Kerry Chikarovski

Kerry Anne Chikarovski (née Bartels; 4 April 1956) is former Australian politician who served as leader of the Liberal Party in New South Wales and Leader of the Opposition between 1999 and 2002, the first woman to hold the post.

The Honourable Kerry Chikarovski
Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales Elections: 1999
In office 8 December 1998 – 28 March 2002
Premier	Bob Carr
Preceded by	Peter Collins
Succeeded by	John Brogden
Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Lane Cove
In office 25 May 1991 – 20 March 2003
Preceded by	John Dowd
Succeeded by	Anthony Roberts
Personal details
Born	Kerry Anne Bartels 4 April 1956 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Political party	Liberal Party

Early life and career

Chikarovski was born in Sydney to Jill and former Willoughby Mayor Greg Bartels AM.[1] In 1964, her father took up a post working at the United Nations headquarters in New York, and she, along with her mother and three sisters, also moved, living there for the next five years. It was while living in New York that Chikarovski had a brief encounter with Robert F. Kennedy, which would influence her decision to go into politics years later.[2]

Upon returning to Sydney, she finished her schooling at Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College, in North Sydney. Chikarovski completed a combined economics and law degree at the University of Sydney and while at University joined the Economics Society, followed by the Law Society, where she was eventually elected as its first female president. She was also elected to the Board of the University of Sydney Union.

While at University, Chikarovski met her future husband, Kris Chikarovski, and they married in 1979. Following a brief career in private practice,[3] she went on to lecture part-time at the College of Law before entering parliament.[4]

Political career

Following the resignation of incumbent John Dowd, Chikarovski won pre-selection for the safe Liberal seat of Lane Cove in 1991, her primary competition for which was then MLC John Hannaford. In 1992, she was appointed Minister for Consumer Affairs and Assistant Minister for Education (3 July 1992 – 26 May 1993). During her time as Minister, Kerry facilitated national agreement to the Introduction of a Uniform Credit Code.

In 1993, she became Minister for Industrial Relations and Employment and established the department responsible for the Minister for The Status of Women (29 May 1993 – 4 April 1995). With her dual responsibilities of Industrial Relations and Women, Kerry oversaw the development and introduction of flexible working conditions for the public sector and the implementation of mentoring programs to encourage women to seek careers at the highest level of the NSW public service.

She replaced Bruce Baird as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party in December 1994 and held that post until the Liberal Party was defeated in 1995.[4]

Leader of the Opposition

On 8 December 1998 she replaced Peter Collins as leader,[4] and also held the position of Shadow Minister for the Arts, Ethnic Affairs and Women. In 1999 she lost the state election to Labor Premier Bob Carr in a landslide. In 2002, John Brogden, a member of her shadow cabinet, announced a challenge to her leadership. Despite the endorsement of Prime Minister John Howard – himself a Sydney-sider –[5] Chikarovski lost the leadership to Brogden by one vote.

At the March 2003 election she retired from parliament.[4]

Post political career

Following her resignation from Parliament in 2003, in 2004 she launched her co-authored autobiography, Chika.[6]

She is a passionate advocate for women in sport and is previous Trustee of the Sydney Cricket and Sports Ground Trust.[7]

Directorships

Kerry Chikarovski also serves as a director on a number of sporting, government and not for profit boards:

• Adopt Change
• Our Watch[8]
• New South Wales Rugby Union[9]
• Humpty Dumpty Foundation[10]

She is the Chair of Road Safety Education.[11] Chikarovski is an Ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation[12] and advisor to the Taronga Group.[13]

References

1. "Greg Bartels, mayor, NSW Liberal Party secretary and father of Kerry Chikarovski dies at the age of 88". The Daily Telegraph. 12 May 2015.
2. Priestley, Angela (2014). Women Who Seize the Moment. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780992453268.
3. "How Kerry Chikarovski improvised her political career". Women's Agenda. 12 June 2014.
4. "Mrs Kerry Anne Chikarovski (1956- )". Former Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
5. "Chikarovski vows fight to the death". The Sydney Morning Herald. 26 March 2002. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
6. "Chik lit is no bodice-ripper". The Sydney Morning Herald. 11 September 2004.
7. Dumas, Daisy (23 July 2013). "Labour pains, too, for gossip mags". The Sydney Morning Herald.
8. "'White feminists' blame colonisation for indigenous domestic violence". The Australian.
9. "Kerry Chikarovski's new board appointment". Women's Agenda. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 7 November 2013.
10. Morris, Linda (18 May 2013). "At home with Kerry Chikarovski". The Sydney Morning Herald.
11. "Appointment of new Chair to the Board of Road Safety Education Limited". RSE. 18 April 2014.
12. "Ambassadors - About". Australian Indigenous Education Foundation. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
13. "Ex-Mirvac exec Jonathan Hannam and Aura founder Avi Naidu launch property tech fund". Australian Financial Review. 30 March 2016.