Alison Anderson facts for kids

Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson (born on 28 January 1958) is an Australian politician. She has been an important leader for Indigenous Australians.

She was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2016. She represented the area called Namatjira. Before 2012, this area was known as MacDonnell.

Alison Anderson has worked with different political groups. She has been a minister for both the Labor Party and the Country Liberal Party. She also led the Palmer United Party in the Northern Territory for a short time. Currently, she works as an independent politician.

She speaks six Indigenous languages. These are Anmatyerre, Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, Western Arrernte, and Yankunytjatjara. She is also a talented artist.

Early Life and Education

Alison Anderson was born in a remote community called Haasts Bluff. She grew up in other communities like Hermannsburg and Papunya.

She moved to Alice Springs to go to school. She studied at Traeger Park School, Alice Springs High School, and St Philip's College. Later, she earned a Diploma in Community Management. This diploma was from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.

After her studies, she returned to Papunya. In 1985, she became the chief executive officer of the Papunya Community Council. She held this important role until 2000. She worked hard to represent the town and improve services for its people.

Working for Indigenous Communities

Alison Anderson was first chosen as a commissioner for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) in 1999. This group worked to represent Indigenous people.

She became known for supporting women's rights within ATSIC. In 2003, she helped create a special advisory board for women. She was seen as a strong leader for the organization.

She supported the government's decision to close ATSIC in 2004. She felt that the organization needed changes. However, she disagreed with the government's plan to replace it with only a small advisory group.

Political Career in the Northern Territory

In 2004, Alison Anderson decided to run for a seat in the Northern Territory Parliament. She wanted to represent the area of MacDonnell for the Labor Party.

She was a well-known candidate because of her work in Central Australia. In June 2005, she won the election easily. She defeated the sitting member, John Elferink.

As a politician, she often spoke about issues affecting communities in Central Australia. In 2007, she voted against her own party's bill. This bill would have allowed mining to continue at the McArthur River Mine. She believed it was important to stand up for her community.

Changing Political Parties

Alison Anderson was re-elected in 2008 without anyone running against her. She continued to speak out about issues she cared about.

On 4 August 2009, she left the Labor Party. She said she was not happy with how the government was working. She also felt the government was not handling Indigenous housing programs well. For two years, she worked as an independent politician.

In September 2011, she joined the Country Liberal Party. This party was the main opposition at the time. Many other important Indigenous Australians joined the party with her.

The Country Liberal Party won the election in 2012. Alison Anderson won her seat in the new area of Namatjira. This area was similar to her old one. She was then made the Minister for Indigenous Advancement.

In November 2012, she gave a speech about Aboriginal communities. She said that the Country Liberal Party would focus on improving education. She also wanted to help create real jobs for Indigenous people.

Later, in 2014, she left the Country Liberal Party. Two other Indigenous politicians, Larisa Lee and Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu, also resigned. They wanted to form a new party to represent regional interests.

On 27 April 2014, it was announced that they had joined the Palmer United Party. Alison Anderson became the leader of this party in the Northern Territory. She hoped to become the Chief Minister in the 2016 election. However, she left the Palmer United Party in November of that year. She became an independent politician again.

Retirement from Politics

On 3 August 2016, Alison Anderson announced she would retire from politics. She said she had always planned to serve for three terms.

She campaigned for the Labor Party candidates in her area and a nearby area. Both candidates won their elections.