Nick McKim

Nicholas James McKim (born 11 June 1965) is an Australian politician who is currently serving as a senator for Tasmania in the federal parliament. He was previously a Tasmanian Greens member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly elected at the 2002 election, representing the Franklin electorate from 2002 to 2015, and led the party from 2008 until 2014. On 21 April 2010, he became the first member of the Greens in any Australian ministry. From February 2020 until June 2022, he served as co-deputy leader of the Australian Greens.

McKim was born in London, England. When he was five years old, his family emigrated from the UK to Australia. He attended the Hutchins School, Kingston High School, then Hobart College.^{[citation needed]} He lived in Adelaide, South Australia, before moving to Tasmania.^{[citation needed]} Before entering parliament, McKim worked as a wilderness guide and advertising executive.

McKim served time in prison after being arrested during the Farmhouse Creek Blockade in the early 1980s.

The issue of Nick McKim's citizenship was raised during the 2017–18 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis while he was a sitting senator. McKim applied to renounce his UK citizenship by filling out the renunciation form (RN) on 31 July 2015. The form was received by the British Home Office on 14 August 2015, further received for processing on 4 September 2015, and formally registered on 1 February 2016. The Home Office citizenship renunciation guidelines state that a person will cease being a British citizen after the date of registration.

Because McKim's RN form was not registered until 1 February 2016, he maintained dual citizenship while serving as a senator, in breach of the Australian constitution, from 20 August 2015 (when he was sworn in as the retiring Christine Milne's replacement) until 1 February 2016, a period of just over 5 months. Since nominations for the 2016 federal election occurred after McKim's citizenship was formally renounced, he was not in breach of section 44(i) when nominating for that election.

Elected to Tasmanian House of Assembly in the Division of Franklin at the 2002 election, McKim was re-elected at the 2006 election, receiving 15.93 per cent of first preferences, an increase compared to his previous vote of 12.59%. He replaced Peg Putt as Leader of the Tasmanian Greens when Putt retired from Parliament in 2008.

McKim supported the government in passing the same sex relationships bill (which recognises same sex relationships in Tasmania under common law) and has promoted the Greens' own Same Sex Marriage Bill. During 2008, he campaigned against the use of 1080 poison, forestry practices and the state's anti-terrorism bill.

In the 2010 Tasmanian election McKim achieved 24.1% of first preferences in his lower house seat. On 19 April 2010, Labor premier David Bartlett agreed to appoint McKim as a minister along with Cassy O'Connor as cabinet secretary.