Cheryl Kernot | |
|---|---|
| 5th Leader of the Australian Democrats | |
| In office 23 April 1993 – 15 October 1997 | |
| Deputy | Meg Lees |
| Preceded by | John Coulter |
| Succeeded by | Meg Lees |
| Senator for Queensland | |
| In office 1 July 1990 – 15 October 1997 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Macklin |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Bartlett |
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Dickson | |
| In office 3 October 1998 – 10 November 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Smith |
| Succeeded by | Peter Dutton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Cheryl Zena Paton 5 December 1948 Maitland, New South Wales, Australia |
| Political party | Independent (after 2001) |
| Other political affiliations | Democrat (until 1997) Labor (1997–2001) |
| Spouses | Philip Young
(m. 1972; div. 1975)Gavin Kernot
(m. 1981; div. 2002) |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Maitland Girls' High School |
| Alma mater | University of Sydney University of Newcastle College of Advanced Education |
| Occupation | School teacher (Anglican Church Grammar School) (Department of Education) |
| Profession | Academic Politician |
Cheryl Zena Kernot (née Paton, formerly Young; born 5 December 1948) is an Australian politician, academic, and political activist. She was a member of the Australian Senate representing Queensland for the Australian Democrats from 1990 to 1997, and the fifth leader of the Australian Democrats from 1993 to 1997. In 1997, she resigned from the Australian Democrats, joined the Australian Labor Party, and won the seat of Dickson at the 1998 federal election. She was defeated at the 2001 federal election. Kernot was an unsuccessful independent candidate to represent New South Wales in the Australian Senate in the 2010 federal election.[1]