Mike Kelly (Australian politician)

Mike Kelly
Kelly at the Wagga RAAF Museum in 2008
Member of the Australian Parliament
for Eden-Monaro
In office
2 July 2016 – 30 April 2020
Preceded byPeter Hendy
Succeeded byKristy McBain
In office
24 November 2007 – 7 September 2013
Preceded byGary Nairn
Succeeded byPeter Hendy
Minister for Defence Materiel
In office
4 February 2013 – 7 September 2013
Prime MinisterJulia Gillard
Kevin Rudd
Preceded byJason Clare
Succeeded byOffice abolished
Personal details
Born (1960-02-23) 23 February 1960 (age 64)
Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Political partyLabor Party
SpouseRachelle Sakker-Kelly
Children1
Alma materMacquarie University
University of New South Wales
OccupationLawyer
Soldier
Politician
Websitehttps://mikekelly.org.au/
Military service
AllegianceAustralia
Branch/serviceAustralian Army
Years of service1987–2007
RankColonel
Battles/warsBosnian War
Operation Restore Hope
International Force for East Timor
Iraq War
AwardsMember of the Order of Australia

Colonel Michael Joseph Kelly, AM (born 23 February 1960) is an Australian former politician who twice represented the Division of Eden-Monaro in the Parliament of Australia, from 2007 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2020. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP).

Kelly was born in Adelaide and studied law at Macquarie University before joining the Australian Army in 1987. He went on to serve in Somalia, East Timor, Bosnia and Iraq.[1] He was among senior Australian military personnel in the Iraq War. Kelly finished his military career in 2007 with the rank of colonel as Director of Army Legal Services.

Kelly was first elected to the House of Representatives for the Division of Eden-Monaro at the 2007 federal election and was immediately appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Support. In 2009, he was also appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Water. Following the 2010 federal election, Kelly was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. In December 2011, he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Defence in a reshuffle of the Government. In a third reshuffle in early 2013, Kelly was promoted to the outer ministry as Minister for Defence Materiel, a position he held from March to September that year.

Following the 2013 federal election, Kelly lost his seat to Liberal candidate Peter Hendy but regained the seat in the 2016 federal election. He is the first person to serve in opposition as the member for the Division of Eden-Monaro since 1972.[2] He was the shadow Assistant Minister for Defence Industry and Support.[1]

On 30 April 2020, Kelly announced his resignation from Parliament due to personal and family health issues.[3] Ten days later, he confirmed he had taken up a job offer with Palantir Technologies.[4]

  1. ^ a b "Eden-Monaro Votes: Meet Your Candidates". Bega District News. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  2. ^ Hayne, Jordan (2 July 2016). "Labor claims victory in bellwether seat of Eden-Monaro". ABC News. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Eden-Monaro MP Mike Kelly resigns, prompting by-election". ABC News. 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  4. ^ Greene, Andrew (10 May 2020). "Data company that 'helped locate Osama Bin Laden' recruits former Labor MP Mike Kelly". ABC News. Retrieved 10 May 2020.