Kristina Keneally facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kristina Keneally
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Keneally in 2021
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| Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate | |
| In office 30 May 2019 – 13 April 2022 |
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| Leader | Penny Wong |
| Preceded by | Don Farrell |
| Succeeded by | Michaelia Cash |
| Senator for New South Wales | |
| In office 14 February 2018 – 13 April 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Sam Dastyari |
| Succeeded by | David Shoebridge |
| 42nd Premier of New South Wales | |
| In office 4 December 2009 – 28 March 2011 |
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| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Marie Bashir |
| Deputy | Carmel Tebbutt |
| Preceded by | Nathan Rees |
| Succeeded by | Barry O'Farrell |
| 19th Leader of the Australian Labor Party in New South Wales | |
| In office 3 December 2009 – 31 March 2011 |
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| Deputy | Carmel Tebbutt |
| Preceded by | Nathan Rees |
| Succeeded by | John Robertson |
| Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Heffron |
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| In office 22 March 2003 – 29 June 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Deirdre Grusovin |
| Succeeded by | Ron Hoenig |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kristina Marie Kerscher
19 December 1968 Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
| Nationality | Australian (2000–present) American (1968–2002) |
| Political party | Labor (2000–present) |
| Other political affiliations |
Democratic (Before 2000, United States) |
| Spouse | Ben Keneally |
| Children | 3 (1 deceased) |
| Education | University of Dayton (BA, MA) Marquette University Australian Catholic University |
| Website | Agency website Senate Profile |
Kristina Keneally (born 19 December 1968) is an Australian politician. She was born in the United States. Kristina Keneally made history as the first female Premier of New South Wales (NSW). She held this important role from 2009 to 2011. Later, she became a Labor Senator for New South Wales. She served in the Senate from February 2018 until April 2022.
As a Senator, she was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. She also served as the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration. In 2022, she left the Senate to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. However, she was not successful in that election.
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Early Life and Education
Kristina Keneally was born Kristina Marie Kerscher in Las Vegas, USA. Her father was American and her mother was Australian. She grew up in Toledo, Ohio. She went to high school at Notre Dame Academy. While there, she was a talented soccer player.
She continued her studies at the University of Dayton in Ohio. She was very active in student politics. She helped start a national student group for Catholic colleges. In 1991, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. She also worked as an intern for the Lieutenant Governor of Ohio. In 1995, she received a Master of Arts degree in religious studies. She also studied at Marquette University in Wisconsin.
Moving to Australia and Citizenship
Keneally met her future husband, Ben Keneally, at World Youth Day in Poland in 1991. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party. She moved to Australia in 1994 to be with him. They married in the US in 1996. Two years later, they moved back to Australia permanently.
Kristina Keneally became an Australian citizen in 2000. She joined the Labor Party that same year. In 2002, she gave up her US citizenship. This happened before she ran for election in Australia.
Before entering politics, she worked for the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in NSW. She was the State Youth Coordinator. She also briefly attended the Australian Catholic University.
State Politics in New South Wales
In 2003, Kristina Keneally was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly. She represented the area of Heffron. This happened after a tough selection process. The Labor Party had rules to ensure female candidates were chosen.
Ministerial Roles
After being re-elected in 2007, Keneally became a minister. She was the Minister for Ageing and Disability Services. Later, in 2008, she became the Minister for Planning. She also spoke for the state government during World Youth Day 2008. In November 2009, she was appointed Minister for Infrastructure.
Becoming Premier of New South Wales
In December 2009, Kristina Keneally became a leading candidate for Premier. She won a vote against the current Premier, Nathan Rees. On 4 December 2009, she was sworn in as the 42nd Premier of New South Wales. She was the first woman to hold this top job in NSW. Her Deputy Premier, Carmel Tebbutt, was also a woman. This was the first time in Australia that both leaders of a state government were women.
Key Projects and Challenges
As Premier, Keneally supported the development of the Barangaroo area. This was a major project in Sydney. She made sure the project moved forward quickly. She also faced challenges, including investigations into some former ministers. She cooperated with these investigations.
Efforts to Renew the Labor Party
Keneally worked to refresh the Labor Party. Many members of the party's leadership retired. This included the NSW Labor President and other influential figures.
Electricity Reforms
In December 2010, her government sold part of the state's electricity assets. This sale brought in a lot of money. However, some directors resigned because they disagreed with the sale. The government later stopped the second part of its electricity sale plan.
Election Defeat and Resignation
Kristina Keneally led the Labor Party into the 2011 New South Wales state election. She hoped to win a fifth term for Labor. However, the Labor government faced a very difficult election. Opinion polls showed low support for Labor.
On 26 March 2011, the Labor government was heavily defeated. They lost many seats, especially in western Sydney. This was one of the biggest election swings in Australian history. Keneally resigned as Premier and state Labor leader on election night. She returned to being a regular member of parliament. In June 2012, she announced her resignation from the NSW Parliament.
After the State Government
After the Labor government's defeat, investigations looked into actions by some former ministers. Kristina Keneally appeared as a witness in these investigations in March 2014. She stated that she had concerns about some of her former colleagues. She also said that their actions did not influence her decisions as Premier.
Federal Politics
Bennelong By-election, 2017
In November 2017, Keneally was chosen to run for federal parliament. She was the Labor candidate for the 2017 Bennelong by-election. She gained more votes for Labor, but she did not win the election.
Senator and Opposition Leader, 2018–2022
In January 2018, the Labor Party announced Keneally would become a Senator. She filled a vacant spot for New South Wales. She was officially appointed on 14 February 2018. She was sworn in as a Senator the next day.
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After the 2019 Australian federal election, Anthony Albanese became the new Labor leader. He chose Keneally to be part of his leadership team. On 30 May 2019, she became the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate. She also became the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration. She resigned from the Senate on 13 April 2022.
Fowler Candidacy, 2022
In September 2021, Keneally decided to run for the House of Representatives. She sought to represent the Division of Fowler in the 2022 federal election. This area in Sydney has a large population of people from Asian and Middle Eastern backgrounds. Keneally moved to the area after being chosen as the candidate.
However, there was some community concern about her candidacy. Many felt that a local candidate with strong community ties would be better. In the election, Keneally was defeated by an independent candidate, Dai Le. This was one of only two seats Labor lost in that election.
Life After Politics
Sports and Media Roles
After leaving state parliament, Keneally took on new roles. In 2012, she became the Chief Executive of Basketball Australia. She left this role in 2014 to spend more time with her family. She also became the Chairperson of Souths Cares, a charity linked to the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
In 2014, Keneally started a career in media. She became a political commentator for Sky News Australia. She co-hosted several TV programs, including To The Point. She also wrote articles for The Guardian Australia on various social and political topics.
In November 2022, Keneally was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney Children's Hospitals Foundation. This foundation raises money for children's healthcare.
Personal Life
Kristina Keneally is married to Ben Keneally. He was a former Mayor of Botany Bay. They have two sons. They also had a daughter who sadly died at birth. Kristina's husband is the nephew of famous Australian writer Thomas Keneally. Kristina Keneally is a patron of the Stillbirth Foundation Australia.
Keneally and her family have lived in different parts of Sydney. They previously lived in Pagewood. Later, they moved to Hunters Hill. They also own homes on Scotland Island and in Wollstonecraft. Before the 2022 federal election, they moved to Liverpool.
Kristina Keneally is a big fan of the South Sydney Rabbitohs rugby league team.
See also
In Spanish: Kristina Keneally para niños
- Keneally ministry
- 2011 New South Wales state election
- List of female heads of government in Australia
Images for kids
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Keneally in December 2009, on the day she was sworn in as Premier
