Jeff Kennett
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Gibb Kennett AC
(born 2 March 1948), a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club
. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue
, a national depression initiative.
on 2 March 1948, and educated at Scotch College
. Kennett was an unexceptional student academically, but did well in Scotch's Cadet Corps Unit. His failure to rise above the middle band academically almost led him to quit school in Fourth Form (Year 10 – 1963), but he was persuaded to stay on. His Fifth and Sixth Forms were an improvement, but he was still described in school reports as "[a] confident and at times helpful boy. Sometimes irritates. Sometimes works hard" (1964), and "[a] keen, pleasant, though sometimes erratic boy" (1965).
After leaving school, Kennett was persuaded by his father Ken to attend the Australian National University
in Canberra
, but lost interest and dropped out after one year of an economics degree. He returned to Melbourne
and found work in the advertising department of the retail giant Myer
– kindling an interest for advertising that would one day earn him his living.
Kennett's life in the regular workforce was cut short when, in 1968, he was conscripted
into the Australian Army
. Kennett was singled out as 'officer material' early in his career, and graduated third in his class from the gruelling Officer Training Unit (OTU) Scheyville
, near Windsor, New South Wales
, outside Sydney
. He was posted to Malaysia and Singapore
as Second Lieutenant, commander of 1st Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). This military career (and his earlier experience in the Scotch College Cadet Corps) has been noted by many biographers as an essential formative influence on the adult Kennett's character. His sense and regard for hierarchical loyalty, punctuality, and general intolerance of dissent or disobedience may be traced to this period.
Kennett returned to civilian life in 1970, reentering a deeply divided Australian society, split by the Vietnam War
, of which Kennett was a firm supporter. Having returned to Myer, Kennett became impatient with his work, and so with Ian Fegan and Eran Nicols, he formed his own advertising company (KNF) in June 1971.
Thereafter, in December 1972, Kennett married Felicity Kellar, an old friend whom he had first met on the Number 7 tram on the long trips to school. Their first son, Ed, was born in 1974, followed by a daughter Amy, and two more sons, Angus and Ross. His wife left him for a short time in the mid 1970s, amid allegations of domestic violence, but returned a short time later.
Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly
(MLA) for Burwood
in 1976. His preselection
for the seat reportedly irritated then Premier Dick Hamer
, who disliked Kennett's campaigning style, and had endorsed the sitting member, Haddon Storey. Entering Hamer's government, Kennett was soon appointed Minister for Housing, Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in 1981. He retained this post when Hamer was replaced as Liberal leader and Premier by Lindsay Thompson
in June of that year. Following the defeat of the longstanding Liberal government in 1982, Kennett was the leading candidate to replace Lindsay Thompson, and on 26 October, he was elected Leader of the Liberal Party, despite being the youngest member of the outgoing Cabinet
. He was an aggressive Leader of the Opposition
, and was much criticised for his "bull-in-a-china-shop" style and his populist anti-government rhetoric.
Kennett's performance as Opposition Leader is a subject of debate. Economou
sees his 1985 and 1988 election campaigns as weak, while Parkinson believes he was a significant asset in pushing the Labor
government of John Cain
in several key seats. Whether judged a success or not, Kennett soon faced a challenge to his leadership of the party from Ian Smith
. Kennett survived easily, but increasingly, he seemed an erratic and unapproachable leader. He faced two more challenges to his leadership in 1986 and 1987 respectively. In 1987, in one notable incident Kennett referred to the Federal Liberal leader John Howard
using colourful language in a mobile telephone conversation with Howard rival Andrew Peacock
. The car-phone conversation damaged both Howard and Kennett, but aided Peacock in his push to return as Federal Liberal leader (1989).
Toward the end of its second term the Cain government had endured some loss in support and the Liberals were considered a good chance of winning the 1988 election. When Cain was returned with a small but workable majority, Kennett was again criticised within his own party, and in 1989 he was deposed as leader and replaced by Alan Brown
, a little-known rural Member of the Legislative Assembly. A furious Kennett described Alan Hunt
, the instigator of the coup, as "a man never to be trusted". He publicly pledged never to attempt a return to the Liberal leadership, but when Brown proved unable to challenge the government effectively, he allowed his supporters to stage a shock party-room coup and restore him to the leadership, unopposed, in 1991.
) won the October 1992 election in a landslide as a result of the public's disillusionment with the Labor government. In the second-largest landslide in history, the Liberals and Nationals attained a 34-seat majority in the Legislative Assembly and were thus uniquely placed to govern with little restraint.
In office, Kennett immediately instituted one of the most effective budget-cutting and privatisation
programs undertaken by any Victorian government, in an effort to improve the State's economy. Having assumed office, the need for such effective action was reinforced when Kennett and his new Treasurer
Alan Stockdale
discovered that the outgoing government had left them with $2.2 billion budget deficit, a net public sector debt of $33 billion and budget sector debt of $16 billion. To combat this debt, some 50,000 public servants were retrenched between 1992 and 1995.
Moreover, in the first three years of the 'Kennett Revolution' (as the Premier himself came to term it), government funding for the public school system was slashed, with 350 government schools closed, and 7,000 teaching jobs removed. Other highly controversial moves included the sacking of 16,000 public transport workers in a major technological upgrade of the system, and the initiation of a huge scheme for privatisation of state-owned services, including the electricity (SECV
) and gas (Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria
) utilities, ambulance service, as well as several prisons and other minor services. The sale of the Totalisator Agency Board raised $609 million.Between 1995 and 1998, $29 billion of state assets in gas and electricity alone were sold to private enterprise (for statistics, see Parkinson, Jeff, 1999). .
