{{Short description|Australian politician}} {{Use Australian English|date=February 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = The Honourable | name = Ben Hood | honorific_suffix = MLC | image = Ben Hood at the Remembrance Day at the National War Memorial (South Australia) 2025.jpg | caption = Hood in 2025 | office = Member of the Legislative Council of South Australia | parliament = South Australian | term_start = 7 March 2023 | term_end = | predecessor = Stephen Wade | successor = | office2 = Deputy mayor of the City of Mount Gambier | term_start2 = 13 December 2022 | term_end2 = 24 February 2023 | predecessor2 = Christian Greco | successor2 = Max Bruins | office3 = Councillor of the City of Mount Gambier | term_start3 = 9 November 2018 | term_end3 = 24 February 2023 | successor3 = Jason Virgo | birth_name = Benjamin Robin Hood | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1980|06|10}} | birth_place = Naracoorte, South Australia | death_date = | death_place = | party = Liberal Party of Australia (SA) | spouse = Ellen Hood | relations = Lucy Hood (sister) | alma_mater = | profession = | education = | signature = Ben Hood signature 2023.svg }}
'''Benjamin Robin Hood''' (born 10 June 1980)<ref name="birth">{{Cite news|date=1980-06-12|title=Birth notices|work=The Advertiser}}</ref> is an Australian politician who was appointed a member of the South Australian Legislative Council in February 2023, representing the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia. He replaced retiring member Stephen Wade.
==Early life and career== Hood grew up in Naracoorte.<ref name=under/> He is a director of Hello Friday, a web and branding development agency.<ref name=selects>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-19/liberal-candidate-mount-gambier-state-election/100388308|title=Liberal Party selects councillor Ben Hood to take on Independent Troy Bell for seat of Mount Gambier|first=Todd|last=Lewis|publisher=ABC News|date=19 August 2021|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref> He co-created the children's character George the Farmer. A musician and illustrator, Hood wrote and performed all George the Farmer’s music and illustrated and designed all the educational brand’s picture books.<ref name=under>{{cite web|url=https://indaily.com.au/news/business/people/2018/06/26/40-40-winner-day-ben-hood/|work=In Daily|title=40 Under 40 winner of the day: Ben Hood|date=26 June 2018|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref> In June 2018, he was named one of ''InDaily'''s inaugural "40 under 40".<ref name=under/>
==Political career== Hood has served as a councillor and deputy mayor for the City of Mount Gambier and as an inaugural board member of Landscape SA Limestone Coast.<ref name=spot>{{cite web|url=https://borderwatch.com.au/news/2023/02/24/hood-secures-top-spot/|title=Hood secures top spot|date=24 February 2023|access-date=24 February 2023|work=The Border Watch}}</ref> He stood as the Liberal candidate for the House of Assembly seat of Mount Gambier in the 2022 election<ref>{{Cite web |title=South Australian Election 2022: Adelaide |url=https://www.pollbludger.net/sa2022/HA.htm?s=Adelaide |access-date=2022-03-19 |website=The Poll Bludger}}</ref><ref name=sibling>{{cite news|url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-weekend/brother-and-sister-ben-and-lucy-hood-set-to-make-history-at-the-election/news-story/377f7d4944309087b5e5e00347cd49e6|title=Siblings Ben and Lucy Hood set to make SA political history|newspaper=AdelaideNow|date=4 March 2022}}</ref> but was unsuccessful against incumbent independent Troy Bell.<ref name=field>{{cite web|url=https://indaily.com.au/news/2023/01/19/liberal-field-narrows-in-battle-for-wades-seat/|work=In Daily|title=Liberal field narrows in battle for Wade's seat|date=19 January 2023|first=Stephanie|last=Richards|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref>
Hood was one of two candidates to fill the Liberal vacancy in the Legislative Council after the early retirement of former Health Minister Stephen Wade. Opposition leader David Speirs pushed for a woman to fill the spot, and reportedly told Hood "he did not have his support, would have limited promotion and warned of a strategic blunder" by not continuing to seek a seat in the lower house.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indaily.com.au/opinion/2023/01/27/frankly-speaking-things-are-looking-ominous-for-david-speirs/|work=In Daily|title=Frankly speaking, things are looking ominous for David Speirs|first=Matthew |last=Abraham|date=27 January 2023|access-date=24 February 2023}}</ref> Hood is aligned with the Right faction of the party.<ref name=field/>
In August 2023, Hood was elevated to the Speirs Liberal opposition front bench as Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional South Australia. In August 2024, with the resignation of David Speirs and Vincent Tarzia being elected Leader of the Opposition, Hood was named as Shadow Minister in four portfolios, namely Infrastructure and Transport, Government Accountability, Industrial Relations and Public Sector and Hospitality.{{cn|date=October 2024}}
In late 2024, Hood introduced legislation to ban late-term abortions.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-23/liberal-mp-pushes-changes-to-sa-abortion-laws/104384176|title=Liberal MP Ben Hood to introduce amendments to SA's current abortion laws|author=|date=23 September 2024|work=|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-25/ben-hood-abortion-bill-supporters/104397276|title=Supporters of Liberal MP Ben Hood's amendments to SA's abortion laws rally outside Parliament House|author=|date=25 September 2024|work=|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref> On 16 October 2024, The South Australian Legislative Council narrowly voted down the bill, 10 to 9.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-17/abortion-legislation-vote-south-australia/104477762|title=South Australian upper house narrowly votes down late-term abortion law amendments, with controversy between MP's|author=|date=17 October 2024|work=|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/oct/16/south-australias-upper-house-narrowly-rejects-trumpian-bill-to-wind-back-abortion-care|title=South Australia's upper house narrowly rejects 'Trumpian' bill to wind back abortion care|author=|date=17 October 2024|work=|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/extreme-abortion-bill-narrowly-voted-down-in-south-australia/n8uc8loda|title='Extreme' abortion bill narrowly voted down in South Australia|author=|date=17 October 2024|work=|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/south-australia-late-term-abortion-bill-defeat/859a58ba-76fe-462d-9361-392d450ebeac|title=Controversial bill to ban late-term abortions in South Australia defeated despite 'shameful' display|author=|date=17 October 2024|work=|access-date=18 October 2024}}</ref>
==Personal life== Hood is married to Ellen and they have three children. He lives in Mount Gambier.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.georgethefarmer.com.au/pages/the-creators|title=Ben Hood|publisher=George the Farmer}}</ref> His sister Lucy is the Labor member for Adelaide.<ref name=sibling/>
==References== {{reflist}}
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Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of South Australia Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century Australian politicians