Frontbench of the Australian Greens

The Australian Greens frontbench consists of all Greens members of Parliament serving as the party's spokespeople inside Parliament on various issues, each member being assigned shadow portfolios for their speaking duties. This allows the Greens to shadow government policies and actions from the party perspective.[1]

The frontbench led by Adam Bandt follows on from the frontbench of Richard Di Natale, former Greens leader. Some of the major changes in this arrangement included the Foreign Affairs portfolio being reallocated from Di Natale to Bandt, while new portfolios were created for Larissa Waters and Mehreen Faruqi to represent the leader on various issues in the Senate. The NBN was added to the digital rights and IT portfolio held by Nick McKim, and portfolios formerly held by Bandt were assigned to Janet Rice. Tourism and Gambling were reallocated from Waters to Sarah Hanson-Young and Rachel Siewert, respectively.[2] A new portfolio of Dental Health was also added to Hanson-Young's responsibilities, which the Senator welcomed, stating she could not "wait to sink her teeth into it".[2]

After the resignation of Rachel Siewert, and preparing for the 2022 federal election, a reshuffle of portfolios was announced.[3] Some changes in this arrangement included Nick McKim becoming the Party Whip, the Health portfolio being combined with the Dental Health and Mental Health portfolios and allocated to Jordon Steele-John, and the Family, Ageing and Community Services and Gambling portfolios previously held by Siewert being allocated to Janet Rice and Sarah Hanson-Young, respectively. The Public Sector portfolio was reallocated from Adam Bandt to Larissa Waters, with the Mining and Resources portfolio reassigned from Waters to Dorinda Cox. Also allocated to Cox was the Trade portfolio from Steele-John, and the Science, Research and Innovation portfolio from Rice. Bandt stated that this reshuffle "will give the Greens the best chance of kicking the government out".[3]

Current arrangement

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A new arrangement was announced following the 2022 election.[4]

Role Spokesperson
  • Leader of the Greens
  • Climate Change and Energy
  • Workplace Relations
Adam Bandt MP
  • Deputy Leader of the Greens
  • Education
    • Early Childhood
    • Vocational and Higher Education
  • Anti-Racism
  • International Aid and Global Justice
  • Animal Welfare
Senator Mehreen Faruqi
  • Leader of the Greens in the Senate
  • Women
  • Democracy
    • Electoral reform
    • Parliamentary standards
Senator Larissa Waters
  • Manager of Business in the Senate
  • Environment and Water
  • Arts and Communications
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
  • Senate Whip
  • Economic Justice and Treasury
  • Home Affairs, Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
Senator Nick McKim
  • Party Room Chair
  • Social Services
  • Aged Care
  • Government Services
  • Forests
Senator Janet Rice
  • Agriculture
  • Healthy Oceans
  • Waste
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson
  • Health
  • Foreign Affairs, Peace and Nuclear Disarmament
  • Disability Rights and Services
Senator Jordon Steele-John
  • Resources
  • Science
  • Trade and Tourism
  • First Nations (from February 2023)
Senator Dorinda Cox
  • Justice
    • Attorney-General's Department
    • Drug law reform
  • Defence and Veterans' Affairs
  • Digital Rights
Senator David Shoebridge
  • Infrastructure
  • Transport
  • Sustainable Cities
Elizabeth Watson-Brown MP
  • Finance
  • Employment
  • Public Sector
Senator Barbara Pocock
  • Housing
  • Homelessness
Max Chandler-Mather MP
  • Industry, Transition and Regional Development
  • Northern Australia
  • Schools
Senator Penny Allman-Payne
  • LGBTIQA+
  • Youth
Stephen Bates MP
Former spokespeople
  • Deputy Leader in the Senate (June to October 2022)
  • First Nations (June 2022 to February 2023)
  • The Republic (June 2022 to February 2023)
  • Sport (June 2022 to February 2023)
Senator Lidia Thorpe

Previous arrangements led by Adam Bandt

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Third arrangement

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The frontbench was rearranged following the resignation of Rachel Siewert and the appointment of Dorinda Cox.

Role Spokesperson
  • Leader of the Australian Greens
  • Spokesperson for the Climate Emergency
  • Spokesperson for Energy
  • Spokesperson for Employment and Workplace Relations
Adam Bandt MP
  • Leader in the Senate
  • Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
  • Spokesperson for Women
  • Spokesperson for Democracy (covers Local Government)
  • Spokesperson for the Public Sector
Senator Larissa Waters
  • Party Whip
  • Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
  • Spokesperson for Digital Rights, I.T. and NBN
  • Spokesperson for Economic Justice
  • Spokesperson for Immigration and Citizenship
  • Spokesperson for Treasury & Finance
Senator Nick McKim
  • Spokesperson for Mining and Resources
  • Spokesperson for Trade
  • Spokesperson for Science, Research and Innovation
Senator Dorinda Cox
  • Party Room Chair
  • Spokesperson for LGBTIQ+ Rights
  • Spokesperson for Multiculturalism
  • Spokesperson for Forests
  • Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs
  • Spokesperson for Family, Ageing and Community Services
Senator Janet Rice
  • Spokesperson for Sport
  • Spokesperson for Justice
  • Spokesperson for First Nations Peoples
Senator Lidia Thorpe
  • Spokesperson for Housing
  • Spokesperson for Education
  • Spokesperson for Animal Welfare
  • Spokesperson for Industry
  • Spokesperson for International Aid and Development
  • Spokesperson for Anti-Racism
Senator Mehreen Faruqi
  • Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services
  • Spokesperson for Youth
  • Spokesperson for Nuclear
  • Spokesperson for Peace and Disarmament (covers Defence)
  • Spokesperson for Veterans' Affairs
  • Spokesperson for Health (including Dental and Mental Health)
Senator Jordon Steele-John
  • Spokesperson for Arts, Media and Communications
  • Spokesperson for Environment and Water
  • Spokesperson for Tourism
  • Spokesperson for Gambling
  • Spokesperson for Transport and Infrastructure
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
  • Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Affairs
  • Spokesperson for Healthy Oceans
  • Spokesperson for Waste and Recycling
  • Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs
  • Spokesperson for Small Business
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson

Second arrangement

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The frontbench was rearranged following the resignation of Richard Di Natale and the appointment of Lidia Thorpe.