In the wake of these changes, investment and population growth slowly resumed, though unemployment
was to remain above the national average for the duration of Kennett's premiership. While the benefits to the State budget figures were indisputable, the social and longer-term economic cost of the Kennett reforms was questioned by many commentators, academics and those who suffered economically through the period of reform. This campaign of privatisations and cutbacks led to governmental acts of privatisation or budget-cutting becoming popularly known as being "Jeffed".
The largest public protest
in Melbourne since the Vietnam War
occurred on 10 November 1992, with an estimated 100,000 people marching in opposition to the retrenchment of so many workers and the massive budget cutbacks. Kennett was notably undeterred by this outrage, and famously commented that though there were 100,000 outside his office that day, there were 4.5 million who stayed at home or at work.
It is difficult to assess the merits or otherwise of Kennett's 'Revolution' in his first term, as many (including Auditor-General
Ches Baragwanath) estimate that the true value of the reforms will not be apparent until well into the 21st century.
The Kennett government also embarked on a series of high-profile capital works projects, such as the restoration of Parliament House
(never completed), construction of a new $250 million Melbourne Museum
and IMAX theatre, and a new $130 million Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (still known colloquially as 'Jeff's Shed'). Other projects, made possible in monetary terms by the early cutbacks and budget restructuring, included a $160 million expansion of the National Gallery of Victoria
; $100 million for refurbishment of the State Library of Victoria; $65 million for a new Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
(MSAC); and $130 million for the construction of a new civic square on the site of the old Gas and Fuel Buildings, to be known as Federation Square
.
The poaching of the Formula 1 Grand Prix
from Adelaide
in 1993 was a particular coup for Kennett, who had worked hard with his friend Ron Walker
, the Chairman of the Melbourne Major Events Company, helped deliver Melbourne the hosting rights for the event from Adelaide in 1993.
The most controversial project of the Kennett era was the $1.85 billion Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, a gambling and entertainment centre on Melbourne's Southbank
. Initial plans for a casino had been made under the Labor government, however the tendering process and construction occurred under Kennett. Allegations of financial inconsistencies in the tendering process (which eventually saw longtime Kennett supporters Ron Walker and Lloyd Williams successful) were to dog the Kennett government for many years, despite the verdict of an enquiry which found no wrongdoing on its behalf.
A $2 billion project to redevelop Melbourne's derelict Docklands area to include a new football stadium was also undertaken, in addition to the massive CityLink
project, a project resurrected from the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan
, aimed at linking Melbourne's freeways, easing traffic problems in the inner city, and reducing commuting times from the outer suburbs to the CBD.
in the previous four years, the 1996 election shaped up as the first test of the 'Kennett Revolution' with the electorate. Though expected to win, the scale of the victory was unanticipated. On 30 March 1996, Kennett was reelected with a 32-seat majority, his prestige seemingly undiminished.
Kennett was influential in Melbourne
bidding for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
. Three cities initially expressed interest in hosting the event; Melbourne
, Wellington
and Singapore
. Singapore
dropped out before its bid was officially selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation, leaving only two candidate cities. In the weeks prior to the announcement of the 2006 host, Wellington
withdrew its bid, citing the costs involved with matching the bid plan presented by Melbourne
, which became the default host without members of the Federation going to vote.
Several worrying trends (for the Liberals) were obscured somewhat by the euphoria of victory. The government's sharp cuts to government services were particularly resented in country Victoria, where the Liberals and their coalition
partners, National Party
held almost all the seats. The loss of the Mildura
seat to an independent Russell Savage
was an indication of this disaffection, and when in February 1997 independent Susan Davies
was elected to the seat of Gippsland West, this trend seemed set to continue.
However, the verdict of many was that the 'Kennett Revolution' was far from over – indeed it was seemingly set in stone with the opening of the Crown Casino in May 1997. Kennett's profile continued to grow as he became a major commentator on national issues, including urging the new government of John Howard
to introduce tax reform, and actively opposing the rise of the One Nation Party of Pauline Hanson
. In this last case, Kennett did not shy away from criticising the media, but also the intransigence of the Howard government over its failure to actively oppose Hanson's agenda.
The government lost ground over the next few years, with high-profile disagreements with the Director of Public Prosecutions
Bernard Bongiorno, and Auditor-General
Ches Baragwanath fuelling criticism of Kennett's governmental style. Kennett's antipathy to Baragwanath led to 1997 legislation to restructure the office of the Auditor-General and set up Audit Victoria. While Kennett promised the independence of the office would be maintained, many saw his government's actions as an attempt to curb the Auditor-General's power to criticise government policy. Widespread community debate and substantial public dissent from Liberal MPs and Party members ensued, with MLA Roger Pescott resigning from Parliament at the height of the debate; citing his disagreement with this Bill and Kennett's style in general. The Liberal Party lost the by-election in Mitcham.
Further scandals involving the handling of contracts for the state emergency services response system damaged the credibility of Kennett in 1997–1998, while rural dissent continued to grow.
Personal difficulties also began to plague Kennett and his family. The strains of public life led to a trial separation between Felicity and Jeff in early 1998 (patched up by the end of the year), while earlier in Kennett's first term, public scrutiny had led to the forced sale of the KNF Advertising Company, despite all Kennett's involvement having been transferred to his wife's name. There were rumours in 1998 that Kennett might retire from politics; these were mostly centred around Phil Gude, a longtime minister (as Industry and Employment Minister, 1992–1996, and Minister for Education, 1996–1999). These eventually came to nothing, but nevertheless, Kennett's position was no longer as rock solid as in the period 1992–1998.
