Bryan Green facts for kids

Bryan Alexander Green (born June 30, 1957) is an Australian politician who used to be a big part of the government in Tasmania. He was the leader of the Labor Party in Tasmania from 2014 to 2017. He was also a member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, which is like Tasmania's parliament, representing the area of Braddon from 1998 to 2017.

Early Life and Work

Bryan Green was born in Wollongong, a city in New South Wales, Australia. His family later moved to George Town, Tasmania and then to Burnie, Tasmania. In Burnie, he went to Burnie High School and Burnie Technical College.

Before becoming a politician, Bryan Green worked for many years. From 1974 to 1993, he was a machinist at the Australian Paper mills in Burnie. A machinist is someone who operates machines to make or fix things. After that, he worked for three years helping Senator Kay Denman in her office. He then spent several years as an organiser for the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), which is a group that helps workers.

Political Journey

Bryan Green started his political career in the Tasmanian parliament after the 1998 election. He quickly took on important roles. In 2002, he became a minister in charge of Primary Industries, Water, and Environment. This meant he helped make decisions about farming, water, and protecting nature.

In 2004, he was promoted to Minister of Infrastructure, Energy, and Resources. This new role meant he was responsible for things like roads, power, and natural resources.

Key Projects and Decisions

As a minister, Bryan Green worked on several big projects. He helped get support for building the Meander Dam, a large water project. He also suggested lowering speed limits on country roads to make them safer. He later became the chairman of the Tasmanian Road Safety Council.

He played a big part in helping a freight train company called Pacific National. The company was thinking of stopping its train services in Tasmania, which would have meant more trucks on the roads. Bryan Green helped arrange a large financial package to keep the train services running.

In 2006, Bryan Green stepped down from his leadership roles. This happened after an investigation into a business deal he had signed. Even though there were some disagreements about the deal, he was re-elected to parliament in 2010 and again in 2014.

Becoming a Leader

In 2011, when Lara Giddings became the new Premier of Tasmania, Bryan Green was chosen as the Deputy Premier. This meant he was the second-in-command in the government.

In March 2014, after Lara Giddings resigned, Bryan Green was chosen by his fellow Labor politicians to become the leader of the Labor Party in Tasmania. This was a big step, making him the Leader of the Opposition, which means he led the main party not in power.

Achievements in Office

During his time in politics, Bryan Green helped make several important changes. He helped combine Tasmania's four port companies into one single company, which made things more organised. He also supported a big review of public transport services to make them better for everyone. He worked to make the forestry sector more open and honest by changing laws about how information is shared.

On March 17, 2017, Bryan Green announced that he was leaving politics. Rebecca White was chosen to take his place as the Labor leader. Bryan Green's seat in parliament was then filled by a new person.

In December 2023, Bryan Green announced he would run for a seat in the Tasmanian Legislative Council (another part of Tasmania's parliament) for the area of Prosser in the 2024 elections.