The Honourable
Ged Kearney
MP
Kearney at a rally for refugee rights in 2022
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care
Assumed office
1 June 2022
Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese
Preceded byPosition established
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
East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Political partyLabor
ProfessionNurse
Trade unionist
Politician
Websitewww.gedkearney.org.au

Gerardine Mary "Ged" Kearney (born 29 October 1963) is an Australian politician and trade unionist who is the Labor member for the federal division of Cooper and the current assistant minister for health and aged care. She has been a member of the House of Representatives since March 2018, first representing the division of Batman. Prior to politics, Kearney served as president of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) from 2010 to 2018.

With the election of the Albanese government at the 2022 Australian federal election, Kearney was appointed assistant minister for health and aged care.

Early life

Kearney was born on 29 October 1963 in East Melbourne, and grew up in Richmond, as the second-youngest of nine children.[1][2] Her father was a publican.[1][3] Kearney attended secondary school at Academy of Mary Immaculate in Fitzroy.[2] She began to study for a Bachelor of Economics degree at Monash University, but dropped out to pursue a career in nursing.[4][5] She qualified as a registered nurse in 1985 and participated in the nurses' strike in 1986.[1][3] She also gained a Bachelor of Education, and worked as a nurse, and nurse educator, managing clinical nurse education at Austin Health.[1]

When Kearney was 21, she became pregnant with twins, leading her to take leave from her nursing training.[6] She returned to her training when her children were 7 weeks old.[6]

Career

Kearney at a 2014 rally in Federation Square, protesting against cuts to the ABC and SBS budgets

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 she was appointed as federal secretary of the Federation in April 2008.[1] On 1 July 2010, following the departure of Sharan Burrow, Kearney was elected president of the ACTU.[1] At the time, the election process was criticised by the president of the Australian Workers' Union, Paul Howes, as being "undemocratic", because of the exclusion of right-wing aligned unions from the election process.[7] Kearney stated in response that she had received the support of "70% of unions" within the ACTU.[7]

In December 2011, Kearney and other trade unionists were deported from Fiji, under the emergency laws put in place following the constitutional crisis of 2009.[8] In July 2012, Kearney announced that the ACTU would donate to Fiji A$2.6 million to assist in the running of democratic elections.[9]

In April 2012, Kearney announced that the ACTU would suspend the membership of the Health Services Union, in the wake of the Health Services Union expenses affair.[10] Kearney described the scandal as "a bad look" for the union movement.[11] In the following month, Kearney addressed a conference of the ACTU where she stated that the "misuse of members' money and contempt for the accountability to members [is] unacceptable."[12]

In July 2012, immigration minister Chris Bowen created the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration (MACSM), and appointed Kearney as one of its nine members.[13] In 2017, Kearney resigned from the MACSM, stating that the body had become "ineffective" and "unbalanced".[14]

In 2015, as ACTU president, Kearney called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to remove Dyson Heydon from leading the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, after Heydon agreed to speak at a Liberal Party fundraising dinner.[15] Kearney also stated that the ACTU was considering taking the matter to the High Court, although this did not eventuate.[16] Kearney had previously labelled the royal commission "an expensive stunt".[17]

Early political career

Kearney in 2021, speaking at a Melbourne rally, calling for refugees detained in an Australian hotel under the Medevac legislation to be freed

In May 2013, in the lead up to the 2013 federal election, Kearney indicated she was considering nominating for Labor preselection in the Division of Batman as the seat was being vacated following the retirement of Martin Ferguson.[18] Kearney eventually decided not to contest preselection.[19] In 2017, Kearney ran for Labor preselection in the Victorian seat of Brunswick; a seat vacated by Jane Garrett after she moved to the Legislative Council.[20] Cindy O'Connor was preselected as the Labor candidate over Kearney, and was subsequently defeated at the 2018 state election by Greens candidate, Tim Read.[21]