In July 1998, Liberal MP Peter McLellan, Member for Frankston East, resigned from the party in protest over alleged corrupt Liberal Party Senate
preselection, changes to WorkCover and the auditor-general’s office. Again, Kennett failed to pick up the warning signs of declining support for his style of leadership.
Labor leader John Brumby
took care to capitalise on each of Kennett's mistakes over this period, though his absences in rural electorates were misunderstood by many Labor MPs, and led to his replacement by Steve Bracks
in early 1999. Bracks, who came from Ballarat
, was popular in rural areas and was seen as a fresh alternative to Brumby, who nevertheless remained a key figure in the shadow Cabinet
. Despite the appeal of Bracks, Kennett entered the 1999 election campaign with a seemingly unassailable lead, and most commentators and opinion polls agreed that he would win a third term. On the morning of the election a leading political journalist, Ewen Hannan, predicted that 'Labor supporters will be crying into their beers tonight'.
, at the 1999 election, most of them in regional centres such as Ballarat
and Bendigo
. The final result in the Legislative Assembly
was: Labor, 42 seats; the Liberals and Nationals, 43; with three independents holding the balance of power. Independents Russell Savage
and Susan Davies
were joined by a third Independent, Craig Ingram
. Negotiations began between Kennett's Liberal Party and the three independents. While Kennett acceded to their demands, his perceived poor treatment of Savage and Davies in the previous parliament meant that they held a position that they would never agree to support a Liberal Party minority government
while Kennett remained leader. The Liberal negotiators did not reveal this to their party and Labor was ultimately successful in winning their support to form a government, after signing a Charter of Good Government, pledging to restore services to rural areas, and promising parliamentary reforms.
The defeat of the Kennett government was almost totally unexpected. Kennett's supporters urged the Liberal Party to force a vote of 'no confidence' on the floor of the parliament in a last-ditch effort to force Savage, Davies and Ingram to support the Liberal government; however with the Liberal Party divided on Kennett's future role, Kennett resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party and from Parliament, saying he wished to have no further involvement in politics. The consequent Burwood
by-election was won by the Labor Party.
, when Kennett announced he would contemplate standing in a by-election for the seat vacated by Doyle and offering himself as party leader. His stance was supported by Prime Minister John Howard
, who rated him as the party's best hope to win the November 2006 state election. But within 24 hours Kennett announced he would not return to Parliament rather than running against Ted Baillieu
, whom Kennett had been grooming for the top post since 1999. John Howard was reported to have been "embarrassed" by having publicly supported Kennett before his decision not to re-enter politics.
In 2008, it was rumoured that Kennett was intending to stand for Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Despite endorsing future Lord Mayor John So
in the 2001 mayoral elections, Kennett was quoted as saying "I think the city is ready for a change". Kennett claimed he had been approached by "a range of interests" to run for the position, but in the end did not do so. Former Liberal leader Robert Doyle ultimately won the election.
(the National Depression Initiative), a body that was largely formed by the efforts of the Victorian State Government. On 24 June 2008, he announced that he would be stepping down from his role at beyondblue at the end of 2010. This did not happen.
For a brief period during 2002, Kennett was a radio presenter for Melbourne station 3AK
, continuing an interest in mass communication which was also a feature of his premiership. He also serves on the boards of Australian Seniors Finance, a reverse mortgage company, and SelecTV, a satellite television
group.
On 14 December 2005 Kennett was made President of Hawthorn Football Club
, taking over from Ian Dicker.
In the Australia Day
Honours of 2005, Kennett received Australia's highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia
(AC). He was also awarded an honorary doctorate – Hon DBus (Honoris Causa) – by the University of Ballarat
.
Mr Kennett said in an interview he rarely thinks anymore about the media or "bloody history", though he does still regret the "disastrous" introduction of the Metcard
ticketing system for trains and trams.
Kennett angered gay rights groups in July 2008 when he supported the Bonnie Doon Football Club in their sacking of trainer Ken Campagnolo for being bisexual; and compared homosexuality
to pedophilia
. Anti-discrimination campaigner Gary Burns
pursued an action in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal against Kennett for making the following statement:
The case was dropped due to Gary Burns' lack of funds to pursue the case.
In 2011 Kennett was again accused of homophobia when he stated children have better mental health if raised in heterosexual marriages.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 2 March 1948), a former Australian politician, was the Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999. He is currently the President of Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
. He is the founding Chairman of beyondblue
Beyondblue
beyondblue is an Australian non-profit organisation which aims to increase awareness and improve the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and related mental disorders...
, a national depression initiative.
Early life
Kennett was born in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
on 2 March 1948, and educated at Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
. Kennett was an unexceptional student academically, but did well in Scotch's Cadet Corps Unit. His failure to rise above the middle band academically almost led him to quit school in Fourth Form (Year 10 – 1963), but he was persuaded to stay on. His Fifth and Sixth Forms were an improvement, but he was still described in school reports as "[a] confident and at times helpful boy. Sometimes irritates. Sometimes works hard" (1964), and "[a] keen, pleasant, though sometimes erratic boy" (1965).
