Cheryl Kernot
Encyclopedia
Cheryl Kernot is an Australia
n politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate
representing Queensland
for the Australian Democrats
from 1990 to 1997, and the fifth leader of the Australian Democrats from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 she resigned from the Australian Democrats, joined the Australian Labor Party
, and won the seat of Dickson
at the 1998 federal election. She was defeated at the 2001 federal election. Kernot later stood as an independent
candidate to represent New South Wales
in the Australian Senate in the 2010 federal election.
and Queensland
. She also worked as an electorate officer and freelance radio producer. In 1984, Kernot was elected Queensland Secretary of the Australian Democrats, and later in the year, Queensland State President, from 1984 to 1999. Kernot served as Deputy National President of the party between 1988 until her election to the Senate in 1990.
for Queensland
at the 1990 election, taking over from the retiring Democrats Senator Michael Macklin
.
Kernot surprised party members by immediately contesting the parliamentary leadership, even before taking her place in the Senate on 1 July 1990. In 1991, she then controversially acted to discredit and depose the elected leader, Janet Powell
, resulting in Powell's replacement by John Coulter. Kernot finally achieved her ambition to become the Democrats' Senate leader after the 1993 election. Meg Lees
was elected as her deputy. Inside the party, she spearheaded a drive for central control of the state-based organisations, which resulted in protest resignations of members and the temporary closure of the Western Australian Division. Externally, however, she became a popular media spokesperson, leading the party to one of its best-ever results in the 1996 election and obtaining a primary vote of over 13% for herself.
, resigning her Senate seat and leaving the leadership of the Democrats to her deputy, Meg Lees. In her resignation speech, Kernot did not criticise the Democrats, saying her motivation was due to a "growing sense of outrage at the damage being done to Australia by the Howard Government" and that her position leading a minor party in the Senate meant she "had a limited capacity to help minimise that damage". She also stated that she was "well aware of the political risks in this course of action". Some derided Kernot because of her ambition; and, according to journalist Julia Baird, she "found herself at odds with the leadership of the Labor Party". Baird went on to say that "...[Kernot]...unravelled publicly under the stress, and she was portrayed in print as a has-been, a whinger and a poor performer".
Kernot narrowly won the outer metropolitan Brisbane seat of Dickson
for Labor at the 1998 election, before losing it at the 2001 election to the Liberal Party
candidate Peter Dutton
. During her period as Member for Dickson, Kernot served in the Shadow Ministry, and held the roles of Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Services from 1998 to 1999, and Shadow Minister for Employment and Training from 1999 to 2001.
, veteran political journalist Laurie Oakes
criticised Kernot for failing to mention her extramarital affair while leader of the Democrats with Gareth Evans
, who was a Labor frontbencher and key advocate of her move to Labor. Oakes claimed the relationship began several years before Kernot joined Labor, and ended in October 1999. He made the claim based on leaked emails in his possession that proved Kernot had had a five-year relationship with Evans. Initially, Kernot and Evans made themselves unavailable for comment; however, Evans subsequently confirmed the nature of their relationship.
Kernot worked in the United Kingdom
as Programme Director at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurs at the Said Business School
at Oxford University
and as the Director of Learning at the School for Social Entrepreneurs
in London. Kernot is currently the Director of Social Business at the Centre for Social Impact, based at the University of New South Wales
.
She has also expressed support for Australia becoming a republic.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
representing Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
for the Australian Democrats
Australian Democrats
The Australian Democrats is an Australian political party espousing a socially liberal ideology. It was formed in 1977, by a merger of the Australia Party and the New LM, after principals of those minor parties secured the commitment of former Liberal minister Don Chipp, as a high profile leader...
from 1990 to 1997, and the fifth leader of the Australian Democrats from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 she resigned from the Australian Democrats, joined the Australian Labor Party
Australian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, and won the seat of Dickson
Division of Dickson
The Division of Dickson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland, Australia. The division was formed in 1992 and is named after Sir James Dickson, a leading advocate in Australian Federation, Queensland Premier and Minister for Defence in first Australian Ministry. It is located in the...
at the 1998 federal election. She was defeated at the 2001 federal election. Kernot later stood as an independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
candidate to represent New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in the Australian Senate in the 2010 federal election.
Career before politics
Cheryl Kernot was born Cheryl Paton in Maitland, New South Wales on 5 December 1948. Kernot spent twelve years as a political activist while working as a school teacher in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. She also worked as an electorate officer and freelance radio producer. In 1984, Kernot was elected Queensland Secretary of the Australian Democrats, and later in the year, Queensland State President, from 1984 to 1999. Kernot served as Deputy National President of the party between 1988 until her election to the Senate in 1990.
Democrats
She was first elected as a SenatorAustralian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
for Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
at the 1990 election, taking over from the retiring Democrats Senator Michael Macklin
Michael Macklin
Michael John Macklin is a former Australian Franciscan friar, educator and fundraiser who was an Australian Democrats senator for Queensland,...
