The Queensland Greens Senator Andrew Bartlett has delivered his maiden speech to the upper house.
Bartlett was chosen to represent Queensland in the Senate on November 10, 2017. His election followed the resignation of Larissa Waters on July 18, 2017. On October 27, 2017, the High Court, sitting as the Court of Disputed Returns, ruled that Waters was ineligible to be elected under Section 44 of the Constitution, due to her Canadian dual citizenship. A special recount was ordered and Bartlett was declared elected. He had been the number two candidate on the Greens ticket at the 2016 election.
Bartlett, 53, previously served as an Australian Democrats senator from Queensland between 1997 and 2008. He was leader of the party for two years from 2002 until 2004.
- Listen to Bartlett’s speech (21m)
- Watch Bartlett’s speech (22m)
Hansard transcript of Senator Andrew Bartlett’s maiden speech.
The PRESIDENT (17:00): Pursuant to order, I now call Senator Bartlett to make his first speech and ask honourable senators that the usual courtesies be extended to him.
Senator BARTLETT (Queensland) (17:00): I’d like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land that this parliament is meeting on, the Ngunawal and Ngambri people, and also the traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owners of the lands and waters across my home state of Queensland. I pay respects to their elders past, present and emerging. I recognise that sovereignty was never ceded and that there is still so much unfinished business that our country needs to address before we have truth, reconciliation and justice for the first peoples of this land. [Read more…]