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Simon Kennedy
MP
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Cook
Incumbent
Assumed office
13 April 2024
Preceded byScott Morrison
Personal details
Born
Simon Peter Kennedy

(1982-06-04) 4 June 1982 (age 43)[1]
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political partyLiberal
SpouseNila Dharan
Children2
EducationUniversity of New South Wales LLB & B Com
OccupationManagement consultant
Websitesimonkennedymp.com.au

Simon Peter Kennedy (born 4 June 1982)[1] is an Australian politician. He has been a member of the House of Representatives, winning the 2024 Cook by-election, representing the Liberal Party. He again won the seat at the 2025 Australian federal election. Before entering parliament he was a lawyer and management consultant.[2]

Early life and education

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Kennedy was born in West Ryde, Sydney.[3] Since his mother worked full time as a teacher, he was substantially raised by his grandfather, a World War II veteran.[4] His grandmother had also seen wartime service, as an Army Nurse.[4]

He attended Epping Boys High School, where his mother and stepfather both taught.[3] Simon was elected school captain, became the President of the students' representative council and he served on the Ryde City Youth council.[3][4]

In 2006, he graduated in law and commerce from the University of New South Wales.[2][3]

Consulting career

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Kennedy's career has centred on the public sector.[5][6] Having graduated from university, he was hired by the law firm Clayton Utz, from where he provided advice on energy reforms to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.[4][7]

However, he soon moved to McKinsey & Company.[6] He would spend 14 years at the management consultancy as an analyst; first in Sydney but later in New York and Washington, D.C.[4] Reported projects included government level assignments, in North America, Asia and the Caribbean nation of Haiti.[8] He returned to Sydney in 2016 to establish the firm's Australian Public Sector Practice, and was made a partner.[4]

While in this role, he provided strategic advice to government for its Covid response, and served on the Committee for Sydney, developing plans for innovation precincts in the Greater Sydney area.[7][9][10] After leaving McKinsey in 2022, he formed the tech investment firm Banksia with former Uber executive Damian Kassabgi.[11][4]

Politics

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In interview, Kennedy has said figures in his family placed in him a sense of service.[clarification needed][8] He made his first run for parliament in 2022, falling short; but succeeded in winning a federal seat in 2024.[12]

2022 Australian federal election

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Kennedy made a bid to succeed the retiring member for the Division of Bennelong, John Alexander.[6] Although historically considered to be a safe Liberal seat, Labor's Jerome Laxale won the two candidate preferred count 50.98% to Kennedy's 49.02%.[13]

Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, Kennedy indicated some libertarian preferences.[14] At an event called A Stand in the Park he expressed concerns about the vaccine mandates which restricted travel and business.[15] In a later radio interview, he clarified his view, saying:

"I'm pro-vaccine. I'm pro-science. Of course me and my family are fully vaccinated. My wife's an infectious disease doctor, worked throughout the pandemic on the frontline with the doctors and nurses, to get us to 95% vaccination... But I'm not about shouting people down if they have a different opinion to mine.[16]

Entering Parliament

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In early 2024 the Division of Cook became open, with a by-election slated for Saturday 13 April.[17] Kennedy and his family moved into the community before the vote, making their home in Woolooware, then began campaigning in shops and beaches.[4][8]

Six contenders were considered by 300 local members of the Liberal Party.[18][8] Other candidates for preselection included mayor of Sutherland Shire Carmelo Pesce, Benjamin Britton, and Gwen Cherne, the Veteran Family Advocate Commissioner.[4]

In the meeting of party members on 4 March, Kennedy won the Liberal preselection to contest the seat.[19] He had won support from several party elders in the process, including former NSW Premiers Nick Greiner and Dominic Perrottet, current state Liberal leader Mark Speakman, along with sitting federal parliamentarians Angus Taylor and Senator Dave Sharma.[7] Conversely, Labor announced they would not contest the seat, leaving the Greens candidate Martin Moore as Kennedy's strongest opponent.[20][21] Kennedy's campaign message was reported to be aspirational, supporting Australians who want to improve their lives.[14]

On 13 April 2024, Kennedy won the 2024 Cook by-election with an increased share of votes for the Liberal Party, both in primary votes and in the two-candidate preferred result, in which Kennedy received 71% of the vote.[22][23] He was sworn into Parliament in Canberra on 14 May 2024.[24]

Parliamentary service

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Kennedy made egalitarian concerns for a continuing middle class a focus in his first speech to Parliament:[25]

