Kerry Hickey | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Local Government | |
| In office 3 August 2005 –2 April 2007 | |
| Leader | Morris Iemma |
| Preceded by | Tony Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Paul Lynch |
| Minister for Mineral Resources | |
| In office 2 April 2003 –3 August 2005 | |
| Leader | Bob Carr |
| Preceded by | Eddie Obeid |
| Succeeded by | Ian Macdonald |
| Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for Cessnock | |
| In office 27 March 1999 – 26 March 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Stan Neilly |
| Succeeded by | Clayton Barr |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kerry Arthur Hickey 6 April 1960 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Party | Labor Party |
| Spouse(s) | Nadine (divorced) Stephanie (2010-present) |
| Children | 5 |
| Occupation | Metal fabricator,milk vendor |
Kerry Arthur Hickey (born 6 April 1960),a former Australian politician,was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Cessnock between 1999 and 2011 for the Labor Party. [1]
Prior to entering politics,Hickey was a metal fabricator prior to 1982 and subsequently he was a milk vendor. In 1981 he was elected as a Councillor of the City of Cessnock. [1]
He was Minister for Mineral Resources from April 2003 to August 2005,and was Minister for Local Government between 2005 and 2007. [1]
On 7 November 2006,he admitted to having been fined four times in recent years for speeding: [2]
The Premier,Morris Iemma resisted calls to sack him as result. He was quoted as saying:
In an interview with the Newcastle Herald ,published on 10 July 2010,Hickey claimed that he was not the father of a child born in February 2009 to an unnamed parliamentary staff member. [3] A month later,on further questioning by the media,Hickey admitted that he had lied about his relationship with the parliamentary staff member and admitted that the 18-month-old child was his. In a dramatic day of lying about his relationship,Hickey initially decided to resign,but after speaking with the Premier Kristina Keneally,he issued a statement stating that he would be seeking re-election. [4] Hickey's initial claims were made in order to protect the mother's career and his family. [5]
Under mounting political and personal pressure,on 6 September 2010 Hickey announced his decision to not seek re-election at the 2011 state election,citing personal reasons. [6]