After leaving school, Kennett was persuaded by his father Ken to attend the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, but lost interest and dropped out after one year of an economics degree. He returned to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and found work in the advertising department of the retail giant Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
– kindling an interest for advertising that would one day earn him his living.
Kennett's life in the regular workforce was cut short when, in 1968, he was conscripted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
. Kennett was singled out as 'officer material' early in his career, and graduated third in his class from the gruelling Officer Training Unit (OTU) Scheyville
Scheyville, New South Wales
Scheyville is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Scheyville is located 54 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury.-Parks:...
, near Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor, New South Wales
Windsor is a town in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Windsor is located in the local government area of the City of Hawkesbury. It sits on the Hawkesbury River, on the north-western outskirts of the Sydney metropolitan area. At the 2006 census, Windsor had a population of...
, outside Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He was posted to Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
as Second Lieutenant, commander of 1st Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR). This military career (and his earlier experience in the Scotch College Cadet Corps) has been noted by many biographers as an essential formative influence on the adult Kennett's character. His sense and regard for hierarchical loyalty, punctuality, and general intolerance of dissent or disobedience may be traced to this period.
Kennett returned to civilian life in 1970, reentering a deeply divided Australian society, split by the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, of which Kennett was a firm supporter. Having returned to Myer, Kennett became impatient with his work, and so with Ian Fegan and Eran Nicols, he formed his own advertising company (KNF) in June 1971.
Thereafter, in December 1972, Kennett married Felicity Kellar, an old friend whom he had first met on the Number 7 tram on the long trips to school. Their first son, Ed, was born in 1974, followed by a daughter Amy, and two more sons, Angus and Ross. His wife left him for a short time in the mid 1970s, amid allegations of domestic violence, but returned a short time later.
Political career
Interested in local politics since the early 1970s, Kennett was elected as a LiberalLiberal 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 Victorian Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
(MLA) for Burwood
Electoral district of Burwood
The electoral district of Burwood is an electorate for the Victorian Legislative Assembly in Australia. It is located approximately 13 kilometres east of Melbourne, and covers an area of 24 km². It includes the suburbs of Ashburton, Ashwood, Box Hill South, and parts of Burwood, Camberwell,...
in 1976. His preselection
Preselection
Preselection is the process by which a candidate is selected, usually by a political party, to contest an election for political office. It is also referred to as candidate selection. It is a fundamental function of political parties...
for the seat reportedly irritated then Premier Dick Hamer
Rupert Hamer
Sir Rupert James Hamer, AC, KCMG, ED , generally known until he was knighted in 1982 as Dick Hamer, Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 39th Premier of Victoria, serving from 1972 to 1981.-Early years:...
, who disliked Kennett's campaigning style, and had endorsed the sitting member, Haddon Storey. Entering Hamer's government, Kennett was soon appointed Minister for Housing, Immigration and Ethnic Affairs in 1981. He retained this post when Hamer was replaced as Liberal leader and Premier by Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Thompson
Lindsay Hamilton Simpson Thompson AO, CMG , Australian Liberal Party politician, was the 40th Premier of Victoria from June 1981 to April 1982...
in June of that year. Following the defeat of the longstanding Liberal government in 1982, Kennett was the leading candidate to replace Lindsay Thompson, and on 26 October, he was elected Leader of the Liberal Party, despite being the youngest member of the outgoing Cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. He was an aggressive Leader of the Opposition
Opposition (parliamentary)
Parliamentary opposition is a form of political opposition to a designated government, particularly in a Westminster-based parliamentary system. Note that this article uses the term government as it is used in Parliamentary systems, i.e. meaning the administration or the cabinet rather than the state...
, and was much criticised for his "bull-in-a-china-shop" style and his populist anti-government rhetoric.
Kennett's performance as Opposition Leader is a subject of debate. Economou
Nick Economou
Dr Nicholas Economou is an Australian political scientist. He is a regular commentator in the media on Australian politics, being published in a wide range of Australian and international newspapers...
sees his 1985 and 1988 election campaigns as weak, while Parkinson believes he was a significant asset in pushing the Labor
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...
government of John Cain
John Cain II
John Cain , Australian Labor Party politician, was the 41st Premier of Victoria, holding office from 1982 to 1990.-Biography:...
in several key seats. Whether judged a success or not, Kennett soon faced a challenge to his leadership of the party from Ian Smith
Ian Smith (Australian politician)
Ian Winton Smith is a former Victoria, Australia Liberal Party of Australia politician. He represented the Electoral district of Warrnambool in the State of Victoria as a MLA from 1967 until 1983. He resigned to unsuccessfully contest Liberal Party pre-selection for the Federal Division of Wannon...
. Kennett survived easily, but increasingly, he seemed an erratic and unapproachable leader. He faced two more challenges to his leadership in 1986 and 1987 respectively. In 1987, in one notable incident Kennett referred to the Federal Liberal leader John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
using colourful language in a mobile telephone conversation with Howard rival Andrew Peacock
Andrew Peacock
Andrew Sharp Peacock AC, GCL , is a former Australian Liberal politician. He was a minister in the Gorton, McMahon and Fraser governments, and was federal leader of the Liberal Party of Australia 1983–1985 and 1989–1990...
. The car-phone conversation damaged both Howard and Kennett, but aided Peacock in his push to return as Federal Liberal leader (1989).
Toward the end of its second term the Cain government had endured some loss in support and the Liberals were considered a good chance of winning the 1988 election. When Cain was returned with a small but workable majority, Kennett was again criticised within his own party, and in 1989 he was deposed as leader and replaced by Alan Brown
Alan Brown (Australian politician)
Alan John Brown , Australian politician, was a Liberal member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly and Leader of the Opposition from 1989 to 1991....
