Ged Kearney

Gerardine Mary "Ged" Kearney (born 29 October 1963) is an Australian politician and trade unionist. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since March 2018, representing the Division of Batman and later the Division of Cooper for the Labor Party. She was previously president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) from 2010 to 2018.

Ged Kearney

MP
Kearney speaking to United Voice NSW delegates in October 2013
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Cooper
Assumed office
18 May 2019
Preceded byDivision created
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Batman
In office
17 March 2018 – 18 May 2019
Preceded byDavid Feeney
Succeeded byDivision abolished
10th President of the ACTU
In office
1 July 2010 – 2 February 2018
Preceded bySharan Burrow
Succeeded byMichele O'Neil
Personal details
Born
Gerardine Mary Kearney

(1963-10-29) 29 October 1963
Richmond, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Political partyLabor
ProfessionNurse
Trade unionist
Politician

Early life

Kearney was born in Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, as the second-youngest of nine children. Her father was a publican.[1][2] She began to study for a Bachelor of Economics degree at Monash University,[3] but dropped out to pursue a nursing career.[4] She qualified as a registered nurse in 1985 and participated in the nurses' strike in 1986.[1][2] She also gained a Bachelor of Education, and worked as a nurse and nurse educator, including a period managing clinical nurse education at Austin Health.[1]

Kearney has four children.[1]

Union movement

Kearney was elected as an official of the Australian Nursing Federation in 1997. She served as Assistant Federal Secretary, Federal President and Victorian Branch President, before being appointed Federal Secretary of the Federation in April 2008.[1] Following the departure of Sharan Burrow, Kearney was elected President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions from 1 July 2010.[1]

Politics

In May 2013, Kearney indicated she was considering nominating for Labor preselection for the Division of Batman at the 2013 federal election. The seat was to become vacant following the retirement of Martin Ferguson. However, a short time later she announced that she would not run.[5]

In 2017, Kearney announced she would seek preselection for the state seat of Brunswick, after the decision by the sitting member Jane Garrett to try to move to a safe seat in the Legislative Council. Garrett's bid was unsuccessful.

In February 2018, following the resignation of David Feeney from the seat of Batman, Kearney was selected by the ALP to contest the resulting by-election.[6] She won the by-election on 17 March 2018 and was declared elected on Wednesday 21 March 2018.[7] Kearney used her maiden speech to advocate for a "humane refugee policy" in Australia.[8]

In 2019, Kearney was elected to the new Division of Cooper on a substantially increased two party preferred margin. The post-redistribution boundaries of the Division of Cooper are almost identical to the former Division of Batman.

References
  1. "Executive". Australian Council of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. Needham, Kirsty (18 December 2009). "The 'scab' who went to the top of the union movement". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  3. Connors, Emma (24 June 2011). "Lunch with Ged Kearney". Financial Review. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  4. Dapin, Mark (26 July 2013). "Faceless in fame only". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  5. Ewin Hannan, "ACTU's Ged Kearney may run in the seat of Batman, to be vacated by Martin Ferguson", The Australian, 31 May 2013; Retrieved 31 May 2013
  6. Massola, James; Towell, Noel (2 February 2018). "Shorten shifts on Adani as Labor announces Ged Kearney to run for Batman". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  7. AEC, "Batman, VIC - AEC Tally Room", Australian Electoral Commission, 21 March 2018 Archived 20 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine; Retrieved 21 March 2018
  8. Murphy, Katharine (21 May 2018). "Labor's Ged Kearney says indefinite offshore immigration detention 'shameful'". the Guardian. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by
David Feeney		 Member for Batman
2018–2019		 Division abolished
New division Member for Cooper
2019–present		 Incumbent
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