{{short description|Australian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Lyn Allison | honorific_suffix = | image = Lyn Allison Portrait 2010.jpg | office = President of the Australian Democrats | 1blankname = {{nowrap|Vice President(s)}} | 1namedata = {{plainlist| * Elana Mitchell * Steve Baty * Dr Grahame Elder }} | term_start = 5 October 2019 | term_end = | predecessor = Elisa Resce | successor = | office1 = 9th Leader of the Australian Democrats | deputy1 = Andrew Bartlett | term_start1 = 3 November 2004 | term_end1 = 30 June 2008 | predecessor1 = Andrew Bartlett | successor1 = Darren Churchill | office2 = 8th Deputy Leader of the Australian Democrats | leader2 = Andrew Bartlett | term_start2 = 30 June 2002 | term_end2 = 3 November 2004 | predecessor2 = Aden Ridgeway | successor2 = Andrew Bartlett | office3 = Senator for Victoria | term_start3 = 1 July 1996 | term_end3 = 30 June 2008 | predecessor3 = Siegfried Spindler | successor3 = David Feeney | birth_name = Lynette Fay Allison | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1946|10|21}} | birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | spouse = | party = Australian Democrats | relations = | partner = Peter Hudson<br />({{abbr|esp.|espoused}} 1981) | children = 2 | education = Viewbank College | alma_mater = University of Melbourne | occupation = School teacher<br />(St Joseph's Technical School)<br />(Department of Education) | profession = {{hlist|Academic|Politician}} }} '''Lynette Fay Allison''' (born 21 October 1946) is an Australian politician. She was a member of the Australian Senate from 1996 to 2008, representing the state of Victoria. {{As of|2019|10}} she is the national president of the Australian Democrats.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2261035837339895&id=1948438818599600&_ft_=mf_story_key.2965982223431462:top_level_post_id.2965982223431462:tl_objid.2965982223431462:content_owner_id_new.735601699802870:original_content_id.2261035837339895:original_content_owner_id.1948438818599600:throwback_story_fbid.2965982223431462:page_id.735601699802870:photo_id.2261026590674153:story_location.4:attached_story_attachment_style.photo:page_insights.%7B%22735601699802870%22:%7B%22page_id%22:735601699802870,%22actor_id%22:735601699802870,%22dm%22:%7B%22isShare%22:1,%22originalPostOwnerID%22:2261035837339895%7D,%22psn%22:%22EntStatusCreationStory%22,%22post_context%22:%7B%22object_fbtype%22:266,%22publish_time%22:1570948891,%22story_name%22:%22EntStatusCreationStory%22,%22story_fbid%22:%5B2965982223431462%5D%7D,%22role%22:1,%22sl%22:4,%22targets%22:%5B%7B%22actor_id%22:735601699802870,%22page_id%22:735601699802870,%22post_id%22:2965982223431462,%22role%22:1,%22share_id%22:2261035837339895%7D%5D%7D,%221948438818599600%22:%7B%22page_id%22:1948438818599600,%22actor_id%22:735601699802870,%22attached_story%22:%7B%22page_id%22:1948438818599600,%22actor_id%22:1948438818599600,%22dm%22:%7B%22isShare%22:0,%22originalPostOwnerID%22:0%7D,%22psn%22:%22EntStatusCreationStory%22,%22post_context%22:%7B%22object_fbtype%22:266,%22publish_time%22:1570939295,%22story_name%22:%22EntStatusCreationStory%22,%22story_fbid%22:%5B2261035837339895%5D%7D,%22role%22:1,%22sl%22:4%7D,%22dm%22:%7B%22isShare%22:0,%22originalPostOwnerID%22:0%7D,%22psn%22:%22EntStatusCreationStory%22,%22role%22:1,%22sl%22:4,%22targets%22:%5B%7B%22actor_id%22:735601699802870,%22page_id%22:1948438818599600,%22post_id%22:2261035837339895,%22role%22:1,%22share_id%22:0%7D%5D%7D%7D&__tn__=*s*sH-R|title=Elisa Resce - Australian Democrats|via=Facebook|access-date=2019-10-13}}</ref>

== Early life and background == Allison was born in Melbourne, Victoria, and grew up in the suburb of Fairfield with her younger brother and sister. Her father was a fitter and turner and her mother was involved in the local church, bowls club, and school tuckshop. Allison was educated at Rosanna High School, and left briefly in year 10 to become a dental nurse, before returning to complete high school. From 1964 to 1986 she worked as an administrator. She gained a Bachelor of Education at the University of Melbourne, and from 1987 to 1991 was a high school art teacher at St Joseph's Technical School Abbotsford and St Paul's College in Altona North.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/relishing-the-silence-of-a-busy-life-beyond-parliament-20110104-19f3p.html|title=Relishing the silence of a busy life beyond Parliament|date=2011-01-05|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=2017-07-07|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Senators_and_Members/Parliamentarian?MPID=1M6|title=Former Senator Lyn Allison|website=aph.gov.au|language=en-AU|access-date=2017-07-07}}</ref>

== Political career == Allison was an Independent councillor of the City of Port Melbourne from 1992 to 1994.<ref>Ainsley Symons (2012), "The Democrats and Local Government. Were they ever a threat to the ALP?" in ''Recorder (Australian Society for the Study of Labour History, Melbourne Branch)'' No. 274, Page 7.</ref>

In 1994, Allison contested the state by-election for the Victorian Legislative Assembly district of Williamstown after the resignation of Joan Kirner, the former Premier of Victoria. Standing as the Democrat candidate, Allison gained 39% of the two-candidate preferred vote, with the seat won by Labor candidate Steve Bracks.

