Preceded by Danna Vale Nationality Australian Succeeded by Bruce Billson Name De-Anne Kelly | Preceded by Ray Braithwaite Succeeded by James Bidgood | |
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Born 21 March 1954 (age 70)
Rockhampton, Queensland ( 1954-03-21 ) Political party National Party of Australia Role Former Member of the Australian House of Representatives Party National Party of Australia Previous office Member of the Australian Parliament (1996–2007) | ||
Education University of Queensland | ||
De-Anne Margaret Kelly (born 21 March 1954) is an Australian former politician. She was a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 until November 2007, representing the Division of Dawson, Queensland. She was also the first female member of the National Party to win a seat in the House of Representatives. She was born in Rockhampton, Queensland, and was educated at the University of Queensland. She was a business proprietor, cattle producer and sugar-cane farmer before entering politics.
Kelly was Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade between October 2003 and October 2004, at which time she was appointed Minister for Veterans' Affairs. She gained the additional position of Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence in November 2004, but was demoted to Parliamentary Secretary (Trade) in January 2006. Kelly served in this position until September 2006, when she was reappointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Transport and Regional Services.
At the 2007 general election, Kelly was unseated by Labor candidate James Bidgood. Kelly went into the election holding Dawson with a seemingly safe majority of over 10 percent. However, as part of the Labor wave that swept through Queensland in that election, Bidgood defeated her on a swing of more than 13 per cent. Kelly was not thought to be in any danger given her large majority, and her defeat came as a surprise to most commentators.
Kelly is married to Roger Kelly.