In February 2018, a by-election was announced in the seat of Batman following the resignation of David Feeney due to the 2017–2018 Australian parliamentary eligibility crisis. Kearney was preselected by Labor to contest the by-election and on 2 February 2018, resigned as president of the ACTU to campaign.[22] Kearney's main opponent was Greens candidate Alex Bhathal, who had already run for the seat five times previously.[23][24] Controversy around the proposed Adani Carmichael coal mine was a significant feature of the by-election campaigning.[23] During the campaign, Labor leader Bill Shorten stated his "scepticism" of the coal mine, and Kearney also voiced criticisms of the project, but did not commit to blocking it.[25][26] The Australian Conservation Foundation distributed material stating that only the Greens would "stop Adani's mine from going ahead".[27] Activist group GetUp! also stated they would not assist Labor in campaigning, due to their position on the coal mine.[28]

During the by-election campaign, Kearney received the personal endorsement of former Prime Minister Julia Gillard. A letter written by Gillard was distributed to 36,000 houses within the electorate.[29] Kearney was also endorsed by EMILY's List Australia, a Labor-aligned organisation that advocates for representation of women in parliament.[30] Kearney won the by-election on 17 March 2018 with 43.20% of the primary votes, and 54.43% of votes after distribution of preferences.[31]

Member of Parliament

Kearney in her first speech advocated for a "humane refugee policy" in Australia, and called for an end to offshore detention.[32] In July 2018, her seat of Batman was abolished by the Australian Electoral Commission, who redrew the boundaries of the electorate and renamed it to Cooper after Indigenous activist William Cooper.[33][34] Kearney was subsequently elected at the 2019 federal election for Cooper receiving 64.83% of the two-candidate preferred vote.[35]

Following the 2019 federal election, Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese appointed Kearney into his shadow ministry as the shadow assistant minister for skills and shadow assistant minister for aged care.[36] In July 2019, Kearney joined the Parliamentary Committee for Employment, Education and Training.[36] Following a shadow cabinet reshuffle in January 2021, Kearney was appointed as shadow assistant minister for health and ageing.[36] In June 2021, Kearney and two other Labor women MPs wrote to the Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, calling for him to sack the committee chair Andrew Laming over his behaviour towards women.[37] Following Labor's success in the 2022 federal election, Kearney was appointed assistant minister for health and aged care by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on 1 June 2022.[36][38][39] In December that year, Kearney was also appointed to chair the newly formed National Women's Health Advisory Council which was established to look at ways of improving health outcomes for women and girls, and tackling "medical misogyny".[40][41] On 1 July 2022, Kearney announced that self-collection of samples for cervical cancer testing would become available.[42] On 22 November 2023, Kearney announced the National Strategy for the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, along with A$48.2 million for its implementation.[43] The Strategy includes measures such as achieving a 90% vaccination rate amongst boys for HPV.[43]

On 15 November 2023, fake corpses were placed outside Kearney's and other MP's electorate offices as part of a protest against the government's position on the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[44]

On 3 December 2023, Kearney attended COP28 and delivered a speech announcing the Australian National Health and Climate Strategy, including priorities such as "Health system decarbonisation" and "Resilience actions".[45] The strategy was "welcomed" by the Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association, and Asthma Australia.[46][47] It was praised by Dietitians Australia for including a review of "nutrition and sustainability standards" in healthcare.[48] Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) stated the strategy was "an important step forward", with the DEA executive director stating that the government must "phase out fossil fuels if it's serious about protecting lives."[49]

Political beliefs

This [the Voice] was a very generous request made of us by First Nations people, through a very broad process of consultation, and that culminated in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which asked us to do this ... It was a very generous offer that was made, given 200 years of colonisation.

