Friday 20 May 2022 08:13 AM Australian election 2022: Greens Adam Bandt partner Claudia Perkins shaved Coal ... trends now
The wife of Greens leader Adam Bandt was once a Labor staffer for Julia Gillard, shaved Coal Kills into her hair - and named their kids after woodland animals.
Mother of two Claudia Perkins is now a part-time yoga teacher in inner city Melbourne, raising children Wren, 6, and Elke, 5 and the strength behind Mr Bandt's election campaign which is set to be the Greens' most successful yet.
In the wake of the bushfires, floods and Covid, the Greens are now in the boxseat for their best results ever in an Australian federal election.
Claudia Perkins, the wife of Greens leader Adam Bandt, was once a Labor staffer for Julia Gillard, shaved Coal Kills into her hair - and named their kids after woodland animals
Polls tip them to gain three seats in the Senate and an outside chance of a Brisbane seat in House of Representatives, despite being overshadowed in the media by the so-called teal Independents.
But 13 years ago, Ms Perkins was a public servant before switching to become a political advisor for Labor's Simon Crean and later Julia Gillard.
It led to to some awkward moments during the fledgling romance with her then-boyfriend Mr Bandt during the 2010 election campaign.
He endured 'Slept with the enemy' headlines as he fought to be elected to represent Melbourne but insisted at the time it less of a problem than it might have appeared.
Claudia Perkins was a public servant before switching to become a political advisor for Labor's Simon Crean and later Julia Gillard 13years ago when she started dating Adam Bandt
The pair are renowned for living an environmentally-friendly lifestyle and sticking to their diehard Greens values
'During the campaign we spent two nights together,' he said later. 'There was a Chinese wall about what we would and wouldn’t talk about.
'I now understand how tough things are on partners of politicians. They haven’t stuck their hands up to be in the public spotlight.'
Ms Perkins left Labor after the 2010 election, following her husband-to-be's lead who quit the ALP in 1989 to join
