Editing Natasha Stott Despoja (section)

==Political career==
When Democrats Senator John Coulter resigned for health reasons in 1995, Stott Despoja was the successful candidate to fill the resulting vacancy.<ref name="Au parl">{{Cite Au Parliament |mpid=396 |name=Former Senator Natasha Stott Despoja |access-date=3 November 2021}}</ref> Her rise to prominence began when she won a full term in the [[1996 Australian federal election|1996 election]] the following year, becoming the youngest woman ever elected to the federal Parliament at age 26. Late the following year, following the resignation of [[Cheryl Kernot]] and the rise of [[Meg Lees]] to the leadership of the Democrats, Stott Despoja was elected deputy leader of the Democrats. During this time, she built her image as spokesperson for Employment, Higher Education, Youth, Science and Information Technology, Consumer Affairs, Trade, and [[Australian republicanism|the Republic]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.womenaustralia.info/leaders/biogs/WLE0705b.htm|title=Stott Despoja, Natasha Jessica – Woman – The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia|last=Melbourne|first=The University of|website=womenaustralia.info|access-date=19 November 2018}}</ref><ref name="APH"/>

During the passage of the [[Goods and Services Tax (Australia)|Goods and Services Tax]] (GST) legislation in 1999, Stott Despoja and [[Andrew Bartlett]] split with the party's other senators by opposing the package, which had been negotiated by Lees and prime minister [[John Howard]]. She said that she refused to break promises made during the election. The party had stated that they would work with whichever party formed government to improve their tax package. The [[Australian Democrats]] traditionally permitted parliamentary representatives to cast a [[conscience vote]] on any issue but, on this occasion, close numbers in the Senate placed greater pressure than usual on the dissenters.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

===Leader of the Democrats===
The passage of the GST was not popular among the Democrats membership. Unlike other parties, the members directly elected the party leader and a spill could be called at any time with 100 signatures. Meg Lees had been subject to such a challenge before but was re-elected unopposed as no other senator opted to run. By early 2001, the party's fortunes were declining. The state election in [[2001 Western Australian state election|Western Australia]] in February, where the Democrats lost both their seats in the upper house, was particularly damaging and prompted another spill campaign against Lees. Stott Despoja, who by this time was widely recognised and popular among voters, decided to run and was successful, winning 69% of votes.<ref name="Factor">{{cite book|last=Rogers|first=Alison|date=2004|title=The Natasha Factor|publisher=Lothian Books|isbn=0734406835}}</ref>

Stott Despoja became the leader of her party on 6 April 2001. From the beginning she faced difficulties in working with Lees, who viewed her run for the leadership as a betrayal. Other senators, including new deputy leader [[Aden Ridgeway]], remained sympathetic to Lees. In the [[2001 Australian federal election|2001 federal election]] in November, the Democrats recorded a fall in their Senate vote from 8.5% to 7.3% and returned four of the five senators up for election. The party also saw a marginal lift in its primary vote for the lower house from 5.1% to 5.4%. The substantial rise of the Greens vote to 4.9% in the Senate and their election of a second senator ignited further discussion about the fortunes of the Democrats.<ref name="Factor"/>

Throughout 2002, Stott Despoja struggled to keep the party together as senators publicly strayed from party positions and privately expressed a lack of confidence in her leadership. After the party bureaucracy opened an investigation into Meg Lees for allegedly damaging party unity, which Lees and her allies saw as part of a campaign by Stott Despoja to silence her, Lees left the party in July 2002. This was followed by a stand-off with [[Andrew Murray (Australian politician)|Andrew Murray]], who threatened to follow. After deciding to stay, Murray proposed a ten-point package to reform party structures and address the issues raised by Lees, designed to shift power from the leader. At a party room meeting on 21 August, all ten measures were passed four votes to three: Murray, Ridgeway, [[Lyn Allison]] and [[John Cherry (Australian politician)|John Cherry]] in favour, with Stott Despoja and her allies [[Andrew Bartlett]] and [[Brian Greig]] against. Understanding her position to be untenable after this defeat, Stott Despoja announced her resignation to the Senate. She had been leader for 16 and a half months.<ref name="Factor"/><ref>{{Cite news | title=Senator Cherry speaks about Natasha Stott Despoja | date=21 August 2002 | access-date=8 December 2006 | work=[[ABC News (Australian TV channel)|ABC News]] | url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s655263.htm | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103060506/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s655263.htm | archive-date=3 November 2012 | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Stott Despoja|first=Natasha|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F2002-08-21%2F0040%22|title=MATTERS OF PUBLIC INTEREST : Australian Democrats: Leadership|work=Hansard|publisher=Parliament of Australia website|location=Canberra|date=21 August 2002|access-date=12 August 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121008064306/http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F2002-08-21%2F0040%22|archive-date=8 October 2012}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title=Stott Despoja resigns leadership | date=21 August 2002 | access-date=2006-12-08 | work=[[ABC News (Australian TV channel)|ABC News]] | url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s655390.htm | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070203155548/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s655390.htm | archive-date=3 February 2007 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Post-leadership===
Stott Despoja remained active in the Senate and the Democrats after resigning as leader. The party's fortunes continued to decline under new leader Andrew Bartlett. In the [[2004 Australian federal election|2004 election]] they failed to elect any senators, leaving only the four elected in 2001: Stott Despoja, Bartlett, Lyn Allison, and Andrew Murray.

