Perin Davey

Australian politician

Senator

Perin Davey

Official portrait, 2023

Deputy Leader of the National Party

Incumbent

Assumed office
30 May 2022
Leader| David Littleproud
Preceded by| David Littleproud
Shadow Minister for Water

Incumbent

Assumed office
5 June 2022
Leader| Peter Dutton
Preceded by| Terri Butler
Shadow Minister for Emergency Management

Incumbent

Assumed office
5 June 2022
Leader| Peter Dutton
Preceded by| Murray Watt
Senator for New South Wales

Incumbent

Assumed office
1 July 2019
Preceded by| John Williams
Personal details
Born|  (1972-02-05) 5 February 1972 (age 51)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Citizenship|

* Australian
* British (1972–2018)

Political party| National (since 1998)
Residence(s)| Conargo, New South Wales, Australia
Occupation|

* Businesswoman
* Politician

Perin McGregor Davey (born 5 February 1972)[1] is an Australian politician who was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 2019 Australian federal election. She is a member of the National Party and is its current Deputy Leader.[2] On 30 May 2022, Davey was elected by her party to be its Deputy Leader after the 2022 Australian federal election.

## Early career[edit]

Davey was born in Sydney on 5 February 1972.[3] 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.[4] He was born in England and she held British citizenship by descent until renouncing it in 2018 to stand for parliament.[5]

Davey grew up in Canberra,[6] attending Curtin Primary School and Alfred Deakin High School.[4] After leaving school she spent three years as a cadet journalist for the Mudgee Guardian for three years.[3] 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.[7] She was also a safari cook in Botswana for three years.[4] 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).[3]

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.[8] 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".[9]

## Politics[edit]

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.[3]

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.[3]

In a routine leadership spill following the 2022 federal election, Davey was elected Deputy Leader of the federal National Party.

## Personal life[edit]

Davey lives with her husband John Dickie and two daughters on a property in Conargo, New South Wales, just outside of Deniliquin.[6][10][11] As of 2019[update] she also owned an investment property in Canberra.[4]

## References[edit]

1. ^ "Qualification Checklist: Perin Davey" (PDF). Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
2. ^ Gredley, Rebecca (17 June 2019). "Fresh NSW faces set to join the Senate". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
3. ^ a b c d e "Senator Perin Davey". Senators and Members of the Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 7 November 2021.
4. ^ a b c d 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. Retrieved 21 May 2021.
5. ^ "Qualification checklist: Perin Davey" (PDF). Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
6. ^ a b "Senator Perin Davey". The Nationals. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
7. ^ Workman, Alice (28 February 2021). "Lights, camera, Senate". The Australian. Retrieved 17 March 2021.
8. ^ "Murray-Darling Basin Plan would be undermined by Perin Davey appointment, SA Minister says". ABC News. 26 July 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
9. ^ "Barnaby Joyce's board nominee quits after being offered secret water data". The Australian Financial Review. 2 August 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
10. ^ "Perin Davey – Qualification Checklist" (PDF). aph.gov.au. Parliament of Australia.
11. ^ "Perin Davey – Q+A". abc.net.au. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

* v
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Current members of the Australian Senate

Coalition (31)|

| Liberal* (25)|

* NSW
* Andrew Bragg
* Hollie Hughes
* Maria Kovacic
* Marise Payne
* Vic
* Sarah Henderson
* Jane Hume
* James Paterson
* Qld
* James McGrath
* Gerard Rennick
* Paul Scarr
* WA
* Slade Brockman
* Michaelia Cash
* Matt O'Sullivan
* Linda Reynolds
* Dean Smith
* SA
* Alex Antic
* Simon Birmingham
* David Fawcett
* Kerrynne Liddle
* Andrew McLachlan
* Anne Ruston
* Tas
* Wendy Askew
* Claire Chandler
* Richard Colbeck
* Jonathon Duniam

|

National* (6)|

* NSW
* Ross Cadell
* Perin Davey
* Vic
* Bridget McKenzie
* Qld
* Matt Canavan
* Susan McDonald
* NT
* Jacinta Nampijinpa Price

|

Labor (26)|

* NSW
* Tim Ayres
* Jenny McAllister
* Deborah O'Neill
* Tony Sheldon
* Vic
* Raff Ciccone
* Jana Stewart
* Jess Walsh
* Linda White
* Qld
* Anthony Chisholm
* Nita Green
* Murray Watt
* WA
* Pat Dodson
* Sue Lines
* Fatima Payman
* Louise Pratt
* Glenn Sterle
* SA
* Don Farrell
* Karen Grogan
* Marielle Smith
* Penny Wong
* Tas
* Catryna Bilyk
* Carol Brown
* Helen Polley
* Anne Urquhart
* ACT
* Katy Gallagher
* NT
* Malarndirri McCarthy

Greens (11)|

* NSW
* Mehreen Faruqi
* David Shoebridge
* Vic
* Janet Rice
* Qld
* Penny Allman-Payne
* Larissa Waters
* WA
* Dorinda Cox
* Jordon Steele-John
* SA
* Sarah Hanson-Young
* Barbara Pocock
* Tas
* Nick McKim
* Peter Whish-Wilson

One Nation (2)|

* Qld
* Pauline Hanson
* Malcolm Roberts

Lambie (2)|

* Tas
* Jacqui Lambie
* Tammy Tyrrell

United Australia (1)|

* Vic
* Ralph Babet

Independent (3)|

* Vic
* Lidia Thorpe
* David Van
* ACT
* David Pocock

*The Liberal and National totals include members of the Liberal National Party of Queensland and the Country Liberal Party (NT) who caucus with either the federal Liberals or Nationals.
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