{{Short description|Australian politician|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Tammy Franks | image = Tammy Franks, 2017.jpg | office = Member of the [[South Australian Legislative Council]] | term_start1 = 20 March 2010 | term_end1 = 20 March 2026 | predecessor1 = [[David Winderlich]] | successor1 = [[Melanie Selwood]] | party = [[Independent politicians in Australia|Independent]] (since 2025) | other_party = [[SA Greens]] (2006–2025) | website = [https://tammyfranks.org.au TammyFranks.org.au] | birth_name = Tammy Anne Franks | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1968|7}} | honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]] }}
'''Tammy Anne Franks''' ({{nee|'''Jennings'''}}; born July 1968) is an Australian politician who served in the [[South Australian Legislative Council]] for two terms from [[2010 South Australian state election|2010]] to [[2026 South Australian state election|2026]]. Elected as a [[SA Greens|South Australian Green]], she resigned from the party in 2025 and sat as an [[Independent politicians in Australia|Independent]] until the end of the term in 2026. <ref name="Hon Tammy Franks">{{cite web|title=Hon Tammy Franks |url=https://www.parliament.sa.gov.au/Search/Member?type=member&id=4363 |location=South Australia |access-date=30 May 2026}}</ref> Franks failed in an attempt to be elected as an Independent at the [[2026 South Australian state election|2026 state election]].
==Early life== Born in [[Dubbo]] and raised largely in seaside suburban [[Sydney]], Franks completed her final year of high school at [[Parafield Gardens]] before attending the [[University of South Australia]] where she studied sociology, Australian Studies and Community Arts. Franks became heavily involved in university politics, media, and activism, campaigning against the closure of her [[Salisbury, South Australia|Salisbury]] Campus of the [[University of South Australia]], and was elected State President of the [[National Union of Students (Australia)|National Union of Students]].<ref name="About Tammy Franks">{{cite web|title=About Tammy Franks|url=http://www.tammyfranks.org.au/about-tammy-franks/|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120724145959/http://www.tammyfranks.org.au/about-tammy-franks/|archivedate=24 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
==Career== Then-prime minister [[Paul Keating]] famously told Franks, protesting in 1996, to "get a job".<ref name=tax>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/greens-mlc-tammy-franks-did-not-file-tax-returns-for-10-years/story-e6frea83-1226179396752 |title=Taxing time lands MLC in hot water: AdelaideNow 29 October 2011 |access-date=28 October 2011 |archive-date=29 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111029130054/http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/greens-mlc-tammy-franks-did-not-file-tax-returns-for-10-years/story-e6frea83-1226179396752 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Franks has since worked in community organisations such as [[Amnesty International]] and the [[YWCA]] and held such positions such as Policy Officer for the Mental Health Coalition of South Australia.
==Political career== Franks was the Higher Education and Youth Advisor for the [[Australian Democrats]] senator [[Natasha Stott Despoja]] in 1995 and undertook a secondment to the 'Yes' campaign for the [[Australian Republic Movement]] under the leadership of [[Malcolm Turnbull]] during the [[1999 Australian republic referendum|1999 republic referendum]] campaign. In the [[2004 Australian Senate election|2004 Senate Election]], Franks ran in South Australia for the Australian Democrats as their third candidate on the ticket.<ref>{{cite news|title=Tammy Franks ten-year time out on tax|url=http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14233|archive-date=25 October 2012|access-date=20 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025152431/http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14233|url-status=live}}</ref>
Franks has been active in the South Australian Greens since 2006, serving two terms as State Convenor and undertaking the task of SA Election Campaign Committee Convenor for the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 federal election]].<ref name="About Tammy Franks"/>
At the [[2010 South Australian state election|2010 state election]], the Greens achieved 6.6 percent of the statewide vote in the Legislative Council, an increase of 2.3 percent, resulting in Franks joining fellow Green [[Mark Parnell]] in the Upper House on the crossbench.<ref name="SA parl">{{Cite SA-parl|pid=4363|name=Hon Tammy Anne Franks|former=|access-date=10 November 2022}}</ref>
In September 2024, Franks said she would not contest the 2026 South Australian state election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/archive/2024/09/30/sa-greens-veteran-to-leave-parliament-in-2026|title=SA Greens veteran to leave parliament in 2026|first=Thomas|last=Kelsall|date=30 September 2024|website=indailysa.com.au}}</ref> In May 2025, she resigned from the South Australian Greens, citing tensions within the party, and reiterated that she still did not intend to contest the next election "at this point".<ref name="Resignation">{{cite news |access-date=13 May 2025 |date=13 May 2025 |archive-date=13 May 2025 |title=SA Greens MLC Tammy Franks resigns from party, citing 'unfair' behaviour |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250513034835/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-13/sa-greens-mp-tammy-franks-resign/105286058 |url-status=live |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-13/sa-greens-mp-tammy-franks-resign/105286058}}</ref> However, in February 2026, she announced that she would run as an independent candidate for the Legislative Council in the election the following month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indailysa.com.au/news/just-in/2026/02/09/former-controversial-green-to-run-in-state-election-as-independent|title=Former controversial Green to run in state election as independent|website=indailysa.com.au|first=Helen|last=Karakulak|date=9 February 2026}}</ref>
At the [[2026 South Australian Legislative Council election]], running on an Independent Group ticket with Faith Coleman, they received 6,309 votes (0.6% of the primary vote which was equivalent to 10% of a quota).
