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Jonty Bush

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Jonty Bush
MP
Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
for Cooper
Incumbent
Assumed office
31 October 2020
Preceded byKate Jones
Personal details
Born
Jonty Maree Bush

(1979-06-25) 25 June 1979 (age 45)
Austins Ferry, Tasmania, Australia
Political partyLabor
Children1
EducationGriffith University
University of the Sunshine Coast
Occupation
  • Public servant
  • community advocate
Websitewww.jontybush.com

Jonty Maree Bush (born 25 June 1979)[1] is an Australian politician currently serving as the Labor state member for Cooper in the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Bush is a former public servant and community advocate, having served as the CEO of the Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group.

She was the 2009 Young Australian of the Year for her advocacy for victims of crime and the development of the One Punch Can Kill campaign.

Early life

[edit]

Bush was born in Austins Ferry, Tasmania in 1979,[2] and relocated with her family to the Southern Burnett town of Kilkivan when she was 14 and completed high school between Kilkivan and Gympie. Bush, her father and brother relocated to the Sunshine Coast where Bush attended Sunshine Coast University to earn a bachelor's degree in business. Bush later graduated from Griffith University with a Masters in Criminology and Criminal Justice.[3]

Bush joined the Queensland Homicide Victims Support Group in 2000 as a volunteer after the homicides of her sister (to domestic violence) and her father (a coward punch assault).[4] During her time with the company, Bush was promoted to Family Support Officer, Volunteer Coordinator and eventually to Chief Executive Officer in 2007, making her the first CEO with lived experience in the organisation.

Bush led a number of policy and legislative reforms to strengthen the rights of victims of crime in Queensland. Additionally, Bush initiated an anti-violence campaign called One Punch Can Kill, educating people about the impacts of even one punch.[5] In 2012, Bush started Project 24, which focuses on fundraising for agencies that specialise in gender-based violence prevention.[6]

From 2010 to 2020 Bush worked in the Queensland Public Service, including at Victim Assist Queensland, the Office of the Public Guardian, and the Department of Premier and Cabinet.[7][8][3] She was also a member of the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council from 2010 to 2012.[9]

Political career

[edit]

Bush was elected a Vice-President of Queensland Labor in 2020, and is Patron of two internal party groups, the Labor Environmental Action Network and Labor Enabled.[10]

At the 2020 Brisbane City Council election, Bush ran for the Enoggera Ward and was defeated by incumbent councillor Andrew Wines, despite a swing towards her.[11][12]

State Parliament

[edit]

Bush was selected as the Labor candidate for Cooper at the 2020 Queensland state election, following the retirement of Kate Jones. She was successful and won the seat with a 10.5% margin.[13][14] During her term, Bush served as a member of four parliamentary committees including the Community Safety and Legal Affairs Committee since February 2024.[7]

At the 2020 election, Bush and the Labor Party made several commitments to improve infrastructure at state schools in the Cooper electorate including an upgraded swimming pool amenities block at Ithaca Creek State School and an upgraded tuckshop at The Gap State High School, which were completed during her term.[15] Bush also promised $2.4 million for an upgraded clubhouse for GPS Rugby and Valley's District Cricket Club at Ashgrove, which opened in 2023.[16]

Bush supported the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2021, which legalised voluntary assisted dying in Queensland. The Bill was passed in a conscience vote (60-29) on 16 September 2021.[17][18]

In 2023, Bush advocated for stronger environmental protections for the Lake Eyre Basin and Channel Country from mining activities. After Steven Miles became Premier in December 2023, the State Government announced increased protections for the rivers and floodplains of the Basin.[19][20] As an MP in the Miles Government, she also supported the Clean Economy Jobs Act 2024 and Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Act 2024, which legislated stronger renewable energy targets for Queensland (50 percent by 2030, 70 percent by 2032, 80 percent by 2035) and the phasing-out of coal-fired power generation by 2036, as well as stronger emissions reduction targets of 75 percent by 2035 and net zero by 2050.[21][22]

As Member for Cooper, Bush campaigned in 2023 against a McDonald's development occurring on Waterworks Road in Ashgrove based on opposition from local residents and small businesses.[23][24]

