Alison Anderson

Alison Anderson
Leader of the Palmer United Party in the Northern Territory
In office
28 April 2014 – 29 November 2014
Preceded byOffice created
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
for Namatjira
In office
25 August 2012 – 8 August 2016
Preceded byDivision created
Succeeded byChansey Paech
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
for MacDonnell
In office
18 June 2005 – 6 August 2012
Preceded byJohn Elferink
Succeeded byDivision abolished
Personal details
Born (1958-01-28) 28 January 1958 (age 66)
Haasts Bluff, Northern Territory, Australia
Political partyIndependent (2009–2011; 2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		Labor (2005–09)
Country Liberal (2011–14)
Palmer United (2014)
Domestic partnerNicolas Rothwell

Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson (born 28 January 1958)[1][2] is an Australian politician.

She was member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly between 2005 and 2016, representing the electorate of Namatijra (known as MacDonnell until 2012).[3] Currently an independent, she has previously served as a minister for both the Labor Party and Country Liberal Party and been territory leader of the Palmer United Party.

Anderson entered the Northern Territory Assembly as a star candidate for the Labor Party in the 2005 election. She was re-elected unopposed as the Member for MacDonnell in the August 2008 Territory election and with the subsequent return of the Henderson Labor Government was appointed to the Cabinet. She held variously the positions of Minister for Natural Resources, Environment and Heritage, Minister for Parks and Wildlife, Minister for Arts and Museums and Minister for Indigenous Policy.

Anderson left the Cabinet and the Labor Party in 2009, after a dispute over Indigenous housing, and then sat as an independent for two years; she joined the opposition Country Liberal Party in 2011 and was elected as a Country Liberal candidate at the 2012 election. She resigned from the CLP in 2014, along with two other Indigenous MPs, briefly becoming an independent once again. However, on 27 April 2014 it was announced that the three MLAs had joined the Palmer United Party, with Anderson serving as parliamentary leader.[4][5] She resigned from Palmer United to sit as an independent on 29 November 2014. It was briefly rumoured that she was returning to the CLP amid the 2015 CLP leadership spill, but she remained an independent.[6]

Anderson speaks six Indigenous languages: Anmatyerre, Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, Western Arrernte and Yankunytjatjara. She is also an accomplished artist.[7] She is among Australia's most senior Indigenous politicians, and has been a prominent Indigenous activist, including as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) Central Zone Commissioner (see: List of Indigenous Australian politicians). Her partner is Nicolas Rothwell, journalist with The Australian.

Anderson retired at the 2016 Territory election.[8]

  1. ^ Bio (DAAO)
  2. ^ "Alison Anderson". Short St Gallery.
  3. ^ Green, Antony. Namatjira. Northern Territory Votes. ABC News, 2016.
  4. ^ Matthew Knott, Gareth Hutchins (27 April 2014). "Clive Palmer aims for NT balance of power". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  5. ^ "Clive Palmer joins Insiders". Insiders. ABC News (Australia). 27 April 2014.
  6. ^ "Alison Anderson and Larisa Lee rejoin CLP amid leadership turmoil". Northern Territory News. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  7. ^ Jopson, Deborah. "Desert Politician at the Centre". The Age, 2 August 2003.
  8. ^ Hind, Rick (3 August 2016). "Alison Anderson announces retirement from Northern Territory politics". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 August 2016.