10 August | Election of NSW Deputy Liberal Party Leader
Yesterday, NSW Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean was elected deputy leader of the state's parliamentary Liberal Party. Kean’s election follows the resignation of former deputy leader Stuart Ayres last week.
Kean was elected unopposed in a party room meeting this morning. Premier Dominic Perrottet praised Kean, saying “Where Matt's real qualities are, in my view, and why he was elected today, is his passion and zeal for reform to set up a brighter future for the people of our great state”.
Kean said he was humbled to be endorsed by his colleagues in the party, stating “I believe in its cause and I believe in its values, its values of individual freedom, enterprise and opportunity for every single person, regardless of their background ... those values in action are what makes this state great”.
Ayres stood aside from his deputy leader and ministerial roles over the ongoing fallout of former deputy Premier John Barilaro's appointment to a US-based trade role.
Ayres denies any wrongdoing, announcing he that he would resign from his ministries “to maintain the integrity of the Cabinet” amid the ongoing inquiry.
About Matt Kean
Kean was raised on Sydney’s upper North Shore. Kean attended Saint Ignatius’ College, Riverview before attaining a Bachelor of Business from the University of Technology, Sydney. While at UTS, Kean was elected to the Student Representative Council. Kean first joined the liberal Party in 2001, and was elected vice-president of the NSW Young Liberals in 2008.
Prior to entering parliament, Kean worked as an adviser for the Leader of the Opposition, John Brogden, as an adviser to The Shadow Minister for Juvenile Justice and Women and as an accountant at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Kean was first elected as Member for Hornsby – a safe Liberal seat – at the 2011 NSW State Election. Kean was elevated to the NSW Cabinet 2017 as Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation. Following the 2019 NSW election Kean was appointed Minister for Energy and Environment. It was in this role Kean became a household name, delivering the biggest renewable energy policy in Australia’s history and becoming an outspoken critic of “climate denialism”. Kean became Treasurer in the Perrottet Government in October 2021 following the resignation of then-Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Reallocation of Ministerial Portfolios
On Wednesday 3 August Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced three NSW Government Ministers. This follows the reallocation of the portfolios of Small Business and Fair Trading to Victor Dominello earlier last week following Eleni Petinos’ demotion from Cabinet.
Alister Henskens will assume the additional portfolios of Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, and Minister for Sport. He is currently the Minister for Skills and Training and Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Ben Franklin, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Regional Youth, will assume the additional portfolio of Minister for Tourism.
The Minister for Transport and Minister for Veterans Affairs, David Elliott, will assume the additional portfolio of Minister for Western Sydney.
