Perin Davey

Last updated

Perin Davey
Deputy Leader of the National Party
In office
30 May 2022 –12 May 2025
Political party National (since 1998)
Residence(s) Conargo, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation
  • Businesswoman
  • Politician

Perin McGregor Davey (born 5 February 1972) is an Australian politician. She was a Senator for New South Wales from 2019 to 2025, representing the National Party. She served as the party's deputy leader from 2022 to 2025.

Contents

Early career

Davey was born in Sydney on 5 February 1972. [1] Her father Paul Davey was an ABC journalist who worked in the Canberra Press Gallery and later served as federal director of the National Party. [2] He was born in England and she held British citizenship by descent until renouncing it in 2018 to stand for parliament. [3]

Davey grew up in Canberra, [4] attending Curtin Primary School and Alfred Deakin High School. [2] After leaving school she spent three years as a cadet journalist for the Mudgee Guardian . [1] During the 1990s she worked as an extra via a casting agency, making television appearances on Home & Away , E Street , and Water Rats , and appearing in the films Heavenly Creatures and Two Hands . [5] She was also a safari cook in Botswana for three years. [2] Davey later worked as a consultant for public relations firm Gavin Anderson & Co. (2000–2005), as a farm administrator for the Australian Agricultural Company (2005–2010), and as water policy adviser and corporate affairs manager for Murray Irrigation Limited (2010–2017). She also had two periods of service as a reservist with the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (1990–1993, 1998–2005). [1]

Davey served on the board of the New South Wales Irrigators' Council from 2014 to 2016 and in 2017 was nominated to the board of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by federal agriculture and water minister Barnaby Joyce. Her nomination was opposed by South Australian water minister Ian Hunter on the grounds that she was not independent. [6] She eventually asked Joyce to withdraw her nomination, after it was reported that a New South Wales government official had been recorded offering her government data to "help irrigators exploit the Murray-Darling Basin Plan". [7]

Politics

Davey joined the Nationals in 1998 and in 2000 worked as a media adviser to Senator Ron Boswell. Before entering parliament she held various offices in the New South Wales branch, including vice-chairman of the women's council, central council member, and chairman of the Deniliquin branch. [1]

Davey was elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election, in third place on the Coalition's ticket in New South Wales. Her term began on 1 July 2019. She was subsequently elected as the Nationals' Senate whip. [1]

In a leadership spill following the 2022 federal election, Davey was elected deputy leader of the Nationals in place of David Littleproud, who had been elected to succeed Barnaby Joyce as leader. [8]

In a Senate Estimates hearing in February 2024 Davey attracted criticism for speaking in a slurred tone after having attended a National Party drinks event. [9] However it was later reported that this incident occurred due to a health issue with Davey. [10]

Davey was succeeded as deputy leader by New South Wales MP Kevin Hogan, after losing her Senate position at the 2025 federal election. [11] [12]

Personal life

Davey lives with her husband John Dickie and two daughters on a property in Conargo, New South Wales, just outside Deniliquin. [4] [3] [13] As of 2019 she also owned an investment property in Canberra. [2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Senator Perin Davey". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia . Retrieved 7 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lawson, Kirsten (24 July 2019). "Yes, we wear Akubras but that's where the similarity stops: Perin Davey on life as a National senator" . Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Qualification checklist" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission . Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2020– via Parliament of Australia.
  4. 1 2 "Senator Perin Davey". The Nationals. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Workman, Alice (28 February 2021). "Lights, camera, Senate" . The Australian. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
  6. ↑ MacLennan, Leah (26 July 2017). "Murray-Darling Basin Plan would be undermined by Perin Davey appointment, SA Minister says". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Coorey, Phillip (2 August 2017). "Barnaby Joyce's board nominee quits after being offered secret water data" . The Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Gredley, Rebecca (17 June 2019). "Fresh NSW faces set to join the Senate" . The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  9. ↑ Clennell, Andrew (17 February 2024). "Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey admits to drinking alcohol prior to appearing before parliamentary committee but declares: 'I don't think I was drunk'". Sky News . Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Basford Canales, Sarah (20 February 2024). "Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey reveals health issue behind apparent slurring in Senate estimates". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 20 February 2024. She said her apparent slurring was the result of two emergency operations and an 11-day stint in hospital after an abscess erupted behind her tonsils in 2019. The incident had left her with ongoing speech challenges, she said.
  11. ↑ Duke, Jennifer (12 May 2025). "David Littleproud retains leadership of the Nationals". Capital Brief. Retrieved 12 May 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ↑ Jervis-Bardy, Dan; Butler, Josh (4 May 2025). "Labor poised to grow Senate numbers allowing it to pass legislation with only Greens support". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 7 May 2025. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  13. ↑ "Perin Davey". Q+A . Archived from the original on 20 February 2024 – via ABC News.
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