Kimberley Kitching

Senator
Kimberley Kitching
Senator for Victoria
Assumed office
25 October 2016
Preceded by Stephen Conroy
Personal details
Born 1970 (age 45–46)
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s) Andrew Landeryou

Kimberley Jane Elizabeth Kitching[1] (born 1970)[2] is an Australian lawyer, trade unionist and politician. She has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Australian Senate since October 2016, representing the state of Victoria.

Political history

In the 2013 Australian federal election, Kitching made an unsuccessful bid at Labor pre-selection for the Victorian Divisions of Lalor and Gellibrand. Her bid was unsuccessful due to opposition from the party, including from Stephen Conroy.[3][4] Kitching is married to Australian political blogger Andrew Landeryou.[4]

Kitching has been involved in Victorian Labor politics for some time, working as the Vice President of the Australian Labor Party's Victorian Branch.[5] She was a senior adviser in several ministries under Victorian Premier Steve Bracks and for the Treasurer in the Brumby Ministry government's Treasury.[6][5][7] Kitching was a Melbourne City Councillor in the early 2000s.[8][9]

On 13 October 2016, Kitching won pre-selection to fill the Victorian Senate seat vacated by Stephen Conroy's resignation on 30 September.[10][4][11] Kitching's pre-selection was supported from close friend, Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten and the Labor Right.[12][13] Shorten's support for Kitching has generated tension in the party with former frontbencher Anthony Albanese refusing to support her pre-selection[14] and legal affairs spokesperson Mark Dreyfus threatened to resign from his position in the shadow cabinet, however he did not go through with this threat.[15]

Kitching was formally sworn in as a Senator on 7 November 2016.[16]

Career and controversy

Kitching was admitted as a solicitor by the Supreme Court of Queensland. In the private sector, she has worked for LookSmart before it was listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange and Drake International where she worked as the head of Government and Corporate Relations.[5]

In 2015 a Vice President of the Fair Work Commission found that Kitching had illegally completed testing on behalf of other union officials to gain right of entry permits.[17][18]

Kitching worked as the General Manager of the Health Services Union's Victorian No. 1 Branch from December 2012[19][5] and left a few years later.[20] In 2014, she was called to give evidence to the Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption relating to her time with the Health Services Union.[1][12]

References

  1. 1 2 "Trade Union Royal Commission - transcript 26 August 2014" (DOC). Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. Commonwealth of Australia. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  2. ↑ Wood, Leonie; Millar, Royce (20 April 2005). "Ex-city councillor loses her mansion". The Age. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  3. ↑ "Kitching to take Conroy's Vic senate spot". Australian Associated Press. 13 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Millar, Royce; Schneiders, Ben (2016-10-13). "Shorten backs controversial lawyer Kimberley Kitching for Senate". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Kitching, Kimberley (23 August 2014). "Witness Statement" (PDF). Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  6. ↑ Wallace, Rick (2016-10-13). "Conroy Senate vacancy: Kimberley Kitching and Diana Taylor lead field of eight". The Australian. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Lucas, Clay (7 January 2013). "Health union's new regime sacks old staff: Secretary seeks control on spending". The Age. Fairfax Media.
  8. ↑ Donovan, Patrick; Boulton, Martin (8 July 2004). "Mayor thunderstruck with AC/DC". The Age. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Plot thickens! Dirty tricks! Amazing scenes! Media blackout!". Crikey. 1 July 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  10. ↑ Henderson, Anna; Anderson, Stephanie (2016-09-16). "Stephen Conroy announces retirement; Labor colleagues caught by surprise". ABC News. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  11. ↑ Dziedzic, Stephen (13 October 2016). "Stephen Conroy: Labor factional brawl ends as Kimberley Kitching replaces outgoing senator". ABC News. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  12. 1 2 Hunter, Fergus; Millar, Royce; Schneiders, Ben (14 October 2016). "Coalition accuses Labor of 'union stitch-up' over Senate preselection of 'dodgy' Kimberley Kitching". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  13. ↑ Woodley, Naomi (18 October 2016). "Government to target Labor's Kimberley Kitching in debate over industrial relations bill". ABC News. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Massola, James (18 October 2016). "Anthony Albanese fails to endorse Bill Shorten's key ally Kimberley Kitching for Senate". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  15. ↑ Massola, James (2016-11-24). "Mark Dreyfus threatened to resign if Bill Shorten allowed Kimberley Kitching Senate post". The Age. Retrieved 2016-12-01.
  16. ↑ "Controversial Labor senator sworn in". SBS. 7 November 2016.
  17. ↑ Kappelle, Liza (14 October 2016). "Kitching seems a union stitch up: Turnbull". news.com.au. Australian Associated Press. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  18. ↑ Watson, Graeme (26 June 2015). "2015 Fair Work Commission decision regarding Health Services Union-Victoria No. 1 Branch (FWC 3359)". Fair Work Commission. Melbourne. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  19. ↑ Schneiders, Ben; Millar, Royce (2016-02-23). "Shorten's mates drive HSU branch to the brink of insolvency". The Age. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  20. ↑ Schneiders, Ben (14 October 2016). "Shorten has erred in backing new Senator Kimberley Kitching". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.