, a little-known rural Member of the Legislative Assembly. A furious Kennett described Alan Hunt
Alan Hunt (politician)
Alan John Hunt AM is an Australian politician, having been a member of the Victorian Legislative Council from 1961 until 1992....
, the instigator of the coup, as "a man never to be trusted". He publicly pledged never to attempt a return to the Liberal leadership, but when Brown proved unable to challenge the government effectively, he allowed his supporters to stage a shock party-room coup and restore him to the leadership, unopposed, in 1991.
First term as premier
Given the parlous state of Victoria's finances being in billions of dollars in debt, Kennett was seen from the beginning of his second leadership stint as 'Premier-in-waiting'. The Liberals (in coalition with the National Party of AustraliaNational Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
) won the October 1992 election in a landslide as a result of the public's disillusionment with the Labor government. In the second-largest landslide in history, the Liberals and Nationals attained a 34-seat majority in the Legislative Assembly and were thus uniquely placed to govern with little restraint.
In office, Kennett immediately instituted one of the most effective budget-cutting and privatisation
Privatization
Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency or public service from the public sector to the private sector or to private non-profit organizations...
programs undertaken by any Victorian government, in an effort to improve the State's economy. Having assumed office, the need for such effective action was reinforced when Kennett and his new Treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
Alan Stockdale
Alan Stockdale
Alan Robert Stockdale is the current president of the Liberal Party and a former Victorian state Deputy Liberal leader. He was Treasurer of Victoria in the government of Jeff Kennett from 1992 to 1999....
discovered that the outgoing government had left them with $2.2 billion budget deficit, a net public sector debt of $33 billion and budget sector debt of $16 billion. To combat this debt, some 50,000 public servants were retrenched between 1992 and 1995.
Moreover, in the first three years of the 'Kennett Revolution' (as the Premier himself came to term it), government funding for the public school system was slashed, with 350 government schools closed, and 7,000 teaching jobs removed. Other highly controversial moves included the sacking of 16,000 public transport workers in a major technological upgrade of the system, and the initiation of a huge scheme for privatisation of state-owned services, including the electricity (SECV
State Electricity Commission of Victoria
The State Electricity Commission of Victoria was a monopoly electricity generation, transmission and supply utility located in Victoria, Australia...
) and gas (Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria
Gas and fuel corporation of victoria
The Gas and Fuel Corporation of Victoria was a government-owned monopoly supplier of household gas in Victoria, Australia.In 1951, the Victorian government took over two of the three main gas utilities in Melbourne - the Metropolitan Gas Company and the Brighton Gas Company...
) utilities, ambulance service, as well as several prisons and other minor services. The sale of the Totalisator Agency Board raised $609 million.Between 1995 and 1998, $29 billion of state assets in gas and electricity alone were sold to private enterprise (for statistics, see Parkinson, Jeff, 1999). .
In the wake of these changes, investment and population growth slowly resumed, though unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
was to remain above the national average for the duration of Kennett's premiership. While the benefits to the State budget figures were indisputable, the social and longer-term economic cost of the Kennett reforms was questioned by many commentators, academics and those who suffered economically through the period of reform. This campaign of privatisations and cutbacks led to governmental acts of privatisation or budget-cutting becoming popularly known as being "Jeffed".
The largest public protest
Protest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
in Melbourne since the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
occurred on 10 November 1992, with an estimated 100,000 people marching in opposition to the retrenchment of so many workers and the massive budget cutbacks. Kennett was notably undeterred by this outrage, and famously commented that though there were 100,000 outside his office that day, there were 4.5 million who stayed at home or at work.
It is difficult to assess the merits or otherwise of Kennett's 'Revolution' in his first term, as many (including Auditor-General
Chief Audit Executive
The Chief Audit Executive , Director of Audit, Director of Internal Audit, Auditor General, or Controller General is a high level independent corporate executive with overall responsibility for the Internal audit....
Ches Baragwanath) estimate that the true value of the reforms will not be apparent until well into the 21st century.
The Kennett government also embarked on a series of high-profile capital works projects, such as the restoration of Parliament House
Parliament House, Melbourne
Parliament House in Melbourne, located at Spring Street in East Melbourne at the edge of the Melbourne city centre, has been the seat of the Parliament of Victoria, Australia, since 1855 .- History :In 1851, even before the colony of Victoria acquired full parliamentary self-government, Governor...
(never completed), construction of a new $250 million Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum
Melbourne Museum is located in the Carlton Gardens in Melbourne, Australia, adjacent the Royal Exhibition Building.It is the largest museum in the Southern Hemisphere, and is a venue of Museum Victoria, which also operates the Immigration Museum and Scienceworks Museum.The museum has seven main...
and IMAX theatre, and a new $130 million Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (still known colloquially as 'Jeff's Shed'). Other projects, made possible in monetary terms by the early cutbacks and budget restructuring, included a $160 million expansion of the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
; $100 million for refurbishment of the State Library of Victoria; $65 million for a new Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre
The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre is an international sporting venue located in Albert Park, Victoria, Australia. The centre was opened on the 24th of July 1997 at a construction cost of A$65 million. The cost was funded by the State Government of Victoria and the City of Port Phillip...
(MSAC); and $130 million for the construction of a new civic square on the site of the old Gas and Fuel Buildings, to be known as Federation Square
Federation Square
Federation Square is a civic centre and cultural precinct in the city of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
.
