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Kristina Keneally

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The Honourable
Kristina Keneally

MP
42nd Premier of New South Wales
Incumbent
Assumed office
4 December 2009
GovernorMarie Bashir
DeputyCarmel Tebbutt
Preceded byNathan Rees
ConstituencyHeffron
Personal details
Born
Kristina Marie Kerscher[1]

(1968-12-19) 19 December 1968 (age 55)[2]
NationalityAmerican (until 2000)
Australian (since 2000)[3]
Political partyAustralian Labor Party
SpouseBen Keneally
RelationsJohn Kerscher (father)
Catherine Powell (mother)
ChildrenDaniel (born 1998)
Brendan (born 2000)
ResidencePagewood, New South Wales
Alma materUniversity of Dayton
ProfessionPolitician
CabinetNSW Cabinet
WebsiteParliament website
ALP website

Kristina Kerscher Keneally (born 19 December 1968) is an Australian politician and the 42nd Premier of New South Wales.

In 2003 she was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Heffron, succeeding Deirdre Grusovin after a controversial preselection.[5] After being re-elected in 2007, she became the Minister for Ageing and Disability Services and was subsequently appointed Minister for Planning by incoming Premier Nathan Rees in September 2008. She held the position of the NSW Government's Spokesperson for World Youth Day 2008.[4] On 3 December 2009 the Australian Labor Party caucus elected Keneally to replace Nathan Rees as leader of the parliamentary party.[6][7] She was sworn in as Premier on 4 December.[8]

Early life

Keneally was born Kristina Marie Kerscher in Las Vegas to an American father and an Australian-born mother. She lived briefly in Colorado but grew up in Toledo, Ohio,[9] where she attended high school at Notre Dame Academy.[10] While at Notre Dame she was twice awarded most valuable player (1985, 1986) in the Academy's soccer team.[11]

Upon graduating from Notre Dame, she undertook studies at the University of Dayton, also in Ohio. While there she became involved in student politics,[12] and was involved in founding the National Association of Students at Catholic Colleges and Universities, serving as president of the group in 1990 and 1991.[13][14] She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1991[12][15][16], was a registered Democrat[17] and worked as an intern for the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, Paul Leonard.[12] In 1995 she graduated with a Master of Arts in religious studies. She later studied at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After graduating from the University of Dayton she worked for a year as a volunteer teacher in New Mexico.[15][16]

Keneally met her future husband, an Australian, Ben Keneally, at World Youth Day 1991 in Poland. She moved to Australia in 1994 to be with him, but they returned to the US so that Ben could take up a position with the Boston Consulting Group. They married there in 1996.[18][19] They returned to Australia two years after their elder son was born.[18] She became a naturalised Australian in 2000, the same year she joined the Labor Party.

Working life

After arriving in Australia she worked for the New South Wales branch of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul as State Youth Coordinator before leaving full-time work to care for her children.[15] She also briefly attended the Australian Catholic University in Strathfield, New South Wales.[4][20][21]

Political career

Keneally was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 2003, following a bitter pre-election battle with Deirdre Grusovin, the sister of senior Labor politician Laurie Brereton.[22] It was in fact her husband Ben who was more interested in a political career, relying on his friendship with Joe Tripodi. However, the party's affirmative action rules demanded a female candidate, so Kristina ran instead.[18] In her inaugural speech she talked about her commitment to social justice, equal opportunity for women and her Roman Catholic faith.[23]

As NSW Minister for Disability Services, Keneally undertook measures to rebuild outdated institutional residential facilities for people with disability, going back on promises made by her (non-immediate) predecessor Faye Lo Po'.[24]

As NSW Planning Minister from August 2008, Mrs Keneally's department oversaw the local traffic diversions, and strict environmental management during construction, around the desalination pipeline works between Erskineville and Kurnell, approved by the department under the desalination pipeline project approval, granted by Frank Sartor, in November 2007.[25]

In August 2009, Keneally was alleged to be one of the names being put forward in a challenge to wrest the leadership from NSW Premier Nathan Rees.[26] Keneally responded to the accusations by stating: "He (Nathan Rees) has my support (as Premier)" and it was reported that she insisted she would never be Premier of New South Wales, something that was continuously disputed in the media.[27]

In November 2009 Keneally again denied she wanted to be Premier, saying "I have always supported the Premier, Bob Carr, Morris Iemma and now Nathan Rees. Now is the time to put this ridiculous leadership speculation behind us."[28] Less than a month later Keneally challenged and defeated Rees to become the 42nd Premier of New South Wales and the first woman, and first former American, to hold the office.

Premier

On 3 December 2009, Keneally won a party room ballot against Premier Nathan Rees with a majority of 45–21, gaining the support of the dominant right faction of the Labor Party caucus. Prior to the vote, Nathan Rees declared "Should I not be Premier at the end of this day, let there be no doubt in the community's mind that any challenger would be a puppet of Eddie Obeid and Joe Tripodi",[29] a claim later rejected by Keneally, who stated "I am nobody's puppet, I am nobody's protege, I am nobody's girl."[30]

On 4 December, Keneally was sworn in as the 42nd (and first female) premier of New South Wales by the State Governor, Marie Bashir.[31] She leads the first two-woman executive (Premier and Deputy Premier) in Australian history.

