James Alan "Jim" Scott (born 16 November 1946) is a former Australian politician and a pioneering member of the

Greens Western Australia The Greens (WA) is a member party of the Australian Greens in Western Australia. The Greens (WA) was formed following the merger of the Western Australian Green Party with the Green Earth Alliance composed of the Vallentine Peace Group and Alt ...

. He was the first Greens candidate elected to the

Parliament of Western Australia The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameralism, bicameral legislature of the Australian states and territories of Australia, state of Western Australia, which constitutes the legislative branch of the state's political system. The parl ...

, serving in the

Western Australian Legislative Council The Western Australian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia, a state of Australia. It is regarded as a house of review for legislation passed by the Western Australian Legislative Assembly, Legislative A ...

from 1993 to 2005.

Early life and career

Scott was born on 16 November 1946 in

Kellerberrin, Western Australia Kellerberrin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. The town serves as a stop on the ''Prospector'' and ''MerredinLink'' rural train services. It is also located on the Golden Pipe ...

. Before entering politics, he worked in a wide range of occupations, including as a new land farmer and rural fencing instructor in Badgingarra, an offshore oil worker, a clothing manufacturer and retailer, and a theatrical set builder.

Political career

In the

1993 Western Australian state election The General Assembly of the United Nations designated 1993 as: * International Year for the World's Indigenous People The year 1993 in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands had only 364 days, since its calendar advanced 24 hours to ...

, he was elected to the

region of South Metropolitan, the first member of the Greens elected to the state parliament. He served as the sole Greens member until 1997, when Giz Watson and Chrissy Sharp were also elected to the Council. During his time in Parliament, Scott served on several committees, including: * Joint Standing Committee on Delegated Legislation: 14 June 1995 – 14 November 1996; reappointed 26 June 1997 – 10 January 2001 * Standing Committee on Environment and Public Affairs: 28 June 2001 – 23 January 2005 * Select Committee to Review the Legislative Council Standing Committee System: 1997 * Select Committee on Rules, Orders and Usage of the House: 2002–2003 * Select Committee into Workers Compensation: 2004 He also introduced several private members' bills on issues such as public interest disclosures, genetically modified organisms, and urban planning. Notable examples include: * ''Public Interests Disclosures Bill 1997'' * ''Genetically Modified Material (Temporary Prohibition) Bill 1999'' * ''Metropolitan Region Scheme (Fremantle Controlled Access Highways) Bill 2001'' He held the seat until 2005, when he resigned to contest the Legislative Assembly seat of

Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...

, unsuccessfully.

Legacy

Scott’s election marked a major milestone for the Greens in Western Australia, establishing a presence in state politics. His contributions helped solidify the party’s future influence in the WA Parliament.

Political views and advocacy

As the first Greens (WA) member elected to the Western Australian Parliament, Jim Scott was a prominent advocate for environmental protection, government transparency, and civil liberties. He supported reforms to strengthen the role of the Legislative Council as an effective house of review and was critical of government inaction on environmental issues.

References

External links

Greens WA profile

Parliament of WA profile
1946 births Living people Greens Western Australia politicians Australian Greens members of the Parliament of Western Australia Members of the Western Australian Legislative Council People from Kellerberrin, Western Australia 21st-century Australian politicians 20th-century Australian politicians {{AustralianGreens-politician-stub