Senator for Tasmania
Nick is a staunch and proud Tasmanian, and an unapologetic defender of the things that make his home state different from the rest of the world.
He was first elected to the Tasmanian parliament in 2002, and represented the electorate of Franklin in the House of Assembly for 13 years. He was Leader of the Tasmanian Greens between 2008 and 2014.
In 2005 Nick was the first person to introduce marriage equality legislation into any Australian parliament, and has twice legislated for voluntary euthanasia in Tasmania.
In 2010 Nick became Australia’s first Greens Minister, holding portfolios including Education and Skills, Corrections and Consumer Protection, Sustainable Transport and Climate Change.
The four years of cooperative government between 2010 and 2014 saw the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage extended by over 170 000 hectares, including iconic forests like the Styx and the Florentine.
As Minister, Nick significantly increased funding for Tasmania’s public schools, helped improve literacy and numeracy outcomes, created the Professional Learning Institute to support teachers, set up TasTAFE, opened Tasmania's Sustainability Learning Centre, reformed the prison system, and introduced new public transport services in urban and regional Tasmania.
He replaced Senator Christine Milne in August 2015. Since taking up his role in the Senate, Nick has continued to work for increased schools funding, provided a strong voice for civil and human rights, a fairer go for small business and a more innovative future for Australia.
Nick is motivated by love for the wild and wondrous beauty of our planet, and a conviction that for future generations to enjoy wellbeing and prosperity we have to live more sustainably today.