The poaching of the Formula 1 Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...
from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in 1993 was a particular coup for Kennett, who had worked hard with his friend Ron Walker
Ron Walker
Ronald Joseph Walker AC CBE is a former Lord Mayor of Melbourne and Australian businessman, renowned for his work in managing sporting events.-Biography:...
, the Chairman of the Melbourne Major Events Company, helped deliver Melbourne the hosting rights for the event from Adelaide in 1993.
The most controversial project of the Kennett era was the $1.85 billion Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, a gambling and entertainment centre on Melbourne's Southbank
Southbank, Victoria
Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia located direct south of the Yarra River opposite Melbourne's Hoddle Grid. The northernmost area is considered part of the Central Business District and Central Activities District of the city. Its Local Government Area are the...
. Initial plans for a casino had been made under the Labor government, however the tendering process and construction occurred under Kennett. Allegations of financial inconsistencies in the tendering process (which eventually saw longtime Kennett supporters Ron Walker and Lloyd Williams successful) were to dog the Kennett government for many years, despite the verdict of an enquiry which found no wrongdoing on its behalf.
A $2 billion project to redevelop Melbourne's derelict Docklands area to include a new football stadium was also undertaken, in addition to the massive CityLink
CityLink
CityLink is a system of tolled urban Highways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The company Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new Toll roads—labelled the Western and Southern Links—directly linking a number of existing freeways to...
project, a project resurrected from the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan
1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan
The 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan was a road and rail transport plan for Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia instituted by Henry Bolte's state government...
, aimed at linking Melbourne's freeways, easing traffic problems in the inner city, and reducing commuting times from the outer suburbs to the CBD.
Second term as premier
Kennett's personal popularity remained high through his first term, though that of the government as a whole went through peaks and troughs. Without a by-electionBy-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in the previous four years, the 1996 election shaped up as the first test of the 'Kennett Revolution' with the electorate. Though expected to win, the scale of the victory was unanticipated. On 30 March 1996, Kennett was reelected with a 32-seat majority, his prestige seemingly undiminished.
Kennett was influential in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
bidding for the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
. Three cities initially expressed interest in hosting the event; Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
dropped out before its bid was officially selected by the Commonwealth Games Federation, leaving only two candidate cities. In the weeks prior to the announcement of the 2006 host, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
withdrew its bid, citing the costs involved with matching the bid plan presented by Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, which became the default host without members of the Federation going to vote.
Several worrying trends (for the Liberals) were obscured somewhat by the euphoria of victory. The government's sharp cuts to government services were particularly resented in country Victoria, where the Liberals and their coalition
Coalition government
A coalition government is a cabinet of a parliamentary government in which several political parties cooperate. The usual reason given for this arrangement is that no party on its own can achieve a majority in the parliament...
partners, National Party
National Party of Australia
The National Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Traditionally representing graziers, farmers and rural voters generally, it began as the The Country Party, but adopted the name The National Country Party in 1975, changed to The National Party of Australia in 1982. The party is...
held almost all the seats. The loss of the Mildura
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
seat to an independent Russell Savage
Russell Savage
Russell Irwin Savage , Australian politician, was the independent member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Mildura from 1996 until 2006...
was an indication of this disaffection, and when in February 1997 independent Susan Davies
Susan Davies
Susan Margaret Davies is a former Australian politician.She was born in Mirboo North, Victoria, to parents Richard Llewellyn and Jean Margaret Davies . She attended Leongatha High School and Watsonia High School in 1971, when she completed her Higher School Certificate...
was elected to the seat of Gippsland West, this trend seemed set to continue.
However, the verdict of many was that the 'Kennett Revolution' was far from over – indeed it was seemingly set in stone with the opening of the Crown Casino in May 1997. Kennett's profile continued to grow as he became a major commentator on national issues, including urging the new government of John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
to introduce tax reform, and actively opposing the rise of the One Nation Party of Pauline Hanson
Pauline Hanson
Pauline Lee Hanson is an Australian politician and former leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation, a political party with a populist and anti-multiculturalism platform...
. In this last case, Kennett did not shy away from criticising the media, but also the intransigence of the Howard government over its failure to actively oppose Hanson's agenda.
The government lost ground over the next few years, with high-profile disagreements with the Director of Public Prosecutions
Director of Public Prosecutions
The Director of Public Prosecutions is the officer charged with the prosecution of criminal offences in several criminal jurisdictions around the world...
Bernard Bongiorno, and Auditor-General
Chief Audit Executive
The Chief Audit Executive , Director of Audit, Director of Internal Audit, Auditor General, or Controller General is a high level independent corporate executive with overall responsibility for the Internal audit....
Ches Baragwanath fuelling criticism of Kennett's governmental style. Kennett's antipathy to Baragwanath led to 1997 legislation to restructure the office of the Auditor-General and set up Audit Victoria. While Kennett promised the independence of the office would be maintained, many saw his government's actions as an attempt to curb the Auditor-General's power to criticise government policy. Widespread community debate and substantial public dissent from Liberal MPs and Party members ensued, with MLA Roger Pescott resigning from Parliament at the height of the debate; citing his disagreement with this Bill and Kennett's style in general. The Liberal Party lost the by-election in Mitcham.
Further scandals involving the handling of contracts for the state emergency services response system damaged the credibility of Kennett in 1997–1998, while rural dissent continued to grow.
