Stephen Bates

Stephen James Bates (born 23 November 1992) is an Australian politician who was the member for Brisbane from 2022 to 2025 as a member of the Australian Greens. He was elected in the 2022 Australian federal election, defeating sitting Liberal member and former National Retail Association CEO Trevor Evans. He was defeated for re-election in 2025 by Labor's Madonna Jarrett.

Early life and education Bates was born in Croydon, South London;

Political career Bates first ran for office at the 2020 Queensland state election for the seat of Stafford. Bates was then the nominee of the Australian Greens for the Division of Brisbane in the 2022 Australian federal election, defeating incumbent MP Trevor Evans. In an interview with radio station B105 FM, Bates credited the ads as a vital component of his election victory.

In the 2025 Australian federal election, Bates lost his seat after suffering a −1.36% swing against him in the primary vote, causing him to be excluded from the two-candidate preferred count.

Personal life Bates is openly gay and joined the Greens on the night of the 2019 federal election. He graduated UQ with a Bachelor of Social Science with a major in social and public policy.