=== Australian Senate === Allison won pre-selection on the Democrats ticket, was elected to the Australian Senate in 1996, and re-elected for a second term in the 2001 federal election.

Between 1998 and 2006, Allison served on the Legislation and References Committees for Environment, Recreation (later Information Technology), Communications and the Arts; and for Community Affairs. She served as Senate Select for Superannuation (1996–98); the Victorian Casino Inquiry (1996); the Lucas Heights Reactor (2000); Medicare (2003–04); and Mental Health (2005). From 1999 to 2001 Allison chaired an inquiry into the health effects of mobile phone towers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/ecita_ctte/completed_inquiries/1999-02/emr/report/index.htm|title=Parliament of Australia:Senate:Committees:Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee:Inquiry into Electromagnetic Radiation|publisher=Aph.gov.au|accessdate=24 May 2010|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091221120048/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ecita_ctte/completed_inquiries/1999-02/emr/report/index.htm|archivedate=21 December 2009}}</ref> In 2002 she was a member of the Parliamentary Delegation to New Zealand.

In August 2002 Allison, along with fellow senators Aden Ridgeway, John Cherry, and Andrew Murray, succeeded in forcing Natasha Stott Despoja to resign from leadership. The media did not portray the spill kindly, labelling them the 'Gang of Four'.<ref>Millett, Michael. [http://newsstore.theage.com.au/apps/viewDocument.ac?multiview=true&sy=age&page=1&kw=%22Gang+of+Four%22&pb=all_ffx&dt=enterRange&dr=1month&so=date&sf=article&rc=50&rm=200&sp=adv&clsPage=1&hids=&sids=SMH020822TV6HK6J1U7E "Savaged by the ferals at the bottom of the garden"], ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', Sydney, 22 August 2002. Retrieved 2011-04-29.</ref> Allison was Deputy Leader of the Australian Democrats from 2002 to 2004. On 3 November 2004, following the resignation of Andrew Bartlett after the October 2004 election, she was elected unopposed as Leader. She took over the leadership at a time when the Democrats were at their lowest ever public opinion rating since the party was founded in 1977.

On 5 December 2006, Allison introduced into the Senate a bill titled the Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill 2006, which, if enacted, would prevent Australia from using, possessing and manufacturing cluster munitions. Two months earlier, she had travelled to Lebanon to survey the damage caused by cluster munition use in the 2006 Israel-Lebanon War. Allison, a leading feminist in the Australian parliament, was among a cross-party group of female parliamentarians who introduced legislation into parliament in 2006 which effectively legalised the supply of the abortion pill RU486. She advocated for federal government funding for public schools and nuclear disarmament.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wells |first=Tom |url=http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21648029-5000117,00.html |title=A madness that threatens us all &#124; Herald Sun |publisher=News.com.au |date=1 May 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref>

=== 2007 Election === The 2007 federal election, including a half-Senate election, was called for 24 November, and the Democrats national campaign launched in Melbourne, Allison's home state, on 10 November.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Democrats-launch-election-campaign/2007/11/10/1194329526610.html |title=Give us back Senate power: Democrats – Breaking News – National – Breaking News |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=10 November 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/democrats-launch-campaign/2007/11/10/1194329554343.html |title=Defiant Democrats launch campaign – Federal Election 2007 News |work=The Age|date=10 November 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref> The official slogan 'bring back balance' referred to the contest for the balance of power in the Senate. Allison's seat was up for election along with three other Democrats senators (Natasha Stott Despoja, Andrew Murray and Andrew Bartlett) and was considered vulnerable after the Democrats poor performance in the 2004 election when the last Senate seat was won by Family First and the Coalition government gained control of the Senate for the first time in over 25 years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/democrats-lyn-allison-talks-up-her-chances-of-winning-seat/2007/11/07/1194329319418.html |title=Democrats' Lyn Allison talks up her chances of winning seat |work=The Age|date=8 November 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mark |first=David |url=http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/14/2090242.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071116152152/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/14/2090242.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 November 2007 |title=Allison rejects Democrats facing ruin – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=14 November 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref>

