Mark Parnell
Encyclopedia
Mark Parnell is an Australia
n politician and the first SA Greens representative in the South Australian Legislative Council
, having won a seat in the 2006 state election. His term will expire in March 2014. Since his election, the Greens position in state political opinion polls has approximately doubled. Mark Parnell is the Parliamentary Leader of the SA Greens.
(University of Melbourne
), Bachelor of Commerce
(University of Melbourne), and a Master of Regional
and Urban Planning
(University of South Australia
), and he has been admitted as Barrister
and Solicitor
of the Supreme Courts of Victoria
and South Australia
.
Prior to his 10 years with the Environmental Defenders Office, Parnell was a campaign co-ordinator with The Wilderness Society (2 years) and the Australian Conservation Foundation (4 years). Parnell also spent 4 years working as a solicitor in private practice in country Victoria in the mid-1980s.
In February 2011 Parnell condemned recent policy decisions by the state Labor government such as approval of the Mount Barker
redevelopment and the renewal of Marathon Oil
's right to drill in Arkaroola
sanctuary. He said "The left-right stuff doesn't really work for me anymore, there's fewer and fewer things to distinguish them [and] members are carefully watching the performance of the major parties". Local media reported that the Greens were considering preferencing the Liberals in some Labor-held House of Assembly seats in exchange for Legislative Council preferences at the 2014 state election
.
During his time in the legislative council Parnell has published all his speeches, bills, motions, questions, and details of his parliamentary campaigns on his website.
, federal Greens senator
-elect following the 2010 general election. In 1989 they moved to Adelaide following 9 months in Europe. Parnell and Wright have three children, Felix, Eleanor and Mungo.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician and the first SA Greens representative in the South Australian Legislative Council
South Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the House of Assembly...
, having won a seat in the 2006 state election. His term will expire in March 2014. Since his election, the Greens position in state political opinion polls has approximately doubled. Mark Parnell is the Parliamentary Leader of the SA Greens.
Qualifications
Parnell holds a Bachelor of LawsBachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
(University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
), Bachelor of Commerce
Bachelor of Commerce
A Bachelor of Commerce is an undergraduate degree in commerce and related subjects. The degree is also known as the Bachelor of Commerce and Administration, or BCA...
(University of Melbourne), and a Master of Regional
Regional planning
Regional planning deals with the efficient placement of land use activities, infrastructure, and settlement growth across a larger area of land than an individual city or town. The related field of urban planning deals with the specific issues of city planning...
and Urban Planning
Urban planning
Urban planning incorporates areas such as economics, design, ecology, sociology, geography, law, political science, and statistics to guide and ensure the orderly development of settlements and communities....
(University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
), and he has been admitted as Barrister
Barrister
A barrister is a member of one of the two classes of lawyer found in many common law jurisdictions with split legal professions. Barristers specialise in courtroom advocacy, drafting legal pleadings and giving expert legal opinions...
and Solicitor
Solicitor
Solicitors are lawyers who traditionally deal with any legal matter including conducting proceedings in courts. In the United Kingdom, a few Australian states and the Republic of Ireland, the legal profession is split between solicitors and barristers , and a lawyer will usually only hold one title...
of the Supreme Courts of Victoria
Supreme Court of Victoria
The Supreme Court of Victoria is the superior court for the State of Victoria, Australia. It was founded in 1852, and is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited jurisdiction within the state...
and South Australia
Supreme Court of South Australia
The Supreme Court of South Australia is the superior court for the Australian State of South Australia. It has unlimited jurisdiction within the state in civil matters, and hears the most serious criminal matters. The Supreme Court is the highest South Australian court in the Australian court...
.
Pre-political career
Parnell was a founding member of the South Australian Greens and, prior to being elected, was a solicitor with the Environmental Defender's Office, a free community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law. In ten years with the Environmental Defenders Office, Mark helped many hundreds of clients on a wide range of state and national planning, pollution, biodiversity or resource matters. In 1999, he successfully represented the Conservation Council of South Australia in the State's longest ever environment trial, over tuna feedlots in Louth Bay. He also represented the Whyalla Red Dust Action Group Inc in its long-running campaign for environmental justice over OneSteel (formerly BHP) dust emissions from the Whyalla Steelworks.Prior to his 10 years with the Environmental Defenders Office, Parnell was a campaign co-ordinator with The Wilderness Society (2 years) and the Australian Conservation Foundation (4 years). Parnell also spent 4 years working as a solicitor in private practice in country Victoria in the mid-1980s.
Legislative Council tenure
On 8 May 2008 Parnell delivered a record-breaking filibuster of more than 8 hours in the Legislative Council. His speech, and that of No Pokies MLC Ann Bressington which followed, were designed to highlight the lack of opposition by either major party to a bill changing the workers compensation scheme known as WorkCover. Parnell denied his speech deserved the label of "filibuster" as he considered himself and Bressington responsible for presenting the entire opposing case. See: 2008 Parnell–Bressington filibusterIn February 2011 Parnell condemned recent policy decisions by the state Labor government such as approval of the Mount Barker
Mount Barker, South Australia
Mount Barker is an expanding city, home to 10 258 residents that is 33 kilometres up the South Eastern Freeway, east of Adelaide, in South Australia. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker, is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the...
redevelopment and the renewal of Marathon Oil
Marathon Oil
Marathon Oil Corporation is a United States-based oil and natural gas exploration and production company. Principal exploration activities are in the United States, Norway, Equatorial Guinea, Angola and Canada. Principal development activities are in the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway,...
's right to drill in Arkaroola
Arkaroola, South Australia
Arkaroola Village is the settlement and resort at the hub of a wilderness sanctuary in the Northern Flinders Ranges in South Australia, adjacent to Gammon Ranges National Park and the Mawson Plateau....
sanctuary. He said "The left-right stuff doesn't really work for me anymore, there's fewer and fewer things to distinguish them [and] members are carefully watching the performance of the major parties". Local media reported that the Greens were considering preferencing the Liberals in some Labor-held House of Assembly seats in exchange for Legislative Council preferences at the 2014 state election
South Australian state election, 2014
The 2014 South Australian state election will elect members to the 53rd Parliament of South Australia on 15 March 2014. All seats in the House of Assembly or lower house, whose current members were elected at the 2010 election, and half the seats in the Legislative Council or upper house, last...
.
During his time in the legislative council Parnell has published all his speeches, bills, motions, questions, and details of his parliamentary campaigns on his website.
Personal life
Parnell is married to Penny WrightPenny Wright
Penelope Lesley "Penny" Wright is an Australian Greens senator for South Australia, first elected at the 2010 election.-Early life:...
, federal Greens senator
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
-elect following the 2010 general election. In 1989 they moved to Adelaide following 9 months in Europe. Parnell and Wright have three children, Felix, Eleanor and Mungo.
See also
- 2008 Parnell–Bressington filibuster
- South Australian state election, 2006
- South Australian state election, 2010