"Right now, our country is governed for the squeaky wheel, the vested interests, the large corporates with their lobbyists and their megaphones, it's not for the silent majority and definitely not for the small businesses... The promise of the next generation being better off than their parents is disappearing rapidly and it is hard to tell what this could do to Australia's social fabric if allowed to continue."[26]

He also argued for deregulation of small businesses and for a mechanism where states and councils would compete for funding, with money going to those who can deliver services like housing, healthcare, and infrastructure quickly and effectively.[27] Kennedy has advocated for better management of immigration, ensuring that housing stock remains available for first time buyers.[25]

Personal life

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Kennedy is married to Nila Dharan, an American-born infectious disease doctor whom he met during his work overseas.[3] He has two children.[4] He is a runner, and, in 2024, won the title of fittest politician, surpassing Andrew Leigh, who had previously held the title.[28]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Candidate checklist (additional documentation provided)" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Former McKinsey partner Simon Kennedy set for parliament". Consultancy.com.au. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Simon Kennedy | Liberal". Ryde District Mums. 27 April 2022. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Simon Kennedy hits ground running, aiming to 'win voters one by one'". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  5. ^ "ex-McKinsey partner Simon Kennedy wins Liberal endorsement in Bennelong". Australian Financial Review. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Davies, Anne (24 March 2024). "Liberals select right-aligned candidate Simon Kennedy to run in Bennelong". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Simalis, Linda (24 February 2024). "Abbott reveals he would have 'loved' to have run for Senate". The Daily Telegraph (Sydney).
  8. ^ a b c d Tullis, Ashleigh (13 March 2024). "Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy opens up about campaign ahead of Cook by-election". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 April 2024. spent almost a year in Haiti advising the government following the devastating earthquake.
  9. ^ "Annual Report 2017" (PDF). The Committee for Sydney. 2017.
  10. ^ "Year in Review 2020" (PDF). Committee for Sydney. October 2020.
  11. ^ Bashan, Yoni (29 September 2023). "Qantas grounds execs' speaking engagements; Hasn't Bennelong time but Simon's going for growth". The Australian.
  12. ^ Taylor, Rachel Clun, Andrew (13 April 2024). "Liberals hold Scott Morrison's old seat of Cook". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 15 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "UPDATED: Liberal Bennelong candidate Simon Kennedy concedes to Labor's Jerome Laxale". The Weekly Times. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
  14. ^ a b "The NSW Liberal Party is experimenting with political outsiders". Australian Financial Review. 4 April 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  15. ^ Bogle, Ariel; Briggs, Casey; Workman, Michael (26 April 2022). "Liberal candidate for Bennelong Simon Kennedy voiced vaccine mandate concerns at anti-vax meeting". ABC News. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  16. ^ Fordham, Ben (27 April 2022). "Key candidates trade blows over China and COVID vaccines". 2GB. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  17. ^ "Byelection for Scott Morrison's former seat to take place in April". www.9news.com.au. 11 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Liberal candidate Simon Kennedy wins Cook by-election". SBS News. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  19. ^ Karp, Paul; Remeikis, Amy (4 March 2024). "Liberals pick management consultant Simon Kennedy for Cook byelection". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Cook By-election 2024 Results". ABC News. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  21. ^ "Labor will not contest Cook by-election following departure of former prime minister Scott Morrison". Sky News. Retrieved 2/4/2024. 22 March 2024.
  22. ^ Bashan, Yoni (23 April 2024). "Rich-lister Naomi Milgrom rethinks support for teals; Libs cashed up in Cook". The Australian.
  23. ^ scheme=AGLSTERMS. AglsAgent; corporateName=Australian Electoral Commission; address=10 Mort Street, Canberra. "House of Representatives division information". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ^ Giannini, Dominic (14 May 2024). "Morrison's replacement takes up mantle in parliament". St George & Sutherland Shire Leader. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  25. ^ a b Brown, Andrew (28 May 2024). "New Liberal MP vows to fight for 'ignored' middle class". www.canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  26. ^ Brown, Andrew (28 May 2024). "New Cook MP Simon Kennedy vows to fight for 'ignored' middle class". www.theleader.com.au. Retrieved 13 April 2025.
  27. ^ "Reform GST to abolish stamp duty: Liberal MP". Australian Financial Review. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  28. ^ "Cook MP Simon Kennedy crowned Canberra's fittest MP crowned". The Adelaide Advertiser. 13 December 2024.
[edit]
Parliament of Australia
Preceded by Member for Cook
2024–present 		Incumbent
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