Andy Meddick
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Use Australian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Andy Meddick
| honorific-suffix =
| image = Andy Meddick 2022.jpg
| caption = Meddick in 2022.
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1964|4|5}}
| birth_place = Gosford, New South Wales, Australia
| residence = Torquay, Victoria, Australia
| office = Member of the Victorian Legislative Council for Western Victoria Region
| successor = Sarah Mansfield
| predecessor = James Purcell
| term_start = 24 November 2018
| term_end = 26 November 2022
| party = Animal Justice Party
| occupation = Crane Operator
Politician
| website =
}}
Andy Meddick (born 5 April 1964){{cite book |title=Who's Who in Australia |date=2019 |publisher=ConnectWeb |url=https://connectweb.com.au/pages/whos-who-in-australia.aspx}} is a former Australian politician. He was an Animal Justice Party member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 2018 to 2022, representing Western Victoria Region,{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/vic-election-2018/results/wvic/|title=Western Victoria|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation}} and was the first politician elected in Victoria on an animal protection platform.
Career
Meddick previously worked in construction and was motivated to start his political career when he heard the screams of animals while he worked next to a Laverton pig slaughterhouse in 2013.{{cite web |last1=McCubbing |first1=Gus |title=Animal Justice candidate for Western Victoria's political career launched by disturbing experience |url=https://www.standard.net.au/story/5784746/andy-meddicks-journey-to-the-upper-house/ |website=The Standard |access-date=21 November 2021 |date=29 November 2018}} Meddick began handing out how-to-vote cards for the Animal Justice Party before the 2013 federal election and formed the regional group of the AJP. He contested the federal seat of Corangamite in 2016.
Political views
Meddick has been a strong critic of duck hunting in Victoria.[https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/victoria/victorias-duck-hunt-season-reduced/news-story/21973276bb826d4833c69941462cc1c5 Victoria's duck hunt season reduced: Weekly Times Now article] He stated in his maiden speech in 2019 that he wants to work with farmers: "to help them adapt to the changes that our climate emergency will force us all to make".[https://www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/news/politics/animal-justice-mp-andy-meddick-wants-to-work-with-farmers/news-story/fffd9f77ecd65c62287f04f598740818 Animal Justice MP Andy Meddick wants to 'work with farmers': Weekly Times Now article] He also supported other members of the Victorian parliament crossbench in calling for a trial for pill testing.[https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01-21/pill-testing-pressure-on-the-victorian-government/10730382 Crossbench to use numbers to pressure Victorian Government to introduce pill testing: ABC article]
Meddick has opposed the culling of kangaroos, instead demanding in parliament that pest populations be 'relocated.'{{cite hansard |jurisdiction=Parliament of Victoria |title=Kangaroo Control |url=http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/daily-hansard/Council_2021/Legislative_Council_2021-10-07.pdf |house= |date=2021-10-07 |page_start=3651 |page_end=3652 |speaker=Andy Meddick |position=Western Victoria}}
According to The Age, between November 2018 and November 2021, Meddick voted with the Andrews Government's position 83.2% of the time, the most of any Legislative Council crossbencher.{{cite web |last1=Sakkal |first1=Paul |title='Is this what compliant looks like?': Victoria's crossbench conflict |url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/is-this-what-compliant-looks-like-victoria-s-crossbench-conflict-20211124-p59bnh.html |website=The Age |date=26 November 2021 |publisher=Fairfax Media |access-date=1 December 2021}}
Personal life
Meddick is the father of two transgender children.{{cite web |last1=Starcevic |first1=Seb |title='Both are perfect' says Australian lawmaker with two trans children |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-lgbt-politics-idUSKBN25M1ZG |website=Reuters |access-date=21 November 2021 |date=27 August 2020}}
References
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Category:21st-century Australian politicians
Category:Animal Justice Party politicians
Category:Members of the Victorian Legislative Council
Category:Animal Justice Party members of the Parliament of Victoria