Joanna Lindgren facts for kids

Joanna Maria Lindgren was born on 5 November 1969. She is an Australian politician who served as a Senator for Queensland. She was a Senator from May 2015 to July 2016.

Joanna Lindgren was chosen to become a Senator by the Liberal National Party of Queensland. This happened because the previous Senator, Brett Mason, resigned. She joined the Liberal Party in the federal parliament. She was a Senator until she was not re-elected in the 2016 federal election. Joanna Lindgren was the second Indigenous Australian woman to serve in the Senate. The first was Nova Peris. In 2018, Lindgren joined the Australian Conservatives political party. She tried to become a Senator again in the 2019 federal election but was not successful.

Early Life and Education

Joanna Lindgren was born in Brisbane, Australia. She went to high school at Brigidine College and St Peter Claver College. After high school, she studied at Griffith University. She earned a degree in arts and then a special diploma in education.

Before she became a politician, she worked as a high-school teacher. She taught in Brisbane. She was also a member of the Australian Army Reserve. This is a part-time military force.

Family Background

Joanna Lindgren is an Aboriginal Australian. Her family has connections to the Jagera and Mununjali groups. Her great-uncle, Neville Bonner, was also a Senator for Queensland. He was the very first Indigenous Australian person to be in the Australian Parliament.

Political Career

In the 2012 state election, Joanna Lindgren ran for a seat in the Queensland Parliament. She tried to win the seat of Inala. This seat was usually won by the Labor Party. The seat was held by Annastacia Palaszczuk, who later became the Premier of Queensland. Lindgren did not win the seat. However, she did get more votes for her party than in previous elections.

Becoming a Senator

In April 2015, Senator Brett Mason resigned. This created an empty spot, called a "casual vacancy." Joanna Lindgren was one of nine people who wanted to fill this spot. Her main competitor was Bill Glasson. Lindgren won the vote to become the new Senator. At the same time, she was also chosen to be a candidate for the next federal election.

The Queensland Parliament officially appointed Joanna Lindgren as a Senator on 21 May 2015. When she joined the federal parliament, she chose to sit with the Liberal Party. Members of her party, the LNP, can choose to sit with either the Liberal Party or the Nationals. She served as a Senator until she was defeated in the 2016 federal election.

Later Political Activities

In 2018, Lindgren joined a new political party called the Australian Conservatives. This party was led by Cory Bernardi. She ran for the Senate again for this party in the 2019 federal election. However, she was not elected.

Personal Life

Joanna Lindgren is married to Peter Anderson-Barr. Her husband is a policeman. He also briefly ran for a political seat in the seat of Logan during the 2012 state election. However, he decided to withdraw before the final list of candidates was made.

See also

• List of Indigenous Australian politicians
• Members of the Australian Senate, 2014–2016