Milne vows to continue climate fight

FORMER Australian Greens leader Christine Milne has negotiated some momentous legislation in her time in Parliament but admits she will be leaving the Senate with a few disappointments.

Senator Milne has opened up to TasWeekend about putting on a brave face during her tumultuous early years in the Tasmanian Parliament, her refusal to negotiate with Prime Minister Tony Abbott and why she plans to take her fight against global warming overseas.

Senator Milne, 62, revealed that instead of “futilely” trying to persuade the Federal Government to act on climate change, her post-Parliament role may include working with Pacific island nations, giving them a greater voice in global climate change negotiations.

Any role she takes on will be based in Tasmania, where her son James is awaiting the birth of a baby and her elderly mother lives in a nursing home.

“I’ve had to spend a lot of time travelling, leading Greens into state elections and helping around the country so I haven’t been spending as much time as I would like either at home in Tasmania or with my family,” she said.

Senator Milne fought tirelessly in the face of death threats, gay hate rallies and political slurs to achieve gay law reform in Tasmania in 1997.

She hopes to see marriage equality passed before she leaves the Senate in a matter of months.

“One of the disappointments I will have is if I leave the Senate before we have marriage equality because it was my Bill that got gay law reform in Tasmania in 1997 and I would have loved to have been there to see the discrimination ended,” Senator Milne said.

She was gratified to see discrimination against LGBTI people had turned around to such as extent that marriage equality had strong community support and momentum was building in Federal Parliament.

“That is one of the most profound turnarounds in public sentiment,” Senator Milne said.