In response to sexual assaults and harassment against women along the hiking trails in the Mount Coot-tha bushlands, Jonty Bush and the Trail Running Association of Queensland organised a community event 'Reclaim the Trails' against gender-based violence in August 2024. The event took place at the JC Slaughter Falls section of the Mount Coot-tha bushlands and was attended by 300 walkers, hikers and runners.[25][26]

During the 2024 Queensland State Election, Bush ran as the Labor incumbent, and while being a target seat [27] for the Greens candidate Katinka Winstom-Allom, ultimately emerged victorious with a swing towards her of 0.7% (leaving the seat classed as a safe Labor seat).[28]

Personal life

[edit]

Bush is in a de facto partnership and has four daughters.[29]

Awards and honours

[edit]

Bush won the Young Australian of the Year Award in 2009 in recognition of her work in advocacy for victims of crime in Queensland and her work in community safety education with the One Punch Can Kill campaign.[30]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Who's Who in Australia. ConnectWeb. 2020.
  2. ^ "Inaugural speech by Jonty Bush" (PDF). Queensland Parliament. 26 November 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Director, Visiting: Jonty Bush". Office of the Public Guardian. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  4. ^ Gardnier, Peter (23 November 2010). "Anti-violence message has a chance". Noosa News. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  5. ^ Perkins, Justine (12 December 2014). "Hope lives here - meaning out of tragedy". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  6. ^ "Jonty speads [sic] anti violence message". North West Star. 26 April 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Queensland Parliament Member Details - Jonty Bush". Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  8. ^ "JONTY BUSH Campaigner and public guardian". Sunshine Coast Daily. 12 May 2018. p. 36.
  9. ^ "Previous council". Sentencing Advisory Council Queensland. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Queensland Parliament Member Details - Jonty Bush". Queensland Parliament. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  11. ^ Stone, Lucy (31 March 2020). "'Extraordinary' election may leave Brisbane council virtually unchanged". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Enoggera (Key seat)". ABC News. 14 April 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  13. ^ Hartley, Anna (11 September 2020). "Jonty Bush to replace outgoing Labor minister Kate Jones in Cooper at Queensland state election". ABC News. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Cooper - QLD Election 2020". ABC News - Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Progress report on 2020 government election commitments" (PDF). Queensland Government. September 2024.
  16. ^ "Ashgrove Sports Ground election commitment delivered". Ministerial Media Statements. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  17. ^ Bush, Jonty (15 September 2021). "Hansard, Queensland Parliament" (PDF). Queensland Parliament, Hansard.
  18. ^ Caldwell, Matt Dennien, Felicity (16 September 2021). "How every MP voted on Queensland's voluntary assisted dying bill". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 1 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ "Lake Eyre Basin Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement". Jonty Bush MP. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Increased protections, greater certainty for globally iconic Queensland section of Lake Eyre Basin". Ministerial Media Statements. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  21. ^ Bush, Jonty (7 April 2024). "ENERGY (RENEWABLE TRANSFORMATION AND JOBS) BILL; CLEAN ECONOMY JOBS BILL" (PDF). Queensland Parliament.
  22. ^ "Miles Labor Government locks in 100,000 jobs for the future". Ministerial Media Statements. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  23. ^ O'Malley, Brendan (9 August 2023). "Mac attack: Plans for Ashgrove's first Macca's under fire". The Courier Mail.
  24. ^ "Stop the Ashgrove Mcdonalds". Jonty Bush MP. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Hundreds of runners take to Mount Coot-tha to 'reclaim the trails' in face of random gender-based attacks". ABC News. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  26. ^ Katie (29 July 2024). "Community Unites Against Violence at Mt Coot-tha National Park". Echo News. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  27. ^ "Cooper and McConnel top targets for Greens in Queensland election". ABC News. 12 October 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  28. ^ "Cooper - QLD Election 2024". ABC News. 8 October 2024. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  29. ^ "Pillow talk: You voted for who?". SPS News. 11 September 2013. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  30. ^ "Jonty Bush wins Young Australian award". Sydney Morning Herald. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
Parliament of Queensland
Preceded by Member for Cooper
2020–present 		Incumbent
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