Kristina Keneally

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Kristina Keneally is the first American-born member of the New South Wales Parliament. In 2003 she was an Australian Labor Party (ALP) candidate elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly seat of Heffron, succeeding Deirdre Grusovin. After being re-elected in 2007, she became the Minister for Ageing and Disability Services.

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[edit] Background

Born Kristina Kerscher to an American father and an Australian mother, she was educated at the Notre Dame Academy (Toledo, Ohio), and at the Marianist Catholic University of Dayton (Ohio) where she received her baccalaureate in 1991 and her masters degree in 1994. She also studied at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and briefly at the Australian Catholic University in Strathfield, New South Wales.

Kristina Kerscher married the Australian Ben Keneally and emigrated to Australia in 1994. She became a naturalised Australian in 2000, the same year she joined the ALP.

[edit] Political career

Kristina Keneally was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly in 2003, following a bitter preselection battle with Deirdre Grusovin, the sister of senior Labor politician Laurie Brereton.[1] In her inaugural speech she talked about her commitment to social justice, equal opportunity for women and her Catholic faith.[2]

She has faced several issues in her local electorate of Heffron since her election, including:

  • Supported the removal of hexachlorobenzene (HCB) waste from the Orica chemical plant at Banksmeadow
  • Supported plans to build ramps from Southern Cross Drive to Garderners Road at Eastlakes
  • Criticised plans to build a shopping mall at Sydney Airport
  • Supported the NSW government's proposal to expand Port Botany. [3]

[edit] Personal life

She and her husband have two sons, Daniel and Brendan. A daughter, Caroline, died at birth. Her husband is the nephew of famous Australian novelist Thomas Keneally.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Young mum will fight dynasty all the way The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 September 2002
  2. ^ Inaugural Speech, Legislative Assembly Hansard, 20 May 2003
  3. ^ Mall Would 'create Havoc' Southern Courier, 7 November 2006