47 Facts About Jeff Kennett

Jeffrey Gibb Kennett was born on 2 March 1948 and is a former Australian politician who was the 43rd Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, and currently a media commentator.

Jeff Kennett was previously the president of the Hawthorn Football Club, serving from 2005 to 2011 and again from 2017 to 2022.

Jeff Kennett is the founding Chairman of beyondblue, a national organisation "working to reduce the impact of depression and anxiety in the community".

Jeff Kennett attended Scotch College; and, although an unexceptional student academically, he did well in the school's Cadet Corps Unit.

Jeff Kennett was singled out as 'officer material' early in his career, and graduated third in his class from the Officer Training Unit, Scheyville Scheyville, near Windsor, New South Wales, outside Sydney.

Jeff Kennett was posted to Malaysia and Singapore as Second Lieutenant, commander of 1st Platoon, A Company, 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.

Jeff Kennett returned to civilian life in 1970, reentering a divided Australian society, split by the Vietnam War, of which Jeff Kennett was a firm supporter.

Thereafter, in December 1972, Jeff Kennett married Felicity Kellar, an old friend whom he had first met on a Number 69 tram on the long trips to school.

Jeff Kennett was elected as a Liberal Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Burwood in 1976, having had an interest in local politics since the early 1970s.

However, by 1981, Jeff Kennett was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Housing, Immigration and Ethnic Affairs.

Jeff Kennett was one of several younger MPs whom Hamer promoted to Cabinet in a bid to renew his government.

Jeff Kennett took an aggressive posture against the Cain government, and was often criticised for his "bull-in-a-china-shop" style and his anti-government rhetoric.

Jeff Kennett survived easily, but increasingly, he was seen as an erratic and unapproachable leader.

Jeff Kennett faced two more challenges to his leadership in 1986 and 1987.

In 1987, in one notable incident Jeff Kennett referred to the Federal Liberal leader John Howard as a 'cunt' in a mobile telephone conversation with Howard rival Andrew Peacock.

Jeff Kennett's performance during his first stint as Liberal leader is a matter of debate.

Jeff Kennett publicly pledged never to attempt a return to the Liberal leadership.

Brown realised he didn't have enough support to keep his post and resigned, allowing Jeff Kennett to retake the leadership unopposed.

Nevertheless, Jeff Kennett supported his coalition partner, retaining the Nationals in his cabinet.

Jeff Kennett cut back many regional rail services including The Vinelander and services to Leongatha, Bairnsdale, Dimboola.

Jeff Kennett was undeterred by this protest, and famously commented that though there were 100,000 outside his office at Parliament that day, there were 4.5 million who stayed at home or at work.

The Kennett government embarked on a series of high-profile capital works projects, such as the restoration of Parliament House, construction of a new $250 million Melbourne Museum and IMAX theatre, and a new $130 million Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The relocation of the Formula 1 Grand Prix from Adelaide in 1993 was a particular coup for Jeff Kennett, who had worked hard with his friend Ron Walker, the Chairman of the Melbourne Major Events Company, helped deliver Melbourne the hosting rights for the event from Adelaide in 1993.

The most controversial project of the Jeff Kennett era was the $1.85 billion Crown Casino and Entertainment Complex, a gambling and entertainment centre on Melbourne's Southbank.

Jeff Kennett's profile continued to grow as he became a major commentator on national issues, including urging the new government of John Howard to introduce tax reform, and actively opposing the rise of the One Nation Party of Pauline Hanson.

Jeff Kennett was influential in Melbourne bidding for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Jeff Kennett's perceived antipathy to Baragwanath led to 1997 legislation to restructure the office of the Auditor-General and set up Audit Victoria.

Again, Jeff Kennett failed to pick up the warning signs of declining support for his style of leadership.

Jeff Kennett's supporters urged the Coalition to force a vote of 'no confidence' on the floor of the parliament in a last-ditch effort to force Savage, Davies and Ingram to support Jeff Kennett.

Jeff Kennett's stance was supported by Prime Minister John Howard, who rated him as the party's best hope to win the November 2006 state election.

In 2008, it was rumoured that Jeff Kennett was planning to stand for Lord Mayor of Melbourne.

Jeff Kennett claimed he had been approached by "a range of interests" to run for the position, but in the end did not do so.

On 15 January 2020, it was announced that Jeff Kennett would be one of the members of the National Co-design Group of the Indigenous voice to government.

In 2000 Jeff Kennett became the inaugural chairman of beyondblue, a body that was largely formed by the efforts of the Victorian State Government.

Jeff Kennett has previously served on the boards of Australian Seniors Finance, a reverse mortgage company, and SelecTV, which was a satellite television group.

Jeff Kennett has said in an interview that he rarely thinks about the media or "bloody history", though he regrets the "disastrous" introduction of the Metcard ticketing system for trains and trams.

Jeff Kennett angered gay rights groups in July 2008 when he supported the Bonnie Doon Football Club in their sacking of trainer Ken Campagnolo for being bisexual; and compared homosexuality to pedophilia.

Anti-discrimination campaigner Gary Burns pursued an action in the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal against Jeff Kennett for making the following statement:.

On 14 December 2005, Jeff Kennett was made president of Hawthorn Football Club, taking over from Ian Dicker.

Jeff Kennett was instrumental in Hawthorn's 2007 5-year business plan titled "five2fifty", the core idea being that in the next five years the club will target to win 2 premierships and have fifty thousand members.

Jeff Kennett's comments led to the subsequent eleven-match losing streak for Hawthorn against Geelong becoming known as the "Jeff Kennett curse".

Jeff Kennett stepped down at the end of his second three-year term in 2011, he changed the club's constitution so that presidents could only serve two 3-year terms.

In what Fox Footy described as a "stunning return", Jeff Kennett was announced as the president of the Hawthorn Football Club on 4 October 2017 following the sudden resignation of the incumbent president Richard Garvey.

Jeff Kennett subsequently appointed Justin Reeves as the club's new CEO.

Since 2010, Jeff Kennett has been a regular contributor to Neil Mitchell's 3AW radio program every Thursday, as a social commentator.

On 28 March 2013 it was announced that Jeff Kennett had joined the Seven television network as national political commentator which will involve him appearing on breakfast show Sunrise every Tuesday and on Seven news as required.

On 12 February 2017 Jeff Kennett engaged ex-Seven West Media employee on Twitter over leaked documents potentially breaching the company's own gag order on Amber Harrison.