FIFO work, but lost his job as the project was no longer profitable. Clifford attributed this to the "boom and bust cycle" of the mining industry. Clifford studied journalism and political studies at Edith Cowan University. After university, Clifford worked as a public servant for a number of years before being elected to parliament. Clifford has lived in Perth for over 14 years.

Political career

Clifford had previously stood for the Greens in the 2016 federal election in the

Division of Perth The Division of Perth is an Australian electoral division in the state of Western Australia. It is named after Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, where the Division is located. History The division was proclaimed in 1900, and was ...

. He was also the Greens candidate for Mount Lawley at the 2013 WA State Election and then later in the year at the Federal Election of 2013 he contested the federal seat of Stirling also as the Greens candidate. He was elected to the

in the 2017 state election held on 11 March 2017. He is a member of the Greens Western Australia party, and represents the

. He was elected for four years, with Legislative Council terms beginning on 22 May 2017. In Parliament, Clifford tabled a bill to push the McGowan Government to implement a net zero emissions target by 2040 and

100% renewable energy 100% renewable energy means getting all energy from renewable resources. The endeavor to use 100% renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling and transport is motivated by climate change, pollution and other environmental issues, ...

target by 2030. He also pushed for a motion that would declare a state of climate emergency in WA. Clifford believes in a "strong social safety net, good public education and an accessible health care system". Clifford believes the WA Parliament should suspend support for big oil and gas companies that have contributed to the exacerbation of climate change. Clifford was defeated in his bid for re-election at the 2021 state election.

References

1982 births Living people Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council 21st-century Australian politicians {{AustralianGreens-politician-stub