==Controversies==
===Tax returns=== It was reported in October 2011 that Franks had not lodged 10 tax returns since 2001, facing a maximum fine of $41,000.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
Franks pleaded guilty on 28 October 2011 to ten counts of failing to lodge tax returns between 2001 and 2010, but later changed her plea to not guilty in March 2012. Franks said she had always paid tax, always provided a tax file number and did not owe the [[Australian Taxation Office]] any money, and that the failure to lodge was due to her belief that if she was owed money, she wouldn't be required to lodge a tax return. She also cited a combination of personal factors, including a "nasty divorce".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/mp-blames-her-tax-file-failure-on-belief-in-an-urban-myth/story-e6frgczx-1226179985718 |title=MP blames her tax file failure on belief in an urban myth: The Australian 29 October 2011 |access-date=28 October 2011 |archive-date=28 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028201841/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/mp-blames-her-tax-file-failure-on-belief-in-an-urban-myth/story-e6frgczx-1226179985718 |url-status=live }}</ref> Franks further claimed that when the [[Australian Taxation Office|ATO]] had asked her to file her returns, they gave her only six weeks to respond, and she had been unable to access each of her group certificates or joint bank accounts, as they were scattered in boxes throughout the house and in a locked shed of the marital home which was owned by her then-husband. She claimed she did not realise the ATO would accept statutory declarations in place of missing or lost group certificates.
Lawyers for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, said Franks should be fined the maximum amount of $41,800.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}
The magistrate said she would consider the matter and review the now-lodged tax returns before imposing a sentence.<ref name=tax />
Franks was convicted on 8 October 2012.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/sa-mp-tammy-franks-guilty-on-tax-charges/story-e6frfku9-1226490565787 |title=Franks found guilty |access-date=8 October 2012 |archive-date=9 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009001001/http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/sa-mp-tammy-franks-guilty-on-tax-charges/story-e6frfku9-1226490565787 |url-status=live }}</ref> The magistrate rejected Franks's evidence that she had been unable to comply with a final notice because she could not get the relevant details. While the magistrate had great sympathy for her personal circumstances at the time she received the final notice, he found there were avenues available to her to obtain the information. The magistrate concluded Franks "did very little" to attempt to comply with the notice. Describing her as a "disorganised person" and "not an impressive witness", the Magistrate said Franks tended to blame others, including the Australian Taxation Office, for her situation. He said he preferred the evidence of an ATO employee, who contradicted Franks' evidence that she had asked for an extension of time in which to lodge the returns.
The Magistrates fined Franks $6,600 and ordered her to pay $7,500 court costs. A conviction was recorded because of the seriousness of the offending, but she will be able to keep her seat in parliament, because they were not indictable offences.<ref>{{cite news|title=Greens MP Tammy Franks fined $6600 for failing to lodge tax returns|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/greens-mp-tammy-franks-fined-6600-for-failing-to-lodge-tax-returns/story-fndo471r-1226497767583}}</ref>
===Sexual harassment===
In 2021, Franks made allegations that [[Sam Duluk]] touched her [[Sexual assault|inappropriately]], which was denied by Duluk. Another politician, [[Connie Bonaros]], also alleged that Duluk slapped her bottom. He was acquitted of assault charges.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Cosenza|first=Emily|date=2021-09-09|title=Explosive claims about 'drunken pest' MP|work=[[news.com.au]]|url=https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/nightmare-before-christmas-explosive-claims-of-sexual-harassment-racism-homophobia-against-mp-sam-duluk/news-story/4a368491d3ff7759e533b677245b55ec|access-date=2021-09-27|archive-date=9 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909213458/https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/nightmare-before-christmas-explosive-claims-of-sexual-harassment-racism-homophobia-against-mp-sam-duluk/news-story/4a368491d3ff7759e533b677245b55ec|url-status=live}}</ref>
==See also== *[[Greens South Australia]] *[[2010 South Australian state election]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{cite SA-parl |pid=4363 |name=Franks, Tammy |former=no |access-date=19 August 2022}} *[https://tammyfranks.org.au TammyFranks.org.au – official site] *[https://youtube.com/watch?v=KlsLunXN_co Tammy Franks speech: Greens Dinner 14 November 2009 (Video: Part 1)] – [https://youtube.com/watch?v=gYQU1exB67Q (Part 2)]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franks, Tammy}} [[Category:Members of the South Australian Legislative Council]] [[Category:Australian Greens members of the Parliament of South Australia]] [[Category:Independent members of the Parliament of South Australia]] [[Category:Australian LGBTQ rights activists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1968 births]] [[Category:21st-century Australian politicians]] [[Category:Women members of the South Australian Legislative Council]] [[Category:21st-century Australian women politicians]] [[Category:Australian politicians who switched parties]]