Perin Davey
{{Short description|Australian politician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific_prefix = Senator
| name = Perin Davey
| image =
| caption =
| office = Deputy Leader of the National Party
| term_start = 30 May 2022
| term_end =
| leader = David Littleproud
| predecessor = David Littleproud
| successor =
| office1 = Deputy Leader of the National Party in the Senate
| term_start1 = 27 September 2022
| term_end1 =
| leader1 = David Littleproud
| predecessor1 = Matt Canavan
| successor1 =
| office3 = Senator for New South Wales
| term_start3 = 1 July 2019
| predecessor3 = John Williams
| successor3 =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1972|2|5}}
| birth_place = Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Australian
| citizenship = {{hlist|Australian|British (1972–2018)}}
| party = National {{small|(since 1998)}}
| otherparty =
| spouse =
| children =
| residence = Conargo, New South Wales, Australia
| occupation = {{hlist|Businesswoman|Politician}}
| website =
}}
Perin McGregor Davey (born 5 February 1972) is an Australian politician. She has been a Senator for New South Wales since 2019, representing the National Party. She was elected as her party's deputy leader in 2022 and is a member of Peter Dutton's shadow cabinet.
Early career
Davey was born in Sydney on 5 February 1972.{{cite Au Parliament |mpid=281697 |name=Senator Perin Davey |access-date=2021-11-07}} 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6289480/yes-we-wear-akubras-but-thats-where-the-similarity-stops/ |url-access=subscription |title=Yes, we wear Akubras but that's where the similarity stops: Perin Davey on life as a National senator|first=Kirsten|last=Lawson|newspaper=Canberra Times|date=24 July 2019|access-date=21 May 2021 |url-status=live |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117054503/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6289480/yes-we-wear-akubras-but-thats-where-the-similarity-stops/}} He was born in England and she held British citizenship by descent until renouncing it in 2018 to stand for parliament.{{Cite web|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/-/media/Committees/Senate/committee/interests_ctte/register_senators_qualifications_46th_parl/DaveyP_Quals_190722.PDF?la=en&hash=A654363C4BEF9B550A93515A52FC95F9160AC2F4|title=Qualification checklist|work=Australian Electoral Commission|via=Parliament of Australia|access-date=25 March 2020 |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220105727/https://www.aph.gov.au/-/media/Committees/Senate/committee/interests_ctte/register_senators_qualifications_46th_parl/DaveyP_Quals_190722.PDF?la=en&hash=A654363C4BEF9B550A93515A52FC95F9160AC2F4%7Ctitle=Qualification%20checklist |url-status=live}}
Davey grew up in Canberra,{{cite web|url=https://www.nswnationals.org.au/perin-davey/ |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220110807/https://www.nswnationals.org.au/perin-davey/ |url-status=live|title=Senator Perin Davey|publisher=The Nationals|access-date=25 March 2020}} attending Curtin Primary School and Alfred Deakin High School. After leaving school she spent three years as a cadet journalist for the Mudgee Guardian. 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.{{cite news|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/strewth/lights-camera-senate/news-story/03bf1ab34371a22af4278bd338e40f56 |url-access=subscription |title=Lights, camera, Senate|first=Alice|last=Workman|newspaper=The Australian|date=28 February 2021|access-date=17 March 2021}} She was also a safari cook in Botswana for three years. 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).
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.{{cite news|archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220111529/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-26/murray-darling-basin-plan-ian-hunter-angry-perin-davey-role/8743016|url-status=live|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-26/murray-darling-basin-plan-ian-hunter-angry-perin-davey-role/8743016|title=Murray-Darling Basin Plan would be undermined by Perin Davey appointment, SA Minister says |first=Leah |last=MacLennan |date=26 July 2017|publisher=ABC News|access-date=25 March 2020}} 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".{{cite news|url=https://www.afr.com/politics/barnaby-joyces-board-nominee-quits-after-being-offered-secret-water-data-20170802-gxnhr8|title=Barnaby Joyce's board nominee quits after being offered secret water data|newspaper=The Australian Financial Review|date=2 August 2017|access-date=25 March 2020 |first=Phillip |last=Coorey |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117054501/https://www.afr.com/politics/barnaby-joyces-board-nominee-quits-after-being-offered-secret-water-data-20170802-gxnhr8}}
Politics
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.
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.
In a leadership spill following the 2022 federal election, Davey was elected deputy leader of the Nationals in place of David Littleproud, who had been elected to succeed Barnaby Joyce as leader.{{cite news |last1=Gredley |first1=Rebecca |title=Fresh NSW faces set to join the Senate |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6221893/fresh-nsw-faces-set-to-join-the-senate/ |access-date=17 June 2019 |work=The Canberra Times |date=17 June 2019 |language=en |url-access=subscription |archive-date=17 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117054502/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6221893/fresh-nsw-faces-set-to-join-the-senate/ |url-status=live}}
In a Senate Estimates hearing in February 2024 Davey attracted criticism for speaking in a slurred tone after having attended a National Party drinks event.{{cite news |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/nationals-deputy-leader-perin-davey-admits-to-drinking-alcohol-prior-to-appearing-before-parliamentary-committee-but-declares-i-dont-think-i-was-drunk/news-story/52e12112232379bbce61e5ffb5bb2591 |first=Andrew |last=Clennell |access-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220102950/https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/nationals-deputy-leader-perin-davey-admits-to-drinking-alcohol-prior-to-appearing-before-parliamentary-committee-but-declares-i-dont-think-i-was-drunk/news-story/52e12112232379bbce61e5ffb5bb2591 |archive-date=20 February 2024 |url-status=live |date=17 February 2024 |work=Sky News |title=Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey admits to drinking alcohol prior to appearing before parliamentary committee but declares: 'I don't think I was drunk'}} However it was later reported that this incident occurred due to a health issue with Davey.{{cite news |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/20/nationals-deputy-leader-perin-davey-senate-estimates-slurring-health-issue-explained |title=Nationals deputy leader Perin Davey reveals health issue behind apparent slurring in Senate estimates |date=20 February 2024 |first=Sarah |last=Basford Canales |quote=She said her apparent slurring was the result of two emergency operations and an 11-day stint in hospital after an abscess erupted behind her tonsils in 2019. The incident had left her with ongoing speech challenges, she said. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220104020/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/feb/20/nationals-deputy-leader-perin-davey-senate-estimates-slurring-health-issue-explained |archive-date=20 February 2024 |access-date=20 February 2024 |url-status=live}}
Personal life
Davey lives with her husband John Dickie and two daughters on a property in Conargo, New South Wales, just outside Deniliquin.{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/qanda/perin-davey-2022/101513860 |title=Perin Davey |archive-date=20 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240220110430/https://www.abc.net.au/qanda/perin-davey-2022/101513860 |url-status=live|work=Q+A |date= |via=ABC News }} {{As of|2019}} she also owned an investment property in Canberra.
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{Australian Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davey, Perin}}
Category:21st-century Australian politicians
Category:21st-century Australian women politicians
Category:Women members of the Australian Senate
Category:National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia
Category:Members of the Australian Senate for New South Wales