Jackie Kelly
Encyclopedia
Jacqueline Marie Kelly (born 18 February 1964), former Australian politician, was a Liberal
member of the Australian House of Representatives
from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay
, New South Wales.
, New Zealand, and attended the Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College
, in North Sydney. She obtained a law degree from the University of Queensland
, where she also attained a 'full blue' for rowing, and later represented Australia in the sport. She was a probation and parole officer, and a legal officer with the rank of Squadron Leader
in the Royal Australian Air Force
, before entering politics.
, based around the suburb of Penrith on the western fringe of Sydney. The first time was at the general election on 2 March 1996; however she was later disqualified because of her RAAF employment, and not having taken steps to renounce her New Zealand citizenship
. After addressing these issues, she was re-elected at a by-election
on 19 October 1996 with an increased majority.
Kelly was Minister for Sport
and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games
from 1998 to 2001, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
from 2001 to 2004.
While the first sitting Australian federal parliamentarian to give birth to a child was Ros Kelly
in 1983, in 2000 Jackie Kelly became the first serving Australian federal minister to give birth to a child (a daughter named Dominique). In 2001 Kelly was criticised for describing the collapse of Ansett Airlines as a "blip".
In 2006, Kelly was paired with Pavel Aubrecht when she competed on Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
and was eliminated third. In May 2007, she announced her intention to retire from federal politics at the 2007 election.
Three Liberal Party members (including Gary Clark and the husband of the Liberal candidate for Lindsay Greg Chijoff) were forced to leave the party. Kelly denied any knowledge of the pamphlets prior to their distribution, stating "I think it's basically a Chaser
-style prank".
Liberal Party of Australia
The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office...
member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Lindsay
Division of Lindsay
The Division of Lindsay is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, and is centred around Penrith. It also includes the suburbs of Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Werrington....
, New South Wales.
Early career
Kelly was born in Upper HuttUpper Hutt
Upper Hutt is a satellite city of Wellington. It is New Zealand's smallest city by population, the second largest by land area. It is in Greater Wellington.-Geography:Upper Hutt is 30 km north-east of Wellington...
, New Zealand, and attended the Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College
Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College
Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College is a Roman Catholic, secondary, day school for girls, located in North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, in North Sydney. She obtained a law degree from the University of Queensland
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
, where she also attained a 'full blue' for rowing, and later represented Australia in the sport. She was a probation and parole officer, and a legal officer with the rank of Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
in the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, before entering politics.
Political career
In 1996, Kelly was elected twice to the seat of LindsayDivision of Lindsay
The Division of Lindsay is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, and is centred around Penrith. It also includes the suburbs of Castlereagh, Mulgoa and Werrington....
, based around the suburb of Penrith on the western fringe of Sydney. The first time was at the general election on 2 March 1996; however she was later disqualified because of her RAAF employment, and not having taken steps to renounce her New Zealand citizenship
New Zealand nationality law
New Zealand citizenship was created on 1 January 1949 by the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948...
. After addressing these issues, she was re-elected at a by-election
Lindsay by-election, 1996
The 1996 Lindsay by-election was held in the Australian electorate of Lindsay in New South Wales on 19 October 1996. The by-election was triggered by a ruling of the Court of Disputed Returns that the election of the Liberal Party candidate Jackie Kelly was invalid, due to her citizenship status...
on 19 October 1996 with an increased majority.
Kelly was Minister for Sport
Minister for Sport (Australia)
The Australian Minister for Sport is Mark Arbib, who was appointed on 14 September 2010, following the Labor Party's win at the 2010 election. The ministry is located within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio.-List of Ministers for Sport:...
and Tourism and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
from 1998 to 2001, and Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
from 2001 to 2004.
While the first sitting Australian federal parliamentarian to give birth to a child was Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly
Ros Kelly AO was a member of the Australian House of Representatives for the Division of Canberra from 18 October 1980 to 30 January 1995. She was a minister in the governments of Bob Hawke and Paul Keating....
in 1983, in 2000 Jackie Kelly became the first serving Australian federal minister to give birth to a child (a daughter named Dominique). In 2001 Kelly was criticised for describing the collapse of Ansett Airlines as a "blip".
In 2006, Kelly was paired with Pavel Aubrecht when she competed on Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice
Torvill and Dean's Dancing on Ice is an Australian reality television series which was based on the original British version, Dancing on Ice. The series premiered on the Nine Network on Tuesday, 11 July 2006 at , and involved celebrities ice dancing on a specially constructed ice rink located in...
and was eliminated third. In May 2007, she announced her intention to retire from federal politics at the 2007 election.
Political scandal
On 21 November 2007, three days before the federal election, Kelly's husband, local orthodontist Gary Clark, was caught with four other people in the electorate of Lindsay handing out fake pamphlets purporting to be from an Islamic group (which did not exist), and thanking the Labor Party for supporting terrorists.Three Liberal Party members (including Gary Clark and the husband of the Liberal candidate for Lindsay Greg Chijoff) were forced to leave the party. Kelly denied any knowledge of the pamphlets prior to their distribution, stating "I think it's basically a Chaser
The Chaser
The Chaser are an Australian satirical comedian group, known for their television programmes on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation channel. The group take their name from their production of satirical newspaper, a publication known to challenge conventions of taste...
-style prank".