Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull Succeeded by Michael McCormack Electorate Division of Higgins | Preceded by Josh Frydenberg Preceded by Bruce Billson Preceded by Peter Costello Spouse Jon Mant (m. 2006) | |
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Party Liberal Party of Australia Office Member of the Australian Parliament since 2009 Books Delegation to China, 28 July to 6 August 2014, Review of the Reserve Bank of Australia Annual Report 1998-99 Similar Scott Morrison, Michaelia Cash, Josh Frydenberg, Marise Payne, Mathias Cormann Profiles | ||
Kelly Megan O'Dwyer (born 31 March 1977) is an Australian politician and member for the Division of Higgins in the Australian House of Representatives. On 5 December 2009, at the 2009 Higgins by-election, O'Dwyer was elected to succeed former Treasurer Peter Costello. She served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer in the Abbott Government from December 2014. In September 2015, she was promoted to cabinet as Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer in the Turnbull Government.
Contents
- Early career
- Entry to federal politics
- Preselection sexism claims
- Minister
- 2016 federal election
- Personal life
- References
Following the 2016 federal election, O'Dwyer was appointed federal Minister for Revenue and Financial Services.
Early career
O'Dwyer was educated at Presbyterian Ladies' College and the University of Melbourne, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws. After working as a solicitor for Freehills in Melbourne, O'Dwyer spent four years as an senior advisor to Peter Costello, then the member for the federal division of Higgins and the Federal Treasurer, later becoming an executive at the National Australia Bank.
Entry to federal politics
Costello decided in 2009 not to seek another term of office at the next federal election. On 17 September 2009, O'Dwyer was pre-selected to stand as the Liberal Party candidate for Higgins at the next election. Peter Costello then announced his resignation from Parliament in October 2009. He stated that he chose to retire ahead of the next federal election as a contribution to renewal of the Liberal Party and that O'Dwyer would contribute to this process. A by-election was held on 5 December 2009. O'Dwyer was considered a "shoo-in", especially since the Labor Party did not contest the seat.
Preselection sexism claims
In winning preselection, O'Dwyer became the first woman to win Liberal Party preselection for a safe seat in metropolitan Melbourne. During the preselection process federal Liberal politicians Sophie Mirabella, Fran Bailey and Helen Coonan claimed that there had been a sexist campaign against O'Dwyer's candidacy, with some preselectors being told that a "leadership seat" such as Higgins was unsuited to a woman and that being elected to a federal seat might endanger her marriage.
Minister
O'Dwyer had been serving as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, until the leadership spill of the Liberal Party occurred in September 2015. Malcolm Turnbull successful won the spill and was sworn in as Prime Minister on 15 September 2015. Turnbull introduced a radical overhaul of the cabinet, which saw O'Dwyer appointed to Cabinet as Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer. With the re-election of the Turnbull Government in 2016, the Second Turnbull Ministry saw O'Dwyer become the Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, a name change.
2016 federal election
At the 2016 federal election, O'Dwyer was re-elected with a convincing two-candidate preferred vote of almost 58% and a strong 52.5% of the primary vote.
A Greens-funded Lonergan seat-level opinion poll conducted from a large sample of 1,100 voters in Higgins took place a month out from the 2016 election on 3−4 June. It suggested the Liberal primary vote may have decreased substantially. However, the poll proved to be wildly inaccurate, with O'Dwyer winning comfortably.
Personal life
She is married to Jon Mant and has two sisters, and one brother. Her daughter, Olivia, was born in 2015.
O'Dwyer is currently pregnant with her second child, making her the first Cabinet Minister expected to give birth whilst in office.