Ged Kearney, Q+A, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 4 September 2023[50]

Kearney is a supporter of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament and campaigned in favour of its introduction in the unsuccessful 2023 referendum.[51][52]

Kearney is a supporter of LGBT rights, and participated in the Sydney WorldPride march in March 2023.[53] Along with Health Minister Mark Butler, Kearney set up and now chairs the federal government HIV taskforce.[54] Kearney and Butler also supported a motion at the national Labor conference in 2023, that called for the removal of a blanket restriction on gay and bisexual men, as well as transgender women, from donating blood.[55] Kearney also chairs the LGBTIQA+ Health and Wellbeing 10 Year National Action Plan Expert Advisory Group, a body responsible for developing a national plan for LGBTIQA+ health.[56]

Kearney is a member of the Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet.[57]

Personal life

Kearney has four children.[1]

In 2020, Kearney's father-in-law died after contracting COVID-19 in Canberra. His was the thirtieth death from COVID-19 in Australia.[58][59]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ged Kearney.
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Executive". Australian Council of Trade Unions. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  2. 1 2 "Kearney, the Hon. Gerardine (Ged) Mary". Parliamentary Handbook – Parliamentary Library. Department of Parliamentary Services. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023 – via Parliament of Australia.
  3. 1 2 Needham, Kirsty (18 December 2009). "The 'scab' who went to the top of the union movement". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  4. ↑ Connors, Emma (24 June 2011). "Lunch with Ged Kearney". Financial Review. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  5. ↑ Dapin, Mark (26 July 2013). "Faceless in fame only". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  6. 1 2 Daniel, Dana (29 September 2022). "21, unmarried and pregnant with twins, Kearney faced 'momentous' decisions". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 "Union spat over election of new ACTU boss". ABC News. 7 December 2009. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Cooney, Campbell (1 January 2012). "Fiji announces end to emergency laws". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "ACTU wants Fiji democracy commitment during talks". ABC News. 29 July 2012. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  10. ↑ "ACTU suspends HSU from its ranks". ABC News. 5 April 2012. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  11. ↑ Bourke, Emily (30 April 2012). "ACTU in damage control after report alleges HSU rorts". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  12. ↑ Cullen, Simon (15 May 2012). "Gillard pledges allegiance amid HSU scandal". ABC News. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Bowen, Chris (2 July 2012). "New advisory council on skilled migration". Parliament of Australia. Archived from the original on 2 November 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  14. ↑ Karp, Paul (21 April 2017). "Ged Kearney quits advisory role after being bypassed on 457 visa changes". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  15. ↑ Medhora, Shalailah; Hurst, Daniel (13 August 2015). "Dyson Heydon's Liberal fundraiser booking sparks calls to close trade union commission". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  16. ↑ Medhora, Shalailah (16 August 2015). "ACTU considers taking Dyson Heydon to the high court". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  17. ↑ "ACTU 'fully supports' CFMEU leadership in approaching police". ABC News. 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  18. ↑ McDonald, Susan (31 May 2013). "Feeney confirms bid for Batman preselection". ABC News. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Porritt, Alan (1 June 2013). "ACTU boss won't run for Batman preselection". ABC News. Australian Associated Press. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  20. ↑ Carey, Noel; Towell, Benjamin; Preiss, Adam (27 September 2017). "Ged Kearney last-minute replacement as Brunswick MP Jane Garrett seeks safe seat". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  21. ↑ "2018 State election results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 10 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  22. ↑ "Kearney's federal tilt and Vic backup plan". 9 News. Australian Associated Press. 2 February 2018. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  23. 1 2 Wahlquist, Calla (2 February 2018). "Batman byelection: Adani casts long shadow over former Labor stronghold". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  24. ↑ 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.
  25. ↑ Karp, Paul (2 February 2018). "Ged Kearney to run for Labor in Batman as Shorten threatens Adani's licence". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  26. ↑ Rundle, Guy (7 March 2018). "Ged Kearney won't commit Labor to block Adani". Crikey. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  27. ↑ "Stop Adani: How do parties compare in the Batman by-election?". Australian Conservation Foundation. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  28. ↑ Murphy, Katharine (7 February 2018). "GetUp's action in Batman byelection hinges on Labor's Adani stance". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  29. ↑ Carey, Adam (11 March 2018). "Labor bombards Batman with Gillard letter endorsing its candidate". The Age. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  30. ↑ "Members of Parliaments". EMILY's List Australia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  31. ↑ AEC, "Batman, VIC – AEC Tally Room", Australian Electoral Commission, 21 March 2018 Archived 20 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine; Retrieved 21 March 2018
