Andrew Bartlett

Andrew John Julian Bartlett (born 4 August 1964), Australian politician, has been a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Queensland since 1997, representing the Australian Democrats, of which he is Deputy Leader and Party Whip.

Leader of the Australian Democrats

After the resignation of then Party Leader Senator Natasha Stott Despoja in 2002, Bartlett was elected to the Democrats Party Leadership in October that year.

Related Topics:
Natasha Stott Despoja - 2002

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As Leader Bartlett stablised the Democrats Party Room and continued to be the strongest voice in the Senate maintaining pressure on the Government's maltreatment of refugees and maladministration of the Immigration Dept. He also oversaw the Democrats using their balance of power role to help force the Government to provide hugely increased funds to start fixing up Medicare, protecting the welfare payments of sole parents, the unemployed and the disabled and helped negotiate the partial achievement of a long-standing goal of allowing some same sex couples to have the same superannuation entitlements as opposite sex couples.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In December 2003, Bartlett stepped down as leader after an incident involving Liberal Senator Jeannie Ferris in the Senate chamber. Bartlett, who had been drinking at a Democrats Christmas party, stole five bottles of wine from a Liberal Party function in Parliament House. When Ferris confronted Bartlett, he grabbed her arm and called her a "fucking bitch", then followed her out of the chamber while verbally abusing her. Ferris described the incident, saying she was "absolutely stunned that somebody would assault somebody on the floor of the Senate chamber in that way. As I walked away he continued to shout insults at me, until I got right outside into one of the courtyards, where he was still saying the same thing to me over and over again." Parliamentary video of part of the incident appeared to show that Bartlett was drunk in the chamber.

Related Topics:
2003 - Liberal - Jeannie Ferris - Senate - Parliament House

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning, Bartlett did not deny any of Ferris's allegations. He said that his behaviour had been "totally unacceptable", and that he had apologised in writing to Senator Ferris, to the Senate, and to his party. Bartlett's former employer, John Woodley, stated in an interview that Bartlett had had been an alcoholic for some time, something Bartlett himself appeared to confirm at a press conference. Barlett formally apologised in writing to Ferris, sending a bottle of wine with his letter. Ferris took offense to the apology as well, describing the offering as "quite inappropriate ... as an apology for drunken behaviour involving abuse and a physical attack."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Democrats issued a statement stating that Deputy Leader Senator Lyn Allison would serve as the Acting Leader of the party. In the week following the incident, senior Democrats including Stott Despoja said that they thought Bartlett should formally resign as Leader. Others said that he should be given an opportunity to deal with his problems. On 12 December Bartlett announced that he would not resign. He gave his party an assurance that he would totally abstain from drinking, which he repeated upon his resumption of the leadership in January 2004. Bartlett then resumed the Leadership after receiving strong support form the Party membership as well as the majority of the Democrat Senators.

Related Topics:
Lyn Allison - 12 December - 2004

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Although Bartlett kept his pledge to give up drinking, political commentators expressed doubts that his standing would recover from the incident. He kept a low profile until the campaign for the 2004 election began in August. The Democrats were defending three Senate seats, and all three were lost, with one going to the Australian Greens and two to the Liberal Party. The Democrats polled their lowest vote since the party's creation in 1977.

Related Topics:
2004 election - Australian Greens - Liberal Party - 1977

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~