Simon Kennedy
Simon Kennedy | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Cook | |
| Assumed office 13 April 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Scott Morrison |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 4 June 1982[1] Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Nila Dharan |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of New South Wales LLB & B Com |
| Occupation | Management consultant |
Simon Peter Kennedy (born 4 June 1982)[1] is an Australian politician, lawyer and management consultant.[2] Kennedy is a Liberal Party member in the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Division of Cook. He will be sworn in after winning the Cook by-election in April 2024 to succeed former prime minister Scott Morrison.
Early life and education[edit]
Kennedy was born in West Ryde, Sydney.[3]
He attended Epping Boys High School, where his mother and stepfather both taught.[3] Simon was elected school captain and he served on the Ryde City Youth Council.[3]
In 2006, he graduated in law and commerce from the University of New South Wales.[2][3]
Early career[edit]
After graduating university, Kennedy was hired by an Australian law firm called Clayton Utz.[4]
In 2008, he joined McKinsey and Company, an American multinational consulting business.[2] As a consultant, Kennedy worked abroad several times, spending time in Washington DC and New York.[2] Kennedy also worked in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.[5]
Kennedy was a partner in consulting firm Banksia Growth prior to his by-election victory.[4]
Politics[edit]
2022 Australian federal election[edit]
Kennedy won the Liberal Party candidacy during the 2022 Australian federal election in a bid to succeed John Alexander for the Division of Bennelong.[6]
On 10 April 2022, Kennedy attended an event organised by anti-lockdown group A Stand in the Park where he expressed concerns about the vaccine mandates which were created during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] In a later statement, Kennedy said he strongly supported the COVID-19 vaccination effort but that blanket mandates were a complex and emotive issue.[7]
Although historically considered to be a safe Liberal seat, Kennedy was unsuccessful, losing to Labor's Jerome Laxale who on a two candidate preferred count received 50.98% of the vote compared to Kennedy's 49.02%. Laxale won the election by a 1.96% margin.[8]
2024 Cook by-election[edit]
Scott Morrison's resignation from parliament triggered a by-election in his home constituency of Cook.
In March 2024, Kennedy won the Liberal preselection to contest the seat.[9] Other candidates who attempted to win the Liberal preselection included mayor of Sutherland Shire Carmelo Pesce, former United Australia Party candidate Benjamin Britton, and Gwen Cherne, the Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner, who was endorsed by former prime minister John Howard.[10]
The preselection of Kennedy attracted criticism of the increasing lack of balance between male and female Liberal MPs, with more men expected to replace retiring female MPs.[11] Kennedy's preselection also prompted a campaign from senior Liberal women to preselect more female candidates ahead of the next Australian federal election.[11]
The preselection of a candidate who did not live in the local electorate also attracted criticism, including from Sutherland Shire councillor Jack Boyd, who stated that "no amount of cosplaying as a Sharks fan should make up for the fact that you have never lived in a community you seek to represent".[12] Kennedy said that, although he had listened to the criticisms, he was more interested in the cost of living challenges faced by the people of Cook.[12] Kennedy moved to a rental property in Woolooware with his family after his pre-selection.[4]
On 22 March 2024, Labor announced that they had decided not to contest the seat.[13] With Labor's absence from the ballot, Greens candidate Martin Moore was seen as Kennedy's strongest opponent.[14]
On 13 April 2024, Kennedy won the seat with an increased share of votes for the Liberal Party, both in primary votes and in the two-candidate preferred result, in which Kennedy received 71% of the vote.[15][16]
Personal life[edit]
Simon is married to Nila Dharan, an American-born infectious disease doctor whom he met during his work overseas.[3] He has 2 children.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Candidate checklist (additional documentation provided)" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Former McKinsey partner Simon Kennedy set for parliament". Consultancy.com.au. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Simon Kennedy | Liberal". Ryde District Mums. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Simon Kennedy hits ground running, aiming to 'win voters one by one". St George and Sutherland Shire Leader. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Tullis, Ashleigh (13 March 2024). "Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy opens up about campaign ahead of Cook by-election". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
spent almost a year in Haiti advising the government following the devastating earthquake.
- ^ Davies, Anne (24 March 2024). "Liberals select right-aligned candidate Simon Kennedy to run in Bennelong". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b Bogle, Ariel; Briggs, Casey; Workman, Michael (26 April 2022). "Liberal candidate for Bennelong Simon Kennedy voiced vaccine mandate concerns at anti-vax meeting". ABC News. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "UPDATED: Liberal Bennelong candidate Simon Kennedy concedes to Labor's Jerome Laxale". The Weekly Times. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Karp, Paul; Remeikis, Amy (4 March 2024). "Liberals pick management consultant Simon Kennedy for Cook byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
- ^ "Simon Kennedy wins preselection for Liberals in seat of Cook following Scott Morrison's resignation". ABC News. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
The 41-year-old triumphed with 158 votes...
- ^ a b Basford Canales, Sarah; Remeikis, Amy (9 March 2024). "'A big boys' club': senior Liberal women fight to solve the party's gender problem". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ a b Wang, Jessica (5 March 2024). "Scott Morrison defends non-local Cook candidate Simon Kennedy following preselection win". news.com.au. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Labor will not contest Cook by-election following departure of former prime minister Scott Morrison". Sky News. Retrieved 2/4/2024. 22 March 2024.
- ^ "Cook By-election 2024 Results". ABC News. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
- ^ Bashan, Yoni (23 April 2024). "Rich-lister Naomi Milgrom rethinks support for teals; Libs cashed up in Cook". The Australian.
- ^ scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=Australian Electoral Commission; address=10 Mort Street, Canberra. "House of Representatives division information". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
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