Peta Credlin

Last updated

Peta Credlin

AO
BornMarch 1971 (age 52) [1]
Wycheproof, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Alma mater University of Melbourne
Australian National University
Occupation(s) Political adviser, political journalist, lawyer
Political party Liberal
Spouse
​
(m. 2002)​

Peta-Louise Mary Credlin AO (born March 1971) is an Australian former political advisor who served as Chief of Staff to Tony Abbott during his term as prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015.

Contents

She was previously chief of staff to Abbott as Leader of the Opposition. Since 2016, she has been the host of Credlin and co-host of Jones & Co on Sky News Live. Credlin is a controversial figure in Australian media. [2] [3] [4]

Early life and education

Peta Credlin was born to Len and Brenda Credlin in the small Victorian country town of Wycheproof. Her family moved closer to Geelong, and she attended Sacred Heart College, where she was a member of the debating team and elected deputy school captain in her second year.[ citation needed ]

She graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Melbourne with a concentration in constitutional law, politics and history in 1998. At university, Credlin resided at Newman College, won a number of prizes and awards, and was a member and national finalist of the 1995 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition Team. After graduation, she was admitted as a barrister and solicitor in Victoria, and applied for a job as a political staffer with Liberal senator Kay Patterson in 1999. [5] [ better source needed ]

She obtained a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice with distinction from the Australian National University (ANU) in 2010, where she won the ACT Law Society Prize for the top student of 2009.[ citation needed ]

Career

After working for several years on Patterson's staff, Credlin moved to become an adviser to Senator Richard Alston, the Minister for Communications in the Howard government. [5] She then left politics, and worked for three years as public relations manager for Racing Victoria. Tired of the commute between Melbourne and Canberra, where her husband Brian Loughnane was based, Credlin returned to her career as a political staffer, working for senators Robert Hill and Helen Coonan. [5]

When the Howard government was defeated at the 2007 federal election, Credlin moved to Sydney to work at the Jockey Club until she was asked by Brendan Nelson, who had been elected federal Liberal leader and Leader of the Opposition, to join his staff as a senior adviser. When Malcolm Turnbull challenged Nelson for the party leadership, Nelson counselled her to join Turnbull's team, and she was appointed deputy chief of staff in his office. When Turnbull himself was challenged and defeated by Tony Abbott in December 2009, Credlin joined Abbott's staff as chief of staff. [5] She rose to prominence when the Coalition won the 2013 federal election and she became Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister. [6] [7] [8] [9] She continued in that role until the Liberal Party leadership ballot of 14 September 2015, in which Abbott was defeated and replaced as leader by Malcolm Turnbull.

Credlin became a Sky News Australia contributor in May 2016, [10] [11] with her first appearance on 7 May 2016 during a special weekend edition of PM Agenda . [12] She began co-hosting a weekly primetime program Credlin & Keneally from 16 November 2016 until 17 May 2017. [13] Credlin hosts her own show Credlin each weeknight on Sky News Australia. As a political commentator and self-described journalist, Credlin has been described as a partisan. Crikey 's Paula Matthews wrote in February 2017 that Credlin's support for Tony Abbott and criticism of then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull "takes media partisanship to its extreme" and represents "the channelling of a politician directly through a media mouthpiece". [14]

Credlin has been an ardent critic of the Victorian government response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and particularly of then-Victorian premier Daniel Andrews. Credlin has been lauded by fellow Sky News hosts for her aggressive questioning of Andrews during his daily press conferences during the pandemic. [15]

In 2020, Credlin was criticised for claiming that South Sudanese Australians were not following government measures intended to stop the spread of COVID-19 due to problems with language proficiency, Credlin also claimed that South Sudanese migrants were "poorly-assimilated" had ignored restrictions in an "end-of-Ramadan feast". [16] Credlin's statement was criticised in the media, with SBS News noting that the vast majority of South Sudanese people are actually Christians. [17]

