Mark Butler
Mark Butler (born 8 July 1970) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives since 2007. He was a minister in the Gillard and Rudd governments and also served as national president of the ALP from 2015 to 2018.
Butler studied arts and law at the University of Adelaide and international relations at Deakin University. Prior to entering parliament he was the South Australian secretary of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU). He was elected to the seat of Port Adelaide at the 2007 federal election, later switching to Hindmarsh in 2019. Butler was made a parliamentary secretary in 2009, becoming a minister after the 2010 election and winning promotion to cabinet the following year. He subsequently held the portfolios of Minister for Mental Health and Ageing (2010–2013), Social Inclusion (2011–2013), Housing and Homelessness (2013), Environment and Water (2013), and Climate Change (2013).
After the ALP's defeat at the 2013 election, Butler was a member of shadow cabinet under opposition leaders Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese, He is a senior member of the Labor Left faction and was elected to a three-year term as national president in 2015.
Early life
Butler was born in Canberra on 8 July 1970, the son of Lindsay Nicholson andDavid Butler. His mother was a peace and anti-nuclear activist and campaigned to elect the Hawke and Keating governments.
He graduated from the University of Adelaidewith a Bachelor of Arts in Jurisprudence and a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours. While at university he worked as a paralegal at Duncan Basheer Hannon (DBH). He was short-listed for a Rhodes Scholarship, and later completed a Master of International Relations degree at Deakin University.
Butler was active in student politics while at university. He was a housemate of future state MP Patrick Conlon and developed friendships with future premier Jay Weatherill and future federal minister Penny Wong.
LEAN connections
LEAN Australia - Labor Environment Action Network February 24, 2021
Our national organiser Lou handing over 500 signatures and messages of thanks for Mark Butler MP. So many appreciated his advocacy for action on climate as well as his preparedness to genuinely engage with Labor rank and file. He was chuffed.
Mark Butler with Peter Nisbet, Sean Kelly and Peter Casey.
LEAN Australia - Labor Environment Action Network May 16, 2018
Albo in full flight at LEAN Inner West’s public forum, with Mark Butler MP talking climate change in Sydney’s Balmain Town Hall. So great to see such a great crew and two of our favourite climate change advocates in the Federal parliamentary party. Yay to local LEAN branches springing up all over the country! Anthony Albanese MP.
LEAN meeting
Young Labor Left - NSW April 2014.
It was great to be at LEAN Australia - Labor Environment Action Network's event last night to discuss Labor's response to climate change with Shadow Climate Change Minister Mark Butler and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Tanya Plibersek.
— with David Bailey-Mckay, Erin Watt, Elsa Kohane, Steven Moore, Mark Butler, Lyndal Butler, Neha Madhok, Penny Sharpe, Darcy Byrne.
LEAN SA
Labor Environment Action Network SA November 29, 2015.
Mark Butler left, Iacovos Digenis right.
YLL/Left backing
Renewable Energy Superpower
June 2016, Australian Greens Senator Robert Simms will be speaking at Renewable Energy Superpower, the fifth part in the acclaimed Zero Carbon Australia series. Zero Carbon Australia is a joint project betweenBeyond Zero Emissions and The University of Melbourne's Energy Research Institute.
The Renewable Energy Superpower report highlights the feedbacks anticipated by the global transition to clean energy and the opportunities this presents for Australia.
While Australia's emissions intensive exports face declining prospects, the global build out of clean energy is a once in a lifetime industrial opportunity.
The presentation by BZE CEO Dr Stephen Bygrave will be introduced by Friends of the Earth Adelaide's Roman Orszanski, and is supported and organised by FoE Adelaide and the Conservation Council of South Australia.
The Adelaide Superpower panelists include:
Senator Robert Simms - Australian Greens - Federal Senator for South Australia, Lisa Lumsden - Repower Port Augusta, the Hon Mark Butler MP - ALP - Labor Shadow Minister for the Environment, Climate Change and Water and National President of the Australian Labor Party, Professor Hugh Saddler - Adjunct Associate Professor, Crawford School, ANU, Darrin Spinks - Executive Chair, HeliostatSA, Andrew Bray - National Coordinator, Australian Wind Alliance.[1]
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2008 @ AEU CONFERENCE ROOM
1.00pm – 1.10pm – Welcome and Introduction by Richard Walsham.
- I acknowledge the people of the Kaurna nation on whose land we meet today and pay respect to their elders past and present for their custodianship of the land.
- On behalf of the SEARCH Foundation, I welcome you here today. This is one of a number of what we’re calling “Roundtables” being held in different cities around Australia. I want to particularly thank John Wishart, Don Jarrett and others who may have assisted in what I can see is a terrific roll up to this Roundtable.[2]
1.10pm – 1.25pm – Drew Hutton
Drew Hutton comes from a background of over 30 years in social movements and green politics. He was a founding member of both the Queensland Greens in 1991 and the Australian Greens in 1992 and has served both organisations in various capacities since then, most notably as the spokesperson for the Queensland Greens. Drew has published widely on environmental and green political themes including his edited work, Green Politics in Australia, in 1987 and A History of the Australian Environment Movement in 1999, written with Libby Connors.
1.25pm – 1.40pm – Pam Simmons
Pam Simmons is the SA Guardian for Children and Young People, a statutory position advocating for children in and out of home care. Immediately prior to this she was the Executive Director of the SA Council of Social Service. Pam has 25 years experience, here and overseas as an advocate for social justice and change.
1.40pm – 1.55pm – Mark Butler
Mark represents the Electorate of Port Adelaide and has worked in the South Australian Branch of the Liquor, Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union (LHMU). Mark served as the youngest ever President of the ALP in South Australia and has recently served as a Member of the Premier’s Social Inclusion Board, Chair of the Gaming Care Advisory Committee and the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work and Life Advisory Committee.[3]
Marginson/SEARCH connection
Melba Marginson, Mark Butler, Brian Aarons, Richard Walsham, Rob Durbridge.
Trade union career
In 1992, Butler joined the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Workers' Union (LHMU) as a legal officer through his connections with Conlon. He made appearances before industrial tribunals, "pushing for cleaners and hospital workers to get better pay". In 1996 he was elected state secretary of the LHMU.