Personal difficulties also began to plague Kennett and his family. The strains of public life led to a trial separation between Felicity and Jeff in early 1998 (patched up by the end of the year), while earlier in Kennett's first term, public scrutiny had led to the forced sale of the KNF Advertising Company, despite all Kennett's involvement having been transferred to his wife's name. There were rumours in 1998 that Kennett might retire from politics; these were mostly centred around Phil Gude, a longtime minister (as Industry and Employment Minister, 1992–1996, and Minister for Education, 1996–1999). These eventually came to nothing, but nevertheless, Kennett's position was no longer as rock solid as in the period 1992–1998.
In July 1998, Liberal MP Peter McLellan, Member for Frankston East, resigned from the party in protest over alleged corrupt Liberal Party 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,...
preselection, changes to WorkCover and the auditor-general’s office. Again, Kennett failed to pick up the warning signs of declining support for his style of leadership.
Labor leader John Brumby
John Brumby
John Mansfield Brumby , is an Australian Labor Party politician who was Premier of Victoria from 2007 to 2010. He became Premier after the resignation of Steve Bracks. He also served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Multicultural Affairs. He contested his first election...
took care to capitalise on each of Kennett's mistakes over this period, though his absences in rural electorates were misunderstood by many Labor MPs, and led to his replacement by Steve Bracks
Steve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
in early 1999. Bracks, who came from Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, was popular in rural areas and was seen as a fresh alternative to Brumby, who nevertheless remained a key figure in the shadow Cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
. Despite the appeal of Bracks, Kennett entered the 1999 election campaign with a seemingly unassailable lead, and most commentators and opinion polls agreed that he would win a third term. On the morning of the election a leading political journalist, Ewen Hannan, predicted that 'Labor supporters will be crying into their beers tonight'.
1999 election loss
The Liberals lost 13 seats to Labor, led by Steve BracksSteve Bracks
Stephen Philip Bracks AC is a former Australian politician and the 44th Premier of Victoria. He first won the electoral district of Williamstown in 1994 for the Australian Labor Party, and was party leader and Premier from 1999 to 2007....
, at the 1999 election, most of them in regional centres such as Ballarat
Electoral district of Ballarat East
Ballarat East is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 3,323 km² part-urban and part-rural electorate covering areas to the east of the regional centre of Ballarat...
and Bendigo
Electoral district of Bendigo East
Bendigo East is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of Victoria. It is a 2,086 km² electorate based around the city of Bendigo, encompassing the localities of Axedale, Bendigo, Bendigo East, Bridgewater, Epsom, Flora Hill, Goornong, Huntly, Kennington,...
. The final result in the Legislative Assembly
Victorian Legislative Assembly
The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Victoria in Australia. Together with the Victorian Legislative Council, the upper house, it sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Melbourne.-History:...
was: Labor, 42 seats; the Liberals and Nationals, 43; with three independents holding the balance of power. Independents Russell Savage
Russell Savage
Russell Irwin Savage , Australian politician, was the independent member for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Mildura from 1996 until 2006...
and Susan Davies
Susan Davies
Susan Margaret Davies is a former Australian politician.She was born in Mirboo North, Victoria, to parents Richard Llewellyn and Jean Margaret Davies . She attended Leongatha High School and Watsonia High School in 1971, when she completed her Higher School Certificate...
were joined by a third Independent, Craig Ingram
Craig Ingram
Craig Ingram is a former Australian politician, and was the Independent Member of Parliament for Gippsland East in the Victorian Legislative Assembly from 1999 to 2010.-Personal life:...
. Negotiations began between Kennett's Liberal Party and the three independents. While Kennett acceded to their demands, his perceived poor treatment of Savage and Davies in the previous parliament meant that they held a position that they would never agree to support a Liberal Party minority government
Minority government
A minority government or a minority cabinet is a cabinet of a parliamentary system formed when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in the parliament but is sworn into government to break a Hung Parliament election result. It is also known as a...
while Kennett remained leader. The Liberal negotiators did not reveal this to their party and Labor was ultimately successful in winning their support to form a government, after signing a Charter of Good Government, pledging to restore services to rural areas, and promising parliamentary reforms.
The defeat of the Kennett government was almost totally unexpected. Kennett's supporters urged the Liberal Party to force a vote of 'no confidence' on the floor of the parliament in a last-ditch effort to force Savage, Davies and Ingram to support the Liberal government; however with the Liberal Party divided on Kennett's future role, Kennett resigned as Leader of the Liberal Party and from Parliament, saying he wished to have no further involvement in politics. The consequent Burwood
Electoral district of Burwood
The electoral district of Burwood is an electorate for the Victorian Legislative Assembly in Australia. It is located approximately 13 kilometres east of Melbourne, and covers an area of 24 km². It includes the suburbs of Ashburton, Ashwood, Box Hill South, and parts of Burwood, Camberwell,...
by-election was won by the Labor Party.
Rumoured returns to politics
After the Liberals' second election defeat in 2002, rumours began that Kennett was planning a comeback to politics. The issue came to a head in May 2006 after the sudden resignation of the Liberal Party leader, Robert DoyleRobert Doyle
Robert Keith Bennett Doyle is an Australian politician and the 103rd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, elected on 30 November 2008...
, when Kennett announced he would contemplate standing in a by-election for the seat vacated by Doyle and offering himself as party leader. His stance was supported by Prime Minister John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, who rated him as the party's best hope to win the November 2006 state election. But within 24 hours Kennett announced he would not return to Parliament rather than running against Ted Baillieu
Ted Baillieu
Edward Norman "Ted" Baillieu MLA is an Australian politician. He is currently the Premier of Victoria and the member for the Legislative Assembly seat of Hawthorn...