In November 2020, Credlin compared COVID-19 lockdowns to the inquiry into the conduct of Australian SAS forces in Afghanistan. [18]

During 2020, former Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd started a petition for a Royal Commission into Murdoch owned media. [19] Credlin claimed that the petition was a "data harvesting exercise" of email addresses by Rudd intended for political uses. [19] Later, as part of a confidential settlement regarding defamation, Credlin in February 2021 made an apology to Rudd on Sky News for her comments. [19]

In May 2021 she was accused of inciting violence by suggesting Labor leaders Daniel Andrews and Anthony Albanese be "whacked" with "baseball bats". [20] In November 2021, she joined anti-vaccine mandate protests in Melbourne, where members of the crowd carried prop gallows and chanted anti-Andrews slogans. [21]

Credlin became a columnist for The Australian newspaper in July 2021. Her arrival at that paper prompted Niki Savva to leave the paper and join The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald . [22]

Honours

In June 2021, Credlin was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours for "distinguished service to parliament and politics, to policy development, and to the executive function of government". [23]

Personal life

Credlin is married to Brian Loughnane, a former federal director of the Liberal Party of Australia, since December 2002. They had worked together in the Victorian office of the Liberal Party during the campaign for the 2001 federal election. [24]

In 2013, Credlin pleaded guilty to a drink-driving offence, recording a blood alcohol level of 0.075, but did not have a conviction recorded against her. [25] [26]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Turnbull</span> Prime Minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018

Malcolm Bligh Turnbull is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Abbott</span> Prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015

Anthony John Abbott is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bronwyn Bishop</span> Australian politician

Bronwyn Kathleen Bishop is an Australian former politician. She was a member of federal parliament for almost 30 years, the longest period of service by a woman. A member of the Liberal Party, she was a minister in the Howard government from 1996 to 2001 and Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2013 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Bishop</span> Australian politician (born 1956)

Julie Isabel Bishop is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2018 and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2007 to 2018. She was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Curtin from 1998 to 2019. She has been the chancellor of the Australian National University since January 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sussan Ley</span> Australian politician

Sussan Penelope Ley is an Australian politician who has been deputy leader of the Liberal Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition since May 2022. She has been member of parliament (MP) for the New South Wales seat of Farrer since 2001 and was a cabinet minister in the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiona Nash</span> Australian politician

Fiona Joy Nash is a former Australian politician. She served as a Senator for New South Wales from 2005 to 2017, representing the National Party. She was the party's deputy leader from 2016 to 2017 and was a cabinet minister in the Turnbull government.

Chris Kenny is an Australian conservative political commentator, author and former political adviser. He is a columnist for The Australian newspaper as well as the host of a weeknight current affairs program, The Kenny Report on Sky News Australia.

In Australian politics, a leadership spill is a colloquialism referring to a declaration that the leadership of a parliamentary party is vacant and open for contest. A spill may involve all or some of the leadership positions. Where a rival to the existing leader calls for a spill it may also be called a leadership challenge. When successful, it is often said that the former leader has been "rolled". In Australian English the colloquial use of the word "spill" seems to have begun in the mid-1940s with the contest to replace Prime Minister John Curtin after his death on 5 July 1945.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karen Andrews</span> Australian politician

Karen Lesley Andrews is an Australian politician who served in the Morrison government as Minister for Industry, Science and Technology from 2018 to 2021 and as Minister for Home Affairs from 2021 to 2022. She is a member of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and has represented the Queensland seat of McPherson since the 2010 federal election. Andrews sits as a Liberal and previously served as an assistant minister in the Abbott and Turnbull governments. Before entering politics she was a mechanical engineer and industrial relations consultant.

