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{{Short description|Australian politician}}{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}

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Caroline Le Couteur (born 1952) is an Australian politician. She was elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Molonglo for the ACT Greens at the 2008 election and defeated at the 2012 electionWEB , In October 2016, she was re-elected to the assembly representing the new electorate of Murrumbidgee, serving a single term until her retirement in 2020.

Life before election

Le Couteur grew up in the Canberra suburb of Yarralumla. Her father was the British physicist Kenneth Le Couteur. She was educated at Telopea Park High School and the Australian National University where she studied economics. She moved to Nimbin after the holding of the Aquarius Festival there in 1973 and stayed there for 11 years. While in Nimbin she was instrumental in forming a pre-school and primary school and became a solar (photovoltaic) panel retailer and installer. WEB , Le Couteur was active in the local environment community. She was at the time of her election one of the two national councillors of the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF)WEB Le Couteur has dual British-Australian citizenship.WEB,www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6027697/canberras-parliament-is-full-of-dual-citizens-but-youre-looking-the-wrong-way/, Canberra’s parliament is full of dual citizens (But you’re looking the wrong way), 6 October 2017,

Political career

Le Couteur stood for the ACT Greens in the electorate of Molonglo in 1998 supporting the Green incumbent Kerrie Tucker. She remained active in the Greens and stood again in Molonglo in 2008. Before the 2008 election the Greens had one member, Deb Foskey. Prior to the 2008 election polling conducted by Patterson Market Research and published in The Canberra Times suggested the Green vote had significantly increased since the last election at the expense of Labor, with the Liberal vote remaining relatively unchanged. Commentators predicted the Greens would hold the balance of power and decide who forms government. The Greens stated they were willing to court both major parties.NEWS , NEWS , NEWS , NEWS Le Couteur stood as a candidate for the new Murrumbidgee electorate in the 2016 election, and was successfully re-elected.NEWS, Greens reveal candidates for 2016 ACT election,www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-26/greens-reveal-candidates-for-2016-act-election/6883948, ABC News, 25 October 2015, 2015-10-28, en, After being sworn in as a member of the Assembly, Le Couteur was appointed chair of the Parliamentary Planning Committee.WEB,www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-election-2016/labor-and-greens-hammer-out-deal-to-see-shane-rattenbury-in-cabinet-joy-burch-as-speaker-20161029-gsdvr1.html, Labor and Greens hammer out deal to see Shane Rattenbury in Cabinet, Joy Burch as Speaker, Canberra Times, 30 October 2016, During her time in the Assembly, Le Couteur was involved in the passage of legislation committing the ACT to a ‘zero emissions by 2050’ target and a ban on political donations by the property industry. She announced her retirement from politics ahead of the 2020 election.WEB, Burdon, Daniel, 2019-08-05, Greens MLA to retire at next election,www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6307729/greens-mla-to-retire-at-next-election/, 2020-06-11, The Canberra Times, en,

Personal life

Le Couteur has described herself as an “ageing hippie” and has admitted to smoking cannabis in her youth, as well as having tried acid.WEB,www.canberratimes.com.au/story/5996392/which-act-politicians-have-tried-cannabis-mdma-and-acid/, Which ACT politicians have tried cannabis, MDMA and acid?, 24 January 2019,

References

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External links

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• Caroline Le Couteur: Website
• www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/167.asp" title="web.archive.org/web/20091005201527www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/167.asp">Caroline Le Couteur: Legislative Assembly Members’ page
• www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/lec001.htm" title="web.archive.org/web/20110716022415www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/lec001.htm">Caroline Le Couteur’s Inaugural Speech
• {{facebook|carolinelecouteur|Caroline Le Couteur}}

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