.
Kernot surprised party members by immediately contesting the parliamentary leadership, even before taking her place in the Senate on 1 July 1990. In 1991, she then controversially acted to discredit and depose the elected leader, Janet Powell
Janet Powell
Janet Frances Powell in Nhill, Victoria, is an Australian politician.She was appointed a senator for Victoria, representing the Australian Democrats, upon the resignation of the party's founder, Don Chipp, in 1986. She was elected the following year. She became the third leader of the party, from...
, resulting in Powell's replacement by John Coulter. Kernot finally achieved her ambition to become the Democrats' Senate leader after the 1993 election. Meg Lees
Meg Lees
Meg Heather Lees was a member of the Australian Senate from 1990 to 2005, representing the state of South Australia. She represented the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 2002, and was an independent senator between 2002 and 2005, adopting the party designation Australian Progressive Alliance from...
was elected as her deputy. Inside the party, she spearheaded a drive for central control of the state-based organisations, which resulted in protest resignations of members and the temporary closure of the Western Australian Division. Externally, however, she became a popular media spokesperson, leading the party to one of its best-ever results in the 1996 election and obtaining a primary vote of over 13% for herself.
Labor
On 15 October 1997, Kernot abruptly defected to the Australian Labor PartyAustralian Labor Party
The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia...
, resigning her Senate seat and leaving the leadership of the Democrats to her deputy, Meg Lees. In her resignation speech, Kernot did not criticise the Democrats, saying her motivation was due to a "growing sense of outrage at the damage being done to Australia by the Howard Government" and that her position leading a minor party in the Senate meant she "had a limited capacity to help minimise that damage". She also stated that she was "well aware of the political risks in this course of action". Some derided Kernot because of her ambition; and, according to journalist Julia Baird, she "found herself at odds with the leadership of the Labor Party". Baird went on to say that "...[Kernot]...unravelled publicly under the stress, and she was portrayed in print as a has-been, a whinger and a poor performer".
Kernot narrowly won the outer metropolitan Brisbane seat of Dickson
Division of Dickson
The Division of Dickson is an Australian Electoral Division in Queensland, Australia. The division was formed in 1992 and is named after Sir James Dickson, a leading advocate in Australian Federation, Queensland Premier and Minister for Defence in first Australian Ministry. It is located in the...
for Labor at the 1998 election, before losing it at the 2001 election to the Liberal Party
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...
candidate Peter Dutton
Peter Dutton
Peter Craig Dutton MP , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2001, representing the Division of Dickson, Queensland...
. During her period as Member for Dickson, Kernot served in the Shadow Ministry, and held the roles of Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Services from 1998 to 1999, and Shadow Minister for Employment and Training from 1999 to 2001.
Life outside politics
After retiring from politics, Kernot wrote a "full and frank" biography called Speaking for Myself, which was published in 2002. The book purported to accurately portray Kernot's political history. In his regular weekly column in The BulletinThe Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
, veteran political journalist Laurie Oakes
Laurie Oakes
Laurie Oakes is an Australian political journalist, commentator, and media personality. Since 1966, he has worked in the Canberra Press Gallery, covering the Parliament of Australia and federal elections....
criticised Kernot for failing to mention her extramarital affair while leader of the Democrats with Gareth Evans
Gareth Evans (politician)
Gareth John Evans, AO, QC , is a former Australian politician from 1978 to 1999 representing the Australian Labor Party, serving in a number of ministries including Attorney-General and Foreign Minister from 1983 to 1996 in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was president and chief executive...
, who was a Labor frontbencher and key advocate of her move to Labor. Oakes claimed the relationship began several years before Kernot joined Labor, and ended in October 1999. He made the claim based on leaked emails in his possession that proved Kernot had had a five-year relationship with Evans. Initially, Kernot and Evans made themselves unavailable for comment; however, Evans subsequently confirmed the nature of their relationship.
Kernot worked in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as Programme Director at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurs at the Said Business School
Saïd Business School
Saïd Business School is the business school of the University of Oxford in England, located on the north side of Frideswide Square on the former site of Oxford Rewley Road railway station. It is the University's centre of learning for graduate and undergraduate students in business, management...
at Oxford University
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
and as the Director of Learning at the School for Social Entrepreneurs
School for Social Entrepreneurs
The School for Social Entrepreneurs was founded by the British Social Entrepreneur Michael Young, also known as the Lord of Dartington, in 1997. Michael Young was a social innovator who had previously launched the Consumers' Association, the Open University and around 40 other organisations.The...
in London. Kernot is currently the Director of Social Business at the Centre for Social Impact, based at the University of New South Wales
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales , is a research-focused university based in Kensington, a suburb in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
.
She has also expressed support for Australia becoming a republic.