Brian Gerard Loughnane is an Australian business and political strategic adviser. He was the federal director of the Liberal Party of Australia from February 2003 until January 2016 and campaign director for the centre-right Liberal-National Coalition in the 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013 federal elections in Australia. Loughnane is Deputy Chairman of the International Democrat Union since April 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbott government</span> 2013–2015 federal executive government of Australia

The Abbott government was the federal executive government of Australia led by the 28th Prime Minister Tony Abbott. The government was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition. The Leader of The Nationals, Warren Truss, served as Deputy Prime Minister. Following the 2013 Australian federal election held on 7 September, the Coalition defeated the second Rudd government, ending six years of Labor government. The Abbott government was sworn into office on 18 September 2013. Less than two years later on 14 September 2015, Malcolm Turnbull defeated Abbott in a leadership ballot, 54 votes to 44 and the Turnbull government became the executive government of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbott ministry</span> 68th ministry of Australian government

The Abbott ministry was the 68th ministry of the Government of Australia. It succeeded the Second Rudd Ministry after a federal election that took place on 7 September 2013. It was led by Prime Minister, Tony Abbott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 2015 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill motion</span>

A motion seeking a leadership spill of the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, Prime Minister and Deputy Leader was proposed in a meeting of the parliamentary Liberal Party on 9 February 2015. Luke Simpkins and Don Randall moved the spill motion at the meeting. Incumbent Prime Minister Tony Abbott and deputy leader of the Liberal Party Julie Bishop jointly stood in opposition to the motion which was defeated by 61 votes to 39.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">September 2015 Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill</span>

A motion seeking a leadership spill of the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Prime Minister was proposed by Malcolm Turnbull, who requested the ballot on 14 September 2015. The incumbent Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, announced that a meeting of Liberal members of the House and Senate would take place at 9:15 pm AEST on 14 September 2015 for the purpose of a spill motion. During the meeting a vote was held for the leadership and deputy leadership. Turnbull defeated Abbott, 54 votes to 44, becoming the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Prime Minister-nominee. Julie Bishop retained her position of deputy leader defeating Kevin Andrews 70 votes to 30.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turnbull government</span> Australian government 2015–18

The Turnbull government was the federal executive government of Australia led by the 29th prime minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, from 2015 to 2018. It succeeded the Abbott government, which brought the Coalition to power at the 2013 Australian federal election. The government consisted of members of Australia's Liberal-Nationals Coalition. Turnbull took office by challenging his leader, Tony Abbott, in an internal leadership ballot. Warren Truss, the leader of the Nationals, served as Deputy Prime Minister until he retired in 2016 and was replaced by Barnaby Joyce. Joyce resigned in February 2018 and the Nationals' new leader Michael McCormack became Deputy Prime Minister. The Turnbull government concluded with Turnbull's resignation ahead of internal leadership ballot which saw him succeeded as Prime Minister by Scott Morrison and the Morrison government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Tingle</span> Australian journalist and author (born 1961)

Laura Margaret Tingle is an Australian journalist and author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niki Savva</span> Australian journalist

Niki Savva is an Australian journalist, author, and former senior adviser to prime minister John Howard and treasurer Peter Costello.

<i>Credlin Keneally</i> Australian TV series or program

Credlin Keneally was an Australian television news and commentary program broadcast weekly on Sky News Australia. The program was co-hosted by Peta Credlin and Kristina Keneally and features long-form discussion of political issues between the presenters.

<i>Credlin</i> Australian TV series or program

Credlin is an Australian television news and commentary program broadcast weeknights on Sky News Australia. The program is hosted by Sky News commentator Peta Credlin, who was previously former Prime Minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime Minister's Office (Australia)</span>

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO), also known as the Office of the Prime Minister, is the private office of the Prime Minister of Australia that provides political advice and executive support to the Prime Minister. The PMO is led by the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff and or Principal Private Secretary and is composed of ministerial advisers assisting with party politics, media relations, and political strategy. Scholars including Professor Anne Tiernan of Griffith University and Professor James Walter of Monash University have observed the centralisation and expansion of power within the PMO over the past three decades.