Personal life

Keneally and her husband have two sons, Daniel and Brendan. A daughter, Caroline, died at birth.[32] Her husband is the nephew of Australian writer Thomas Keneally.[19]

Publications

  • Kerscher, Kristina Marie (1995). "Folding the Jesus-Sophia metaphor : a basis for a non-androcentric Christology within a Christian feminist interpretive community". Thesis (M.A. in Religious Studies)--University of Dayton. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
  • Kerscher, Kristina (November 1995). "God's first instrument of liberation". Bible Today. 33 (6). Minnesota: St Benedict: 359–363. ISSN 0006-0836. {{cite journal}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)

See also

References

  1. ^ "University of Dayton: Libraries Catalog". udayton.edu. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
  2. ^ Snow, Deborah (4 December 2009). "Brawler who never played like a girl". smh.com.au. Retrieved 3 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ "Kristina Keneally becomes first female premier of NSW". news.com.au. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2009.
  4. ^ a b c "American-born Members of Parliament". Hansard. Parliament of New South Wales. 3 April 2008. p. 6444. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ^ Norington, Brad (10 October 2002). "Mum's the word as Grusovin bows out of party battle". smh.com.au. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
  6. ^ "Keneally first female NSW Premier". Sydney Morning Herald. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  7. ^ "Keneally 'secures key faction for vote'". Herald Sun. 3 December 2009. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ Keneally 'will collaborate' on new cabinet, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4 December 2009.
  9. ^ "Kristina Keneally's life and times". Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-12-03.
  10. ^ Hildebrand, Joe (28 August 2009). "Kristina Kerscher Keneally is no basket case". Courier Mail. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  11. ^ "NDA Eagles Soccer: Team Records". ndaeaglesoccer.org. Retrieved 6 December 2009.
  12. ^ a b c Smith, Alexandra (28 August 2009). "Quick on the drawl, she's the bearpit's rising star". Sydney Morning Herald. p. 4. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  13. ^ Kepple, David E. (9 February 1991). "Students Look At AIDS Education". Dayton Daily News. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ Kepple, David E. (7 August 1993). "14 UD Students to make pilgramage to Denver". Dayton Daily News. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  15. ^ a b c "UD Story – Kristina Kerscher Keneally, '91 '95". University of Dayton. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  16. ^ a b Huffman, Dale (28 April 1991). "UD grad to follow her sixth sense to teaching post on Indian reservation". Dayton Daily News. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  17. ^ http://parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/hansArt.nsf/V3Key/LA20030520042
  18. ^ a b c Deobrah Show & Anne Davies, Labor's least likely, The Age, 5 December 2009
  19. ^ a b Walker, Frank (2008-03-29). "Fine romance for young believers". Fairfax Digital. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  20. ^ Salusinszky, Imre (19 September 2009). "Labor Right's future linked to an American accent". The Australian. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  21. ^ "Sunset Seminar Series: Planning in New South Wales – Responding to the Global Economic Crisis". University of Sydney. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  22. ^ Maye, Vickie (2002-09-28). "Young mum will fight dynasty all the way". Fairfax Digital. The Sun-Herald. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  23. ^ "Inaugural Speeches". New South Wales Government. Parliament of New South Wales. 2003-05-20. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  24. ^ "A New Beginning" (PDF). New South Wales Government. Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care. Retrieved 2009-12-04.
  25. ^ "Traffic Management" (PDF). Sydney Water. Retrieved 2009-07-26.
  26. ^ I'm not quitting: Rees rejects rumours of his imminent demise – smh.com.au, 27 August 2009
  27. ^ Keneally Rules Out Leadership Tilt Against Nathan Rees- Live News 27 August 2009
  28. ^ Jones, Gemma (18 November 2009). "Minister Kristina Kenneally embracing solidarity with Nathan Rees". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Tatnell, Paul (3 December 2009). "Premier Nathan Rees launches attack on own party". news.com.au. Retrieved 7 December 2009.
  30. ^ Hall, Louise (4 December 2009). "Meet 'nobody's puppet, nobody's girl'". smh.com.au. Retrieved 7 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  31. ^ "Keneally sworn in as state's first female premier". Herald Sun. 2009-12-04.
  32. ^ Smith, Alexandra (11 July 2008). "Faith, but it's a test of spirit for the junior minister". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 03 December 2009. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
Political offices
Preceded by Premier of New South Wales
2009–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Minister for Redfern Waterloo
2008–present 		Incumbent
Minister for Planning
2008–2009 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Minister for Infrastructure
2009
Preceded by Minister for Ageing
Minister for Disability Services
2007–2008 		Succeeded by
Parliament of New South Wales

Template:Incumbent succession box

Party political offices

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