Parnell holds a
Bachelor of Laws and
Commerce from the
University of Melbourne, and a Master of
Regional and
Urban Planning from the
University of South Australia. He is admitted as
Barrister and
Solicitor of the
Supreme Courts of Victoria and
South Australia.
Early career Parnell was a founding member of the South Australian Greens and, prior to being elected, was a solicitor with the
Environmental Defenders Office, a free community legal centre specialising in public interest environmental law. In ten years with the Environmental Defenders Office, Mark helped many hundreds of clients on a wide range of state and national planning, pollution, biodiversity or resource matters. In 1999, he successfully represented the
Conservation Council of South Australia in the State's longest ever environment trial, over tuna
feedlots in
Louth Bay. He also represented the Whyalla Red Dust Action Group Inc in its long-running campaign for
environmental justice over
OneSteel (formerly BHP) dust emissions from the
Whyalla Steelworks. Prior to his 10 years with the Environmental Defenders Office, Parnell was a campaign co-ordinator with
The Wilderness Society (2 years) and the
Australian Conservation Foundation (4 years). Parnell also spent 4 years working as a solicitor in private practice in country Victoria in the mid-1980s.
Political career On 8 May 2008 Parnell delivered a record-breaking filibuster of more than 8 hours in the Legislative Council. His speech, and that of No Pokies MLC
Ann Bressington which followed, were designed to highlight the lack of opposition by either major party to a bill changing the workers compensation scheme known as WorkCover. Parnell denied his speech deserved the label of "filibuster" as he considered himself and Bressington responsible for presenting the entire opposing case.
See: 2008 Parnell–Bressington filibuster In February 2011 Parnell condemned policy decisions by the state
Labor government such as approval of the
Mount Barker redevelopment and the renewal of the uranium exploration company Marathon Resources' right to drill in
Arkaroola sanctuary. He said "The left-right stuff doesn't really work for me anymore, there's fewer and fewer things to distinguish them [and] members are carefully watching the performance of the major parties". ==Personal life==