References

  1. ↑ "'Peta for Premier' push as Credlin hits 50". The Australian. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 28 September 2023.
  2. ↑ Staff and agencies (11 March 2016). "John Howard confirms he advised Tony Abbott to sack Peta Credlin". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021. The former Liberal prime minister John Howard has confirmed he advised Tony Abbott to remove Peta Credlin, his controversial chief of staff, before Abbott was dumped as leader by his party.
  3. ↑ Bourke, Latika (12 December 2014). "Peta Credlin critics are sexist, Tony Abbott claims during TV slap down". The Sydney Morning Herald . Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2021. Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told colleagues attacking his controversial chief of staff to 'take a long hard look at themselves' and accused them of attacking Peta Credlin because she is female.
  4. ↑ Matthewson, Paula (16 September 2015). "Peta Credlin on the outer after two-for-one deal". The New Daily . Retrieved 9 January 2021. Most powerful woman in Australia one day, pulped magazine cover the next – such is the fate of Peta Credlin, the controversial former chief of staff to ousted Prime Minister Tony Abbott.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Legge, Kate (5 November 2011). "Who's the boss?". The Australian . Retrieved 10 December 2013. ((dead))
  6. ↑ "'Control freak' Peta Credlin accused of pulling Coalition strings". The Sydney Morning Herald . 4 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  7. ↑ "Credlin critics told to 'back off' by Mathias Cormann". The Sydney Morning Herald . 7 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  8. ↑ "Give Peta Credlin some credit, and give her a break" by Peter van Onselen, The Australian , 6 December 2013
  9. ↑ "Tony Abbott dismisses 'obsessive' slur on chief of staff Peta Credlin". The Land . Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2014.
  10. ↑ Meade, Amanda (31 March 2016). "Peta Credlin joins Sky News as 2016 election campaign commentator". The Guardian Australia . Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Knox, David (31 March 2016). "Peta Credlin joins SKY News". TV Tonight . Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  12. ↑ Knox, David (6 May 2016). "Peta Credlin in first SKY News appearance". TV Tonight . Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  13. ↑ Knox, David (3 October 2016). "Airdate: Credlin & Keneally". TV Tonight . Retrieved 4 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Matthewson, Paula (28 February 2017). "Abbott prefect Credlin takes media partisanship to its extreme". Crikey . Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  15. ↑ Meade, Amanda (23 October 2020). "'Lethal' weapon: Sky News hosts gush as Peta Credlin promises exposé on Deadly Decisions". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  16. ↑ Blackston, Hannah (29 June 2020). "Sky News and Peta Credlin apologise for false reporting on COVID-19 outbreak". Mumbrella . Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  17. ↑ Razik, Naveen (29 June 2020). "Peta Credlin apologises for inaccurately blaming South Sudanese for coronavirus outbreak". SBS News . Archived from the original on 14 November 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  18. ↑ "One Rule For SAS, Another For Dan Andrews" by Peta Credlin, The Courier-Mail , 28 November 2020
  19. 1 2 3 Meade, Amanda (1 February 2021). "Peta Credlin forced to apologise to Kevin Rudd over false data harvesting claims". The Guardian . Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  20. ↑ "Credlin comes out swinging as Victoria plunged into lockdown again" by Amanda Meade, The Guardian , 28 May 2021
  21. ↑ "Far-Right and Fascist Organizations Are Leading Australia’s Anti-Vax Movement" by Marty Hirst, Jacobine , 17 November 2021
  22. ↑ Zoe Samios (13 July 2021). "Niki Savva joins The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald". The Age . Retrieved 27 July 2021.
  23. ↑ "Peta Credlin appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in Queen's birthday honours". The Guardian Australia . 14 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  24. ↑ Knott, Matthew (23 December 2011). "Brian Loughnane and Peta Credlin". Crikey: The Power Index: Power Couples. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  25. ↑ "Peta Credlin, Tony Abbott's chief of staff, avoids punishment on drink-driving charge". ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 25 September 2013. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  26. ↑ Cadzow, Jane (5 April 2004). "Ms Fix-it". The Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 19 December 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.