Latest news with #then-Greens
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Western Australian Senator Dorinda Cox quits Greens over perceived extremism, defects to Labor Party
Greens Senator Dorinda Cox has defected to the Labor Party, with sources saying the shock move was driven by her growing disillusionment with the minor party. Sources told Sky News that Ms Cox's decision was a result of her reaction to what was seen as increasing extremism from Greens deputy leader Mehreen Faruqi. The decision reduces the Greens' Senate numbers from 11 to 10 and lifts Labor's to 28—still short of the 38 needed for a majority. Ms Cox, a former Indigenous police officer from Western Australia, approached the Prime Minister's Office in recent weeks expressing frustration with the direction of the Greens. It's understood Labor believes her decision was influenced by recent leadership changes and dissatisfaction with some elements of the Greens' agenda. Ms Cox has been a controversial figure within the Greens, having faced allegations of bullying from former staff members. However, the Labor Party has confidence that it thoroughly examined these allegations before approving her admission to the party. Standing alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Perth, Ms Cox confirmed her switch to Labor and said she looked forward to contributing as a member of the government. 'I am very, very grateful for this opportunity and I want to thank the Labor team for welcoming me,' she said. 'I've spoken to the Prime Minister about the work I would like to do in the future…I will continue to be focused and committed to the work in my home state of WA. 'I look forward to serving as a proud Labor Senator in the 48th Parliament.' The Prime Minister welcomed Cox's decision, describing her as a valuable addition to the government benches. 'I know she's looking forward to working in a united, cohesive team, building a better future not just for the people of Western Australia, but for the people of Australia,' he said. 'Dorinda Cox is someone who's a former police officer. She's someone who has a lot to offer in terms of policy development.' Mr Albanese confirmed that Cox had approached Labor 'recently' and that there had been 'more discussions in recent days than we had in previous years.' Ms Cox was first appointed to the Senate in 2021 to fill a casual Greens vacancy and was re-elected in 2022. She was previously a Labor branch member before switching parties under the mentorship of then-Greens Senator Rachel Siewert. Greens leader Larissa Waters condemned her former colleague's decision and said she had only been informed of the move an hour before it was announced. 'The Greens are disappointed in Senator Cox's decision to leave the Greens and join the Labor party as a backbencher,' Ms Waters said.
The Age
7 days ago
- The Age
Woman spared jail time over crash that injured MP
A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP. Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection. As MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car. CCTV showed the state MP's vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry's car skidded 60 metres south. Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court on Friday, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears. Data showed Lowry's car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit MacMahon's at 83km/h. Both were taken to the hospital, where MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery.
Sydney Morning Herald
7 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Woman spared jail time over crash that injured MP
A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP. Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection. As MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car. CCTV showed the state MP's vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry's car skidded 60 metres south. Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court on Friday, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears. Data showed Lowry's car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit MacMahon's at 83km/h. Both were taken to the hospital, where MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery.
Perth Now
7 days ago
- Perth Now
Woman spared jail time over crash that injured MP
A woman will not spend any time behind bars after she sped through a red light while drunk before crashing into a then-Greens MP. Rani Paige Lowry, 27, was charged over the collision that seriously injured Amy MacMahon in Kangaroo Point on February 12, 2024. Lowry was driving at 90km/h in a 60km/h zone around sunset on a Monday evening when she ran a red light at an intersection. As Dr MacMahon started driving when the light turned green, Lowry ploughed into her car. CCTV showed the state MP's vehicle slide 180 degrees near where a pedestrian was about to cross the road, while Lowry's car skidded 60 metres south. Lowry watched the CCTV footage played to Brisbane District Court on Friday, wiping her eyes and sniffling as she broke down in tears. Data showed Lowry's car accelerated five seconds before the crash and did not apply the brakes as she hit Dr MacMahon's at 83km/h. Both were taken to the hospital, where Dr MacMahon was in a coma for some time, suffering a traumatic brain injury and damage to her carotid artery. Judge David Kent said it is a miracle of modern engineering that no one was killed. Lowry returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.186, which is more than three times the legal limit. Dr MacMahon was in hospital for two weeks and underwent treatment for six months. Despite the seriousness of her injuries, Dr MacMahon, who did not appear in court, asked in her victim impact statement for Lowry not to serve any time but to undergo rehabilitation to ensure this "never, ever happens again". She even offered to help Lowry find community work for her rehabilitation. Judge Kent commended the "compassion and emotional maturity" of Dr MacMahon's statement. The court was told Lowry's father had been killed in a car crash years earlier. Lowry had relapsed into her long-held alcohol dependency, caused by childhood trauma and the recent death of her brother, before the incident, her lawyer Jack Kennedy told the court. On the afternoon of the crash, Lowry had gone to a venue with friends for emotional support but drank excessively before leaving and causing the crash. She had expressed extreme remorse since the incident, suffering such shame and guilt that she considered ending her own life, Mr Kennedy said. Lowry wrote a letter to Dr MacMahon to apologise for the crash and wanted to see the former MP in person to express her remorse. Lowry pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle causing grievous bodily harm while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance. She was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and was eligible for parole on Friday, meaning she would not spend any time in custody. Judge Kent said Lowry should never pick up another alcoholic drink in her life. "This is a serious example of dangerous operation while intoxicated which had serious consequences," he said. Dr MacMahon lost her South Brisbane seat in the October state election.
