Kate Carnell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kate Carnell
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Carnell in 2009
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| 3rd Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory Elections: 1995, 1998 |
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| In office 2 March 1995 – 18 October 2000 |
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| Deputy | Gary Humphries |
| Preceded by | Rosemary Follett |
| Succeeded by | Gary Humphries |
| Member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly | |
| In office 15 February 1992 – 17 October 2000 |
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| Succeeded by | Jacqui Burke |
| Constituency | Molonglo |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Anne Katherine Knowlman
30 May 1955 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Liberal Party |
| Spouses |
Ian Carnell
(m. 1977–1997)Ray Kiley
(m. 2007) |
| Profession | Pharmacist |
Anne Katherine Carnell, also known as Kate Carnell, was born on May 30, 1955. She is an Australian businesswoman and a former politician from the Liberal Party. She served as the third Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) from 1995 to 2000. The Chief Minister is like the leader of the government for the ACT, similar to a premier in a state.
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Early Life and Pharmacy Career
Kate Carnell was born in Brisbane, Queensland. Her parents ran a small business that helped people with their finances.
When she was a teenager, she faced a health challenge and spent time in a hospital in Sydney to get better. She worked through this for four years.
After her hospital stay, Carnell went back to her studies. In 1976, she earned a pharmacy degree from the University of Queensland. This degree allowed her to become a Pharmacist, someone who prepares and dispenses medicines. In July 1977, she married Ian Carnell, and they moved to Canberra the next month.
In 1981, she bought her own pharmacy business in Red Hill. She managed this pharmacy until 2000. She also held important roles in pharmacy groups, like being the first chairman of the ACT Branch of the Australian Pharmacy Guild from 1988 to 1994. She was also the National Vice-President of the guild from 1990 to 1994.
Kate Carnell was appointed as the first SPA Council Chair in January 2025.
Political Journey
Kate Carnell joined the Liberal Party in 1991. In 1992, she was elected to the second ACT Legislative Assembly. This assembly is like the parliament for the ACT. In 1993, she became the Leader of the Opposition, which means she led the main party not in power.
After the 1995 ACT election, her party won enough seats to form a minority government. This meant they had the most seats but not a clear majority, so they needed support from other members. Kate Carnell became the Chief Minister. Her government was re-elected in the 1998 election. During her time as Chief Minister, she was also responsible for different areas, including health, community care, multicultural affairs, business, employment, tourism, and the arts.
Canberra Hospital Implosion Event
In 1997, the old Royal Canberra Hospital was being taken down to make space for the National Museum of Australia. On July 13, 1997, the hospital was brought down using an "implosion," which is a controlled explosion that makes a building collapse inwards.
The government had invited the public to watch this event, and a very large crowd of over 100,000 people gathered. Sadly, during the implosion, a piece of metal flew a long distance and hit a twelve-year-old girl named Katie Bender, who died instantly.
An official investigation, called a Coroner's report, looked into what happened. The Coroner said that Kate Carnell, as Chief Minister, was not personally responsible for the accident. However, the report did say that the government had made the implosion into a "public circus" by encouraging so many people to attend. The Coroner also found that the government had not taken warnings from a health union seriously enough about possible dangers. The report concluded that Carnell had not been given good advice on the matter.
Bruce Stadium Project
In October 2000, Kate Carnell resigned from her position. This happened before a vote of no-confidence could be held against her. A no-confidence vote is when members of the assembly decide if they still trust the leader. This vote was related to the costs of a project to redevelop Bruce Stadium.
The stadium project was planned to cost $27.3 million, with some money coming from the government and some from private companies. However, the project ended up costing $82 million, and the government had to pay for all of it. An official review found that the original cost estimate was not properly checked. Kate Carnell said she had not done anything wrong and that the review found her cabinet acted reasonably. The review also noted that no private money was ever provided for the project, even though it was part of the plan.
Resignation from Office
Kate Carnell officially resigned as Chief Minister on October 17, 2000. She was replaced by Gary Humphries.
Looking back in 2012, Carnell explained that she took responsibility for the financial issues with the Bruce Stadium project because it happened in her area of government, even though she didn't know about the problems at the time. She mentioned that how "ministerial responsibility" is understood had changed over time.
Life After Politics
After leaving her role as Chief Minister, Kate Carnell has worked in many different jobs.
- In August 2001, she was elected to the board of the NRMA, a large Australian organization. She left this role in 2002.
- She was appointed chairperson of General Practice Education and Training Ltd in 2001 and again in 2004.
- She spent three years as the executive director of the National Association of Forest Industries (NAFI).
- From 2006 to 2008, Carnell was the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Australian General Practice Network.
- In 2008, she became the CEO of the Australian Food and Grocery Council.
- From 2012 to 2014, she was the CEO of beyondblue, a non-profit organization that helps people with mental health issues.
- Since March 2016, Carnell has been the first Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO). This role helps small businesses and families with their concerns.
In 2006, she was given the Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) award. This award recognized her important contributions to the Australian Capital Territory.
On July 29, 2007, Kate Carnell married her long-term partner, Ray Kiley, at Old Parliament House in Canberra.
In April 2013, the University of Canberra gave her an honorary doctorate, which is a special degree given to recognize achievements.
In October 2019, she was named one of the Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence in the Public Policy category.
From June 2023, she was a co-leader of the Liberals for Yes group. This group supported the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum, even though the federal leader of her party did not.
Kate Carnell has been the interim chair of Beyond Blue since April 2024. She has been a member of their board since 2008.
Personal Life
Kate Carnell's daughter, Clare, is one of the people who started the Independents for Canberra party.
See Also
- First Carnell Ministry
- Second Carnell Ministry
- List of female heads of government in Australia