Role Spokesperson
  • Leader of the Australian Greens
  • Spokesperson for the Climate Emergency
  • Spokesperson for Energy
  • Spokesperson for Employment and Workplace Relations
  • Spokesperson for the Public Sector
Adam Bandt MP
  • Leader in the Senate
  • Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
  • Spokesperson for Women
  • Spokesperson for Mining and Resources
  • Spokesperson for Democracy
  • Spokesperson for Local Government
Senator Larissa Waters
  • Co-Deputy Leader of the Australian Greens
  • Spokesperson for Digital Rights, I.T. and NBN
  • Spokesperson for Economic Justice
  • Spokesperson for Immigration and Citizenship
  • Spokesperson for Treasury & Finance
Senator Nick McKim
  • Party Whip
  • Spokesperson for Health
  • Spokesperson for Family, Ageing and Community Services
  • Spokesperson for Mental Health
  • Spokesperson for Gambling
Senator Rachel Siewert
  • Party Room Chair
  • Spokesperson for LGBTIQ+ Rights
  • Spokesperson for Multiculturalism
  • Spokesperson for Science, Research and Innovation
  • Spokesperson for Transport and Infrastructure
  • Spokesperson for Forests
  • Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs
Senator Janet Rice
  • Spokesperson for Sport
  • Spokesperson for Justice
  • Spokesperson for First Nations Peoples
Senator Lidia Thorpe
  • Spokesperson for Housing
  • Spokesperson for Education
  • Spokesperson for Animal Welfare
  • Spokesperson for Industry
  • Spokesperson for International Aid and Development
  • Spokesperson for Animal Welfare
  • Spokesperson for Anti-Racism
Senator Mehreen Faruqi
  • Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services
  • Spokesperson for Youth
  • Spokesperson for Trade
  • Spokesperson for Nuclear
  • Spokesperson for Peace and Disarmament (covers Defence)
  • Spokesperson for Veterans' Affairs
Senator Jordon Steele-John
  • Spokesperson for Dental Health
  • Spokesperson for Arts, Media and Communications
  • Spokesperson for Environment and Water
  • Spokesperson for Tourism
Senator Sarah Hanson-Young
  • Spokesperson for Agriculture and Rural Affairs
  • Spokesperson for Healthy Oceans
  • Spokesperson for Waste and Recycling
  • Spokesperson for Consumer Affairs
  • Spokesperson for Small Business
Senator Peter Whish-Wilson

First arrangement

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The frontbench was rearranged following the election of Adam Bandt as party leader.

Spokesperson Portfolio
Adam Bandt (Leader)
  • Climate Emergency
  • Energy
  • Employment and Workplace Relations
  • Public Sector
  • Foreign Affairs
Larissa Waters (Leader in the Senate and Co-Deputy Leader)
  • Women
  • Mining and Resources
  • Democracy
  • Representing Leader on Climate Change and Energy in Senate
  • Representing Leader on Foreign Affairs in Senate
Nick McKim (Co-Deputy Leader)
  • Digital Rights, I.T. and NBN
  • Justice
  • Immigration and Citizenship
Rachel Siewert (Party Whip)
  • First Nations Peoples' Issues
  • Family, Ageing and Community Services
  • Mental Health
  • Gambling
Janet Rice (Party Room Chair)
  • LGBTIQ Issues
  • Sport
  • Agriculture and Rural Affairs
  • Forests
  • Sustainable Cities
  • Transport and Infrastructure
  • Science, Research and Innovation
Richard Di Natale
  • Health
  • Multiculturalism
Mehreen Faruqi
  • Housing
  • Education
  • Animal Welfare
  • Industry
  • International Aid and Development
  • Local Government
  • Representing Leader on Employment, Workplace Relations and Public Sector in the Senate
Jordon Steele-John
  • Disability Rights and Services
  • Youth
  • Trade
  • Peace and Nuclear Disarmament (covers Defence)
  • Veterans' Affairs
Sarah Hanson-Young
  • Dental Health
  • Arts, Media and Communications
  • Environment and Water
  • Tourism
Peter Whish-Wilson
  • Treasury and Finance
  • Healthy Oceans
  • Waste and Recycling
  • Consumer Affairs
  • Small Business

References

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  1. ^ "Portfolios". The Australian Greens. Archived from the original on 23 October 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
  2. ^ a b Kelly, Will (27 February 2020). "Australian Greens Portfolio Allocations". greensmps.org.au. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b Bandt, Adam (15 September 2021). "Bandt announces new parliamentary line-up to kick the Libs out and negotiate shared power". Greens MPs. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
  4. ^ Bandt, Adam. "Greens Portfolios". Twitter. Twitter, Inc. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
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