Scott Ludlam

Senator
Scott Ludlam
Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
Assumed office
6 May 2015
Serving with Larissa Waters
Preceded by Adam Bandt
Senator for Western Australia
Assumed office
1 July 2008
Personal details
Born (1970-01-10) 10 January 1970
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Greens
Website ScottLudlam.org.au

Scott Ludlam (born 10 January 1970) is an Australian politician who has been a Greens member of the Australian Senate since July 2008, representing the state of Western Australia.

Early life and education

Ludlam was born in Palmerston North, New Zealand and subsequently moved to Western Australia. He was previously a film-maker, artist and graphic designer. He studied design at Curtin University and then policy studies at Murdoch University.[1][2] In the 1980s after participating in the experiential deep ecology training of Joanna Macy, organised by Vivienne Elanta of the Gaia Foundation of Western Australia, Scott worked for a while as co-editor of the Gaia Journal, and assisted in the design of their website. He subsequently became involved in anti-nuclear issues in Western Australia, before becoming increasingly involved in the Western Australian Greens.

Political career

At the 2001 state election, Ludlam was the unsuccessful second candidate on the Greens ticket for the upper house Mining & Pastoral region. From 2001 to 2005, Ludlam worked for Greens state parliamentarian Robin Chapple. From 2005 to 2007, he worked as a communications officer for Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert.[2] At the 2005 state election, Ludlam unsuccessfully contested the seat of Murchison-Eyre, obtaining 4.98 percent of the primary vote.[3]

Ludlam at GLAM-wiki Canberra in 2009.

At the 2007 federal election, Ludlam was elected to the Australian Senate, representing Western Australia.[4] He took his place on 26 August 2008 with other incoming Senators.[5]

Ludlam at a Cluster Munition Coalition meeting in 2011.

Following the 2013 federal election, it was initially announced that Ludlam had lost his bid for re-election, eliminated by Palmer United Party candidate Zhenya Wang, with his term due to expire on 30 June 2014.[6] However an Australian Electoral Commission recount of votes raised some controversy over the loss of ballot papers, and resulted in Ludlam and Wayne Dropulich of the Australian Sports Party winning the fifth and sixth Senate spots respectively.[7] After the recount, it came to light that there were 1375 missing votes and the High Court of Australia ruled that the recount results were invalid because the number of votes lost far exceeded the margin between candidates. At the 5 April 2014 re-election, Ludlam safely held his seat in the Senate.

Ludlam has been involved in numerous political campaigns, including opposition to uranium mining at Jabiluka and in Western Australia, nuclear weapons, foreign military bases, and support for Aboriginal land rights, peace and disarmament, recognition of climate change, advocacy of fair trade and equitable globalisation, and energy market reform.[8]

Since taking his seat in the Senate, Ludlam has been campaigning against internet censorship. He has campaigned for strengthened protections for public ownership of the National Broadband Network and the fair treatment of Julian Assange and the WikiLeaks publishing organisation.[9]

In 2011, he successfully advocated to restore $264 million to the National Rental Affordability Scheme[10] which funded the construction of thousands of affordable rental homes.

A former film maker, artist and graphic designer by trade, Ludlam has employed some communications tools to help with campaigns. He created the Bike Blackspot App,[11] a smart phone application that enabled cyclists to lobby for better bike funding. In 2007, he created a 30-minute documentary on why he believes nuclear energy is not the solution to climate change, titled 'Climate of Hope'.[12]

At the 2014 Western Australian Senate election the Greens won in excess of a quota with the primary vote increasing from 9.5 to 15.6 percent, re-electing Ludlam.

On 6 May 2015, Ludlam was elected unopposed to serve as Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens, serving alongside Senator Larissa Waters. This followed Christine Milne resigning her leadership of the party.

On 3 November 2016, Ludlam announced that he would be taking a leave of absence to seek treatment for depression and anxiety.[13]

References

  1. ↑ ABC Q&A: "Panellist: Scott Ludlam"
  2. 1 2 "Parliament of Australia Senator Biography". 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  3. ↑ "2005 WA election results". 2005. Retrieved 2007. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ↑ "Senate Results 2007: Western Australia". 2007. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  5. ↑ Parliament of Australia: Senate: Senate Daily Summary, No. 43/2008, 26 June 2008
  6. ↑ Chan, Gabrielle (2 October 2013). "Greens' Scott Ludlam requests recount after Western Australian senate loss". Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  7. ↑ Griffiths, Emma (4 November 2013). "AEC confirms WA Senate election result, apologises over 1,375 lost ballots". Australian Broadcasting Commission. Retrieved 5 November 2013.
  8. ↑ "Scott Ludlam Official website". 2007. Retrieved 2007. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  9. ↑ Australian Greens: Scott Ludlam
  10. ↑ Clough, Greg. "15,000 NRAS properties restored in Greens Flood Levy negotiation is welcome news for property investors". Onyx Domain. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  11. ↑ Ludlam, Scott. "Bike Blackspot Campaign". Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  12. ↑ J McAuley (3 July 2007). "Nuclear Power Explained : Climate of Hope : Part 1". Retrieved 15 October 2016 – via YouTube.
  13. ↑ Belot, Henry (3 November 2016). "Scott Ludlam takes leave of absence to treat depression, anxiety". ABC News. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
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