In 2004, Stott Despoja took 11 weeks' leave from the Senate following the birth of her first child. She returned to full duties as spokesperson for Higher Education, Science and Biotechnology, Women, Privacy, Territories and Local Government, and Work and Family.<ref name="APH"/>

During her career, Stott Despoja introduced 24 [[Private member's bill|private member's bills]] on issues including paid maternity leave,<ref>{{cite news|last=Haxton|first=Nance|title=Democrats launch paid maternity leave scheme|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1046153.htm|access-date=19 July 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=16 February 2004|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402202856/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2004/s1046153.htm|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Preston|first=Mike|title=Paid maternity leave: is Australia ready?|url=http://www.smartcompany.com.au/politics/paid-maternity-leave-is-australia-ready.html|publisher=Smart Company|access-date=19 July 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413153558/http://www.smartcompany.com.au/politics/paid-maternity-leave-is-australia-ready.html|archive-date=13 April 2012}}</ref> the Republic,<ref>{{cite web|last=Holmes|first=Brenton|title=Tracking the push for an Australian republic|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/2012-2013/AustralianRepublic|publisher=Parliament of Australia website|access-date=19 July 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130726025642/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/BN/2012-2013/AustralianRepublic|archive-date=26 July 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kirk|first=Alexandra|title=Renewed push for Australian republic|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1521012.htm|access-date=19 July 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=1 December 2005|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402223527/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2005/s1521012.htm|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> [[genetic privacy]],<ref>{{cite news|last=O'Brien|first=Kerry|title=Govt inquiry to examine genetic testing privacy issues|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s161294.htm|access-date=19 July 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=9 August 2000|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528075905/http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s161294.htm|archive-date=28 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Genetic Privacy and Non-discrimination Bill 1998 [2008]|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s156|publisher=Parliament of Australia website|access-date=19 July 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803160456/http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s156|archive-date=3 August 2013}}</ref> stem cells,<ref>{{cite news|last=Kirk|first=Alexandra|title=Stott Despoja proposes Private Members Bill on stem cell research|url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1709725.htm|access-date=19 July 2013|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=8 August 2006|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528010728/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2006/s1709725.htm|archive-date=28 May 2014}}</ref> captioning,<ref>{{cite web|last=Lloyd|first=Karen|title=Deaf Australia applauds investigation into access to electronic media|url=http://www.deafau.org.au/info/media27.php|publisher=Deaf Australia Inc|access-date=19 July 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428142108/http://www.deafau.org.au/info/media27.php|archive-date=28 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Captioning for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s155|publisher=Parliament of Australia website|access-date=19 July 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130803154401/http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s155|archive-date=3 August 2013}}</ref> and same-sex marriage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s502 |title=Same-Sex Marriages Bill 2006 [2008&#93; |publisher=Parliament of Australia website |access-date=12 August 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140228170754/http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=s502 |archive-date=28 February 2014  }}</ref> Stott Despoja regularly attends the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://andrewbartlett.com/?p=6545 |title=Senator Andrew Bartlett speaks about Sydney: Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras – Adjournment Speech |publisher=Andrewbartlett.com |date=4 April 2000 |access-date=12 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402210341/http://andrewbartlett.com/?p=6545 |archive-date=2 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 22 October 2006, after undergoing emergency surgery for an [[ectopic pregnancy]], she announced that she would not contest the [[2007 Australian federal election|2007 election]] and would leave office at the expiration of her term on 30 June 2008.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Stott Despoja to bow out of politics | date=22 October 2006 | access-date=22 October 2006 | work=[[ABC News (Australian TV channel)|ABC News]] | url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1770646.htm | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418232221/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1770646.htm | archive-date=18 April 2008 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> She was the Australian Democrats' longest-serving senator.<ref>{{cite news | title=So long, it's been good to see you | date=21 June 2008 | access-date=21 June 2008 | newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/so-long-its-been-good-to-see-you/2008/06/20/1213770924217.html?page=fullpage | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026105724/http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/so-long-its-been-good-to-see-you/2008/06/20/1213770924217.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1 | archive-date=26 October 2012 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> As in 2004, the Democrats elected no senators in 2007, and Stott Despoja's retirement coincided with the end of her party's federal parliamentary representation.