, whom Kennett had been grooming for the top post since 1999. John Howard was reported to have been "embarrassed" by having publicly supported Kennett before his decision not to re-enter politics.
In 2008, it was rumoured that Kennett was intending to stand for Lord Mayor of Melbourne. Despite endorsing future Lord Mayor John So
John So
John Chun Sai So JP is a Chinese-Australian businessman who served as the 102nd Lord Mayor of Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, Australia. He was the first Lord Mayor in the city's history to be directly elected by the people; previously, Lord Mayors were elected by the Councillors.First elected...
in the 2001 mayoral elections, Kennett was quoted as saying "I think the city is ready for a change". Kennett claimed he had been approached by "a range of interests" to run for the position, but in the end did not do so. Former Liberal leader Robert Doyle ultimately won the election.
Life after politics
In 2000 Kennett became the inaugural chairman of beyondblueBeyondblue
beyondblue is an Australian non-profit organisation which aims to increase awareness and improve the treatment of depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders and related mental disorders...
(the National Depression Initiative), a body that was largely formed by the efforts of the Victorian State Government. On 24 June 2008, he announced that he would be stepping down from his role at beyondblue at the end of 2010. This did not happen.
For a brief period during 2002, Kennett was a radio presenter for Melbourne station 3AK
3AK
3AK is the call sign of SEN 1116 and earlier the on-air name of a former Melbourne talk-back radio and music station, which, in 2003, leased its licence to sports network SEN 1116...
, continuing an interest in mass communication which was also a feature of his premiership. He also serves on the boards of Australian Seniors Finance, a reverse mortgage company, and SelecTV, a satellite television
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
group.
On 14 December 2005 Kennett was made President of Hawthorn Football Club
Hawthorn Football Club
The Hawthorn Football Club, nicknamed the Hawks, is a professional Australian rules football club in the Australian Football League . The club, founded in 1902, is the youngest of the Victorian-based teams in the AFL. The team play in Brown & Gold vertically striped guernseys...
, taking over from Ian Dicker.
In the Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Honours of 2005, Kennett received Australia's highest civilian honour, when he was made a Companion of the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(AC). He was also awarded an honorary doctorate – Hon DBus (Honoris Causa) – by the University of Ballarat
University of Ballarat
The University of Ballarat is a dual-sector university in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia. It was formed by the passage of an Act of the Victorian Parliament in 1994, from the Ballarat College of Advanced Education...
.
Mr Kennett said in an interview he rarely thinks anymore about the media or "bloody history", though he does still regret the "disastrous" introduction of the Metcard
Metcard
"OneLink" redirects here. For the computer/cable company, see OneLink Communications.Metcard is the brand name of an integrated ticketing system used to access public transport in Melbourne, Australia. It is a universal ticket which allows users to ride on the city's Metlink network, consisting of...
ticketing system for trains and trams.
Kennett angered gay rights groups in July 2008 when he supported the Bonnie Doon Football Club in their sacking of trainer Ken Campagnolo for being bisexual; and compared homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
to pedophilia
Pedophilia
As a medical diagnosis, pedophilia is defined as a psychiatric disorder in adults or late adolescents typically characterized by a primary or exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children...
. Anti-discrimination campaigner Gary Burns
Gary Burns (Australia)
Gary Burns is a controversial Australian anti-discrimination campaigner and serial litigant, focusing on homosexual vilification lawsuits.He typically undertakes actions independent of established GLBTI advocacy networks, and while admired by some for his unabashed commitment, he has drawn...
pursued an action in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal against Kennett for making the following statement:
"The club felt that once this had been pointed out and you had this gentleman there who was obviously close to young men – massaging young men – it ran an unnecessary risk, and that's why it decided it was best that he not perform those duties again. So the club was trying to do the right thing,"
The case was dropped due to Gary Burns' lack of funds to pursue the case.
In 2011 Kennett was again accused of homophobia when he stated children have better mental health if raised in heterosexual marriages.
Publications
- Kennett, Jeff. Policies and principles for Victoria, Melbourne: Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust, Monash University, 1993.
- Kennett, Jeff. Victoria's Commonsense Revolution, Melbourne: Alfred Deakin Lecture Trust, 1995.
- Kennett, Jeff. Australia – defining a model for the new millennium, London: University of London, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, Sir Robert Menzies Centre for Australian Studies, 1998.
Further reading
- Aldford, John & O'Neill, Deirdre (eds), Contract State: public management and the Kennett government, Geelong: Centre for Applied Research, 1994. 192 pages. ISBN 0-73002-111-4
- Costar, Brian & Economou, Nick (eds), The Kennett revolution : Victorian politics in the 1990s, Sydney: UNSW Press, 1999. 274 pages. ISBN 0-868-40545-0
- Donovan, Barry (2000). Steve Bracks and Jeff Kennett: My part in their rise and fall, Melbourne: Information Australia. 224 pages. ISBN 1-863-50304-8
- Parkinson, Tony (2000). Jeff: The Rise and Fall of a Political Phenomenon, Penguin: Melbourne. 471 pages. ISBN 0-67088-778-1
- Strangio, Paul & Costar, Brian (eds) (2006). The Victorian Premiers: 1856–2006, Annandale: Federation Press. ISBN 1-862-87601-0