Antony Green

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Template:Infobox person Antony John Green Template:Post-nominals (born 2 March 1960) is an Australian psephologist, data scientist, journalist, and commentator. He was the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's chief election analyst until his retirement from the role after the federal election in May 2025. He stated that he would remain active in an off-air capacity, and continue to work on the ABC's computer and data systems for several more years.

Early years and education

Anthony Green was born in 1960<ref name="naa.gov.au/2020-05/fs-170"/> in Warrington, Lancashire, in northern England,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="cheshire">Template:Cite news</ref> to teen parents Ann and John Green.<ref name="naa.gov.au/2020-05/fs-170">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1964 the family migrated to Australia as Ten Pound Poms, staying first in a migrant hostel in Dundas, New South Wales.<ref name="cheshire"/><ref name="blog2011-08-20">Template:Cite news</ref>

Green grew up near Parramatta in Sydney,<ref name="abc.net.au/3496478">Template:Cite web</ref> attended Oatlands Primary School<ref name="oatlands-p.schools.nsw.gov.au/about">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="abc.net.au/3496478"/> in Oatlands, New South Wales and James Ruse Agricultural High School in Carlingford (Sydney), graduating in 1977.<ref name="Number cruncher">Template:Cite news</ref>

Green graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and computing, and a Bachelor of Economics with honours in politics.<ref name="ABCgreen"/>

Career

Green worked initially as a data analyst in the computing industry.<ref name="abc.net.au/3496478"/>

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

In August 1989, Green joined the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).<ref name="antonygreen/retire-presenting-thank">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ABCgreen"/> Green recalls he saw an ad for a position, on a six-month contract,<ref name="smh/p5lf74">Template:Cite news</ref> as an ABC election researcher, and applied, along with 150 other applicants. His experience and his "slightly bubbly personality"<ref name="bri22"/> helped him get the position. ABC producer Ian Carroll and journalist Kerry O’Brien recommended he stay on and he remained with the ABC for the following decades.<ref name="bri22" />

Green first appeared on the ABC's election-night television coverage in the 1991 New South Wales election,<ref name="blog2011-08-20"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> following with the federal election in 1993.<ref name="ABCgreen">Template:Cite web</ref>

Template:As of, Green had analysed over 70Template:NbspAustralian elections at the territory, state and federal level for the ABC, starting with the 1989 Queensland state election to the 2024 Queensland state election.<ref name="bri22">Template:Cite news</ref> He designed a computer system that he used to display and predict election results based on automated result feeds from Australia's electoral commissions.<ref name="ABCgreen"/><ref name=ABCbio/> Green has also worked on elections from as far afield as Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom for the ABC.<ref name="bri22" />

As the ABC's chief election analyst, Green was responsible for the content of its election website. He also has editorial responsibility for its data analysis and for their election-night results service. He is considered "the face of election night coverage".<ref name="bri22" /><ref name="ABCbio">Template:Cite web</ref>

In time for the 2013 federal election campaign, Green helped introduce the voter engagement tool Vote Compass to the ABC website. It enables voters to gauge how their views align with candidates based on parties' statements on issues and also provides Green and other analysts a dataset larger than traditional opinion polls.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Green also writes a comprehensive blog on electoral matters.<ref name=ABCbio/>

Green has said that he tends not to do campaign commentary and that he "prefer[red] to go into an election night with no preconceived view on the outcome and to just concentrate on understanding the data as it comes in..."<ref name="theaustralian/fna103qq" >Template:Cite news</ref>

In a 2015 interview, he explained that some of the work in preparation for his election night coverage could start years earlier—including building up the database with candidates, polling places, and past results, and calculating the impact of redistributions. He also recounted the realisation of his recurring nightmare of the power outage during the on air coverage of the 2010 Victorian state election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Writing and other activities

In addition to analysing and commenting on elections for the ABC, Green has written election analysis for third-party media outlets such as The Sydney Morning Herald<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Crikey.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He has appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters of the Australian Parliament urging reform of the ticket voting system used in Australian Senate elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Green has also written papers for the Parliament of New South Wales<ref>Antony Green. Implications of the 1998 Federal Election for the 1999 New South Wales Election - Parliamentary Library, Parliament of New South Wales</ref> and the Parliament of Victoria.<ref>Antony Green (witness). Inquiry into the conduct of the 2014 Victorian state election - Electoral Matters Committee, Parliament of Victoria</ref>

Retirement

In February 2025, Green announced he would retire from broadcasting following the federal election later that year. Stating that he would be 68 by the time the next federal election would be expected, Green said he did not feel "as sharp and quick as I was", and that he would prefer to retire than stay "too long".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2025, he covered the 2025 Western Australian state election, which was his final state election,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> with his final coverage overall being for the federal election on 3 May 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Green has stated that he will stay on at the ABC "for a couple [more] years", albeit in a behind-the-scenes capacity, working on data systems and other election-related projects.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

When Green retired from on-screen appearances in May 2025, the ABC released a video of former and current Australian Prime Ministers John Howard, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull, Scott Morrison, and Anthony Albanese reminiscing about Green's commentary on their respective election nights, and wishing him well in retirement.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours

In 2014, the University of Sydney recognised Green with an Honorary Doctor of Letters.<ref name="abc.net.au/3496478"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was followed in 2015 by appointment as an adjunct professor in Sydney University's Department of Government and International Relations, recognising Green's work in the study of elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="abc.net.au/3496478"/>

In the Australian 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours List, Green was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), "for distinguished service to the broadcast media as an analyst and commentator for state and federal elections, and to the community as a key interpreter of Australian democracy".<ref name="gg.gov.au/honours/qb2017" >Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Green is an avid cyclist, joining Dulwich Hill Cycling Club in Sydney,<ref name="bicyclingAU/antony-green"/> and taking long-distance biking trips mostly in Europe<ref name="bicyclingAU/antony-green">Template:Cite web</ref> and Australia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is also an ambassador for the Sydney Swans football club in the AFL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

Green's contribution to political analysis was celebrated in the song "Antony Green" in the musical Keating!, where he was represented as an animated character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

• Template:Official website
• Profile: Antony Green, 2007 Election News - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Antony Green's House of Reps Calculator (2009) - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Antony Green's Election Blog (2016-01-12...2018-11-15) - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Antony Green's Election Blog (2019-12-12...present) - Antony Green .com.au