32 Facts About Alison Anderson

Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson was born on 28 January 1958 and is an Australian politician.

Alison Anderson was member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly between 2005 and 2016, representing the electorate of Namatijra.

Alison Anderson 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.

Alison Anderson 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.

Alison 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.

Alison Anderson resigned from the CLP in 2014, along with two other Indigenous MPs, briefly becoming an independent .

However, on 27 April 2014 it was announced that the three MLAs had joined the Palmer United Party, with Alison Anderson serving as parliamentary leader.

Alison Anderson resigned from Palmer United to sit as an independent on 29 November 2014.

Alison Anderson speaks six Indigenous languages: Anmatyerre, Luritja, Pitjantjatjara, Warlpiri, Western Arrernte and Yankunytjatjara.

Alison Anderson is among Australia's most senior Indigenous politicians, and has been a prominent Indigenous activist, including as an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Central Zone Commissioner.

Alison Anderson's partner is Nicolas Rothwell, journalist with The Australian.

Alison Anderson was born in the remote community of Haasts Bluff and was raised in a number of other communities, including Hermannsburg and Papunya.

Alison Anderson moved to Alice Springs to attend school, studying at Traeger Park School, Alice Springs High School, and St Philip's College.

Alison Anderson subsequently received a Diploma of Community Management from the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.

Alison Anderson thereby became a prominent representative for the town, then as now one of the country's most impoverished communities, where basic services failed entirely at times.

Alison Anderson was first elected as the ATSIC Commissioner for the Northern Territory Central Zone in November 1999.

Alison Anderson developed a reputation as an advocate for women's rights within the organisation, and in 2003, was involved in the creation of ATSIC's women's advisory board.

Alison Anderson became seen as a leading contender for chairperson of the organisation, and in 2002, unsuccessfully challenged veteran leader Geoff Clark.

Alison Anderson supported the federal government's decision to abolish ATSIC in 2004, declaring that reform of the organisation was overdue, but was sharply critical of their decision to replace it with only a consultative committee.

Alison Anderson was nevertheless appointed by the federal government as a Central Australian representative to their Round Table on Indigenous issues later that year.

In late 2004, Alison Anderson announced her intention to contest Labor preselection for the seat of MacDonnell, traditionally a safe Labor seat, but then held by two-term CLP member John Elferink.

Alison Anderson had previously been preselected by the party to stand at the 2001 election, but had withdrawn.

Alison Anderson was widely seen as a star candidate during the campaign, due to her high profile in Central Australia, stemming from her work as an ATSIC Commissioner.

Alison Anderson resisted calls from the opposition to stand aside as the candidate, dismissing the claims as a smear campaign.

Alison Anderson was cleared of any wrongdoing in the police investigation.

Alison Anderson was re-elected unopposed in 2008, and continued to be critical of the Henderson government.

The resignation comes after Alison Anderson had been very critical of the Northern Territory government about what she considered to be the inefficient operation of the $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program.

Alison Anderson was one of 12 high-profile Indigenous Australians to join the CLP that day.

Alison Anderson won a smashing victory in the new electorate of Namatjira, essentially a reconfigured version of MacDonnell.

Alison Anderson was dropped from cabinet after the CLP only won five booths in the federal seat of Lingiari, which has the most Indigenous voters in Australia.

On 3 August 2016, Alison Anderson announced her retirement, effective with the 2016 election.

Alison Anderson said that she never intended to serve for more than three terms.