During the 2007 election campaign, Allison announced a national preference deal with the Greens<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/31/2076930.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071101064159/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/31/2076930.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 November 2007 |title=Greens, Democrats agree on preferences swap – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=31 October 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref> to increase the chance of a progressive party taking the balance of power in the Senate. Allison joined Bob Brown and Kate Lundy in a joint political advertisement sponsored by GetUp! urging voters to prevent the Senate from becoming a rubber stamp for the government of the day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/28/2072368.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716022749/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/10/28/2072368.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=16 July 2012 |title=Labor, Democrats, Greens unite in ad – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=28 October 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref>

Allison received the support of community and interest groups such as the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, for her support for refugees and asylum seekers;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/labor-and-coalition-score-badly-on-refugees/2007/11/02/1193619145487.html |title=Labor and Coalition score badly on refugees – FederalElection2007News |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=3 November 2007 |accessdate=24 May 2010}}</ref> the Friends of the ABC, for promoting public broadcasting;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fabc.org.au/vic/ElectionReportNov07.jpg |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-11-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071203130617/http://www.fabc.org.au/vic/ElectionReportNov07.jpg |archivedate=3 December 2007}}</ref> and endorsements by prominent women and feminists such as Barbara Spalding and Anne Summers.

The Democrats failed to retain their seats in the Senate, with Allison losing her seat to the Labor Party candidate David Feeney. Allison's term expired on 30 June 2008, leaving the Australian Democrats with no federal representation for the first time since its founding in 1977.

==Return to politics == Allison is a board member of eight organisations including Berry Street, Vision Australia, Alzheimer's Australia and her local nursing home.<ref name=":0" /> In 2012 Lyn Allison was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women for being a member of the Australian Senate from 1996 to 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-26 |title=Lyn Allison |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/lyn-allison |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=State Government of Victoria |language=en-au}}</ref>

On 5 October 2019, Allison became the 12th President of the Australian Democrats, resuming an active role within the party.

== Personal life == Allison married when she was 21 years old, and three years later they bought a home in East St Kilda for about $11,000. They later divorced. She now lives in Port Melbourne with her long-term partner.<ref name=":0" />

She was Director of the Employment and Economic Development Corporation.

Allison is an atheist<ref>Ever Wondered Why God is a Bloke? pp 279-284 in Bonett, Warren (Editor). 2010. The Australian Book of Atheism. Melbourne, Vic: Scribe {{cite web |title=The Australian Book of Atheism » Scribe Publications |url=http://www.scribepublications.com.au/book/theaustralianbookofatheism |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101213185101/http://www.scribepublications.com.au/book/theaustralianbookofatheism |archivedate=13 December 2010 |accessdate=2010-12-10}}</ref> who spoke first for the affirmative in a 2008 Australian Radio National debate "Would We Be Better Off Without Religion?".<ref>[http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2364493.htm Would We Be Better Off Without Religion?], Australian Broadcasting Corporation</ref>

She was awarded the Australian Humanist of the Year award in 2008 for her work in education, environment and women's rights.<ref>[https://vichumanist.org.au/australian-humanist-awards/ahoy-2000-2020/ Australian Humanist of the year awards 2000 to current.]</ref>

== Gallery ==

<gallery> Image:Lyn_allison1.jpg|Senator Allison talks with constituents at the Palm Sunday nuclear disarmament rally 2007 Image:Lyn_allison2.jpg|Senator Allison addresses the ABC cameras at Treasury Gardens, Melbourne 2007 Image:Democrats launch2007 1.JPG|Senator Allison leads fellow Democrat senators into national federal election campaign launch in Melbourne, 2007 Image:Lynallison4.jpg|Senator Allison with Laura Chipp and Young Australian Democrats candidates during election campaign in Melbourne 2007 </gallery>

== References == {{Reflist}}

==Bibliography== *[https://archive.today/20121129152820/http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/TranslateWIPILink.aspx?Folder=BIOGS&Criteria=NAME_ID:1M6; Lyn Allison, Senate Biography] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20091221120048/http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ecita_ctte/completed_inquiries/1999-02/emr/report/index.htm Senate Report of the Inquiry into Electromagnetic Radiation 2001] *[http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21648029-5000117,00.html Nuclear Madness Threatens Us All, opinion article by Lyn Allison and Tim Wright]

== External links == *[https://www.youtube.com/profile?user=LynAllison Senator Allison's videos on YouTube] *[https://voteforlyn.blogspot.com/ Vote For Lyn - unofficial blog covering Senator Allison's campaign ] {{S-start}} {{S-ppo}} {{S-bef|before=Andrew Bartlett}} {{S-ttl|title=Leader of the Australian Democrats|years=2004–2008}} {{S-aft|after=Darren Churchill}} {{S-end}} {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Allison, Lyn}} Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Australian atheists Category:Australian Democrats members of the Parliament of Australia Category:Schoolteachers from Victoria (state) Category:Members of the Australian Senate for Victoria Category:Members of the Australian Senate Category:Politicians from Melbourne Category:University of Melbourne alumni Category:Women members of the Australian Senate Category:Leaders of the Australian Democrats Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:21st-century Australian women politicians Category:20th-century Australian politicians Category:20th-century Australian women politicians