Nick McKim

Biography

Nick McKim is an Australian politician who has made a significant impact in both state and federal politics. Born on June 11, 1965, in London, England, he migrated with his family to Australia at the age of five. McKim attended the Hutchins School, Kingston High School, and Hobart College before moving to Adelaide, South Australia, where he worked as a wilderness guide and advertising executive before entering politics.

McKim was first elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the Division of Franklin in the 2002 election. He was re-elected in 2006 and eventually became the leader of the Tasmanian Greens after Peg Putt retired from Parliament in 2008. McKim was a vocal opponent of forestry practices, 1080 poison, and the state’s anti-terrorism bill. He also supported the same-sex relationships bill, which recognizes same-sex relationships in Tasmania under common law, and promoted the Greens’ own Same-Sex Marriage Bill.

McKim achieved 24.1% of first preferences in his lower house seat in the 2010 Tasmanian election. On April 19, 2010, he was appointed as a minister in the Tasmanian government, the first Greens member to hold a ministerial position in any Australian government. He was responsible for several portfolios, including Sustainable Transport and Alternative Energy, Corrections and Consumer Protection, Climate Change, Human Services, and Community Development.

After a reshuffle of Cabinet, McKim was sworn in as Minister for Education and Skills in May 2011, retaining his other portfolios. He oversaw the closing of the Hayes Prison Farm and the removal of Flex Learning for prisoners in his roles as Minister for both portfolio areas of Education and Corrections.

However, in January 2014, the power-sharing agreement between the Tasmanian Greens and the Labor Party ended, and McKim and fellow Green Cassy O’Connor were replaced by Labor MPs. McKim was re-elected to the House of Assembly in the 2014 Tasmanian state election.

After Christine Milne resigned from the Senate, McKim was announced as one of ten Greens members vying to replace her. In July 2015, he won the membership ballot to replace Milne in the Senate and was appointed to the Senate by a joint sitting of the Tasmanian Parliament on August 19, 2015.

From February 2020 until June 2022, McKim served as co-deputy leader of the Australian Greens. Throughout his political career, McKim has been a passionate advocate for progressive policies, including environmental protection, human rights, and social justice.