  32. ↑ Murphy, Katharine (21 May 2018). "Labor's Ged Kearney says indefinite offshore immigration detention 'shameful'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 May 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
  33. ↑ Wahlquist, Calla; Karp, Paul (20 June 2018). "Melbourne electorate of Batman renamed after Indigenous activist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Names and boundaries of federal electoral divisions in Victoria decided". Australian Electoral Commission. 20 June 2018. Archived from the original on 19 March 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  35. ↑ "House of Representatives division information". Australian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  36. 1 2 3 4 "Ms Ged Kearney MP". Parliamentary Library. Department of Parliamentary Services. Archived from the original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022 – via Parliament of Australia.
  37. ↑ Martin, Sarah (2 June 2021). "Andrew Laming 'does not deserve' to be committee chair, Labor members say". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  38. ↑ Law, Peter; Caines, Kimberly (31 May 2022). "Albanese reveals new-look Ministry after election win". The West Australian. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  39. ↑ "History-making Labor ministry officially sworn in". ABC News. 1 June 2022. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  40. ↑ O'Halloran, Kate (19 December 2022). "National Women's Health Advisory Council to tackle medical misogyny in medicine and health care". ABC News. Archived from the original on 18 December 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
  41. ↑ Davey, Melissa (8 December 2022). "'No one would believe me': Labor launches women's health council to tackle medical misogyny". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  42. ↑ Kearney, Ged (1 July 2022). "'Pap smears' can be replaced by do-it-yourself cervical cancer tests". Department of Health and Aged Care. Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  43. 1 2 Kearney, Ged (17 November 2023). "Making history by eliminating cervical cancer in Australia and our region". Department of Health and Aged Care. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  44. ↑ Smethurst, Annika; Rooney, Kieran; Crowe, Alex; Abbott, Lachlan (15 November 2023). "Seven Labor MPs targeted with fake dead bodies in Gaza protest". The Age. Archived from the original on 22 November 2023. Retrieved 22 November 2023.
  45. ↑ "Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care - speech - 3 December 2023". Department of Health and Aged Care. 3 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  46. ↑ "AHHA welcomes newly released National Health and Climate Strategy". Australian Healthcare and Hospital Association. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  47. ↑ "Asthma Australia welcomes release of National Health and Climate Strategy and transition to quality, low-carbon asthma care". Asthma Australia. 4 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  48. ↑ "Dietitians welcome the release of Australia's new National Health and Climate Strategy". Dietitians Australia. 8 December 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  49. ↑ Attwooll, Jolyon (5 December 2023). "Doctors criticise strategy's fossil fuel omission". NewsGP. Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  50. ↑ "Airlines, Ageism & Aboriginal Rights Transcript". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  51. ↑ Kearney, Ged (11 October 2023). "Ged Kearney: Why the Voice would be better for mums and bubs". Women's Agenda. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  52. ↑ Thorpe, Andrew (4 September 2023). "'Don't be a bystander': Q+A panellist asks non-Indigenous people on both sides of Voice debate to call out racism". ABC News. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  53. ↑ "'So proud': More than 50,000 people march across Sydney Harbour Bridge for LGBTIQ+ equality". SBS News. Australian Associated Press. 5 March 2023. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  54. ↑ Butler, Mark (3 May 2023). "Eliminating HIV transmission and ensuring health equity for LGBTIQA+ Australians". Department of Health and Aged Care. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  55. ↑ Rogers, Destiny (19 August 2023). "Labor national conference votes to end gay blood ban". QNews. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  56. ↑ Kearney, Ged (26 June 2023). "New era for LGBTIQA+ health care". Department of Health and Aged Care. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  57. ↑ "The Australian All-Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet Meets to Discuss and Chalk Out Action Plans for Tibet". Central Tibetan Administration. 30 November 2022. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  58. ↑ Zhou, Naaman (3 August 2020). "Q+A: 'catastrophic' Covid-19 outbreaks in aged care could have been prevented, doctors say". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  59. ↑ "Labor MP Ged Kearney's father-in-law dies from coronavirus". SBS News. Australian Associated Press. 4 April 2020. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
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