Cheryl Kernot
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Cheryl Kernot BA DipEd |
|
|---|---|
| 5th Leader of the Australian Democrats | |
|
In office 23 April 1993 – 15 October 1997 |
|
| Deputy | Meg Lees |
| Preceded by | John Coulter |
| Succeeded by | Meg Lees |
| Senator for Queensland | |
|
In office 1 July 1990 – 15 October 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Michael Macklin |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Bartlett |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Dickson |
|
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In office 3 October 1998 – 10 November 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Tony Smith |
| Succeeded by | Peter Dutton |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
5 December 1948 Maitland, New South Wales |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party |
Democrats (1990–97) Labor (1997–2001) Independent (2010) |
| Alma mater | University of Newcastle |
| Occupation | Political activist |
Cheryl Kernot (née Paton; born 5 December 1948) is an Australian politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate representing Queensland for the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 1997, and the fifth leader of the Australian Democrats from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, she resigned from the Australian Democrats, joined the Australian Labor Party, and won the seat of Dickson at the 1998 federal election. She was defeated at the 2001 federal election. Kernot later stood as an independent candidate to represent New South Wales in the Australian Senate in the 2010 federal election.
Cheryl Kernot was born Cheryl Paton in Maitland, New South Wales on 5 December 1948. She spent twelve years as a political activist while working as a school teacher in New South Wales and Queensland. She also worked as an electorate officer and freelance radio producer. In 1984, Kernot was elected Queensland Secretary of the Australian Democrats, and later in the year, Queensland State President, a position she held until 1999. Kernot served as Deputy National President of the party between 1988 until her election to the Senate in 1990.
She was first elected as a Senator for Queensland at the 1990 election, taking over from the retiring Democrats Senator Michael Macklin.
Kernot surprised party members by immediately contesting the parliamentary leadership, even before taking her place in the Senate on 1 July 1990. In 1991, she then controversially acted to discredit and depose the elected leader, Janet Powell, resulting in Powell's replacement by John Coulter. Kernot finally achieved her ambition to become the Democrats' Senate leader after the 1993 election.Meg Lees was elected as her deputy. Inside the party, she spearheaded a drive for central control of the state-based organisations, which resulted in protest resignations of members and the temporary closure of the Western Australian Division. Externally, however, she became a popular media spokesperson, leading the party to one of its best-ever results in the 1996 election and obtaining a primary vote of over 13% for herself.
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