Ged Kearney

Biography

Gerardine Mary “Ged” Kearney is an Australian politician and trade unionist who has been serving as a member of the House of Representatives since March 2018, representing the Division of Cooper for the Labor Party. Prior to her political career, Kearney worked as a registered nurse and nurse educator, as well as serving as an official of the Australian Nursing Federation. She was appointed as Federal Secretary of the Federation in 2008 and was later elected as the President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) from 2010 to 2018.

Kearney considered running for Labor preselection for the Division of Batman at the 2013 federal election, but ultimately did not run. She sought preselection for the state seat of Brunswick in 2017, but was not successful. In 2018, Kearney was selected by the ALP to contest the by-election for the Division of Batman following the resignation of David Feeney. She won the by-election and used her maiden speech to advocate for a “humane refugee policy” in Australia.

After being elected to the new Division of Cooper in 2019, Kearney was appointed to the Shadow Ministry as Shadow Assistant Minister for Skills and Shadow Assistant Minister for Aged Care by newly-elected Leader of the Opposition Anthony Albanese. She was later appointed Shadow Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing following a reshuffle in 2021. Kearney was re-elected in the 2022 federal election and was subsequently appointed Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. In December 2022, she was appointed to chair the newly formed National Women’s Health Advisory Council.