Craig Kelly (politician)
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Craig Kelly (born 29 September 1963) is an Australian politician, who represented the
Division of Hughes The Division of Hughes is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. History The division was created in 1955 and is named for Billy Hughes, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. Originally a marginal L ...
as a Liberal Party and later United Australia Party MP from 2010 to his defeat at the
2022 Australian federal election The 2022 Australian federal election was held on Saturday 21 May 2022 to elect members of the 47th Parliament of Australia. The incumbent Liberal/National Coalition government, led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, sought to win a fourth conse ...
. Kelly initially entered politics as a member of the
Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is a centre-right political party in Australia, one of the two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-left Australian Labor Party. It was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Au ...
, and was elected to the
Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Senate. Its composition and powers are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. The term of members of the ...
at the 2010 federal election, as a
member of parliament A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
(MP) for the
division of Hughes The Division of Hughes is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. History The division was created in 1955 and is named for Billy Hughes, who was Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923. Originally a marginal L ...
. He resigned from the Liberal Party in February 2021 to sit on the
crossbench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...
as an
independent politician An independent or non-partisan politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicians have political views th ...
, before announcing that he was joining the United Australia Party in August of that year, and was appointed as the party's leader. Kelly has been widely criticised for spreading misinformation on social media. He has given a platform to numerous conspiracy theories, and has propagated
climate change denial Climate change denial, or global warming denial, is denial, dismissal, or doubt that contradicts the scientific consensus on climate change, including the extent to which it is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, or th ...
and falsehoods regarding COVID-19. By January 2020, Kelly's
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
page had higher levels of engagement than either the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader, leading ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
'' to call Kelly "one of Australia's most influential politicians on Facebook". Kelly is also a frequent guest on
Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs f ...
.


Early years and background

Kelly was born in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
on 29 September 1963. He is one of four children born to Lawrence and Raima Kelly. He was educated at public schools. After finishing high school Kelly worked for his parents as a furniture salesman and "export manager" at their furniture business DV Kelly Pty Ltd. The firm imported Asian furniture and onsold it to retailers like
Harvey Norman Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based, multi-national retailer of furniture, bedding, computers, communications and consumer electrical products. It mainly operates as a franchise, with the main brand and all company-operated stores owned ...
, but financial troubles resulted in the
Australian Taxation Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Australian federal taxation system, superannuati ...
issuing wind-up orders in 2012, leaving creditors and employees owed over $4 million. The administrator's report suggested that Kelly may have been a ''de facto'' director of the company and thus be liable to be pursued for
trading while insolvent A number of legal systems make provision for companies trading while insolvent to be unlawful in certain circumstances, and provide for directors to become personally liable for a company's debts if they have acted improperly. In most legal system ...
. He stated that this was a "completely baseless allegation", and had previously stated in his maiden speech to parliament that he stopped working for the company in 2009 in order to run for parliament. However,
Crikey Crikey is an Australian electronic magazine comprising a website and email newsletter available to subscribers. Crikey was described by the former Federal Opposition Leader Mark Latham as the "most popular website in Parliament House" in ''The ...
subsequently reported that Kelly had signed himself as a director of the company on a number of documents related to a court case in New Zealand. He was registered as a director of three related companies – Homewares Depot, Valentino Franchising and Valentino Home Fashion – until March 2011. Kelly established the now-defunct Southern Sydney Retailers Association, which he used as a platform to lobby the
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the chief competition regulator of the Government of Australia, located within the Department of the Treasury. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Tra ...
.


Political career


Member of the Liberal Party

At age 46, Kelly was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Member for Hughes in 2010, which was considered a marginal seat. He served on the Standing Appropriations and Administration Australian House of Representatives committee from 2010 to 2013. In 2012, Kelly was referred to the parliamentary privileges committee over a range of allegations, including a failure to declare on his register of interests his directorship of several companies linked to his family's bankrupt company, which owed millions to creditors and staff. The then Leader of the House,
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) since 2019 and the member of parlia ...
, alleged Kelly failed to disclose his directorship of three entities which he had not officially relinquished until March 2011, eight months after the 2010 election. Kelly denied the allegations and the Parliamentary Privileges Committee did not pursue the matter further. Kelly and the President of the NSW Commandos Association, Barry Grant, fought Labor Government cuts in the 2012 budget to entitlements for defence personnel to travel home during holiday times. Kelly and Grant put together a petition in favour of reinstating the entitlements that was circulated Australia-wide, attracting well over 10,000 signatures. With Kelly's help a disallowance motion was moved in the House of Representatives that forced the Labor Government to reinstate the entitlements. This affected upwards of 22,000 service men and women. In 2013, Kelly was nominated by then
Opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * ''The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Comed ...
leader
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott was born in Londo ...
as the representative of the
Coalition A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces. Formation According to ''A Gui ...
on the bipartisan committee overseeing the implementation of the
National Disability Insurance Scheme The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a scheme of the Australian Government that funds costs associated with disability. The scheme was legislated in 2013 and went into full operation in 2020. The scheme is administered by the Na ...
. Kelly was the only sitting member of the House of Representatives with firsthand knowledge of raising a child with severe disabilities and said that he would use this experience in the position. Kelly also served on the Joint Standing Committee on Migration from 2013 to 2016. In April 2014, Kelly spoke at an event commemorating the establishment in 1941 of the
Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...
, which was associated with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during the Second World War. A Croatian-language newspaper described Kelly's speech as conveying congratulations from Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Kelly subsequently described the speech he gave as condemning fascism and communism, and apologised for appearing to endorse the flag of the Independent State of Croatia. Kelly served on the Joint Standing Committee on Law Enforcement from 2015, and he became the committee's chair in that same year. Speaking in relation to his position as chairman of the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, Kelly proposed that signs at
Mildura Mildura is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 in 2021. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point and Merbein are included, the area had ...
should warn drivers of an increased risk of car theft in the town. In the
Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, September 2015 A motion seeking a leadership spill of the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Prime Minister was proposed by Malcolm Turnbull, who requested the ballot on 14 September 2015. The incumbent Prime Minister, Tony Abbo ...
, Kelly supported Tony Abbott as prime minister. Kelly opposed the
Moorebank Intermodal Terminal The Moorebank Intermodal Terminal is an intermodal terminal under construction in the south-western Sydney suburb of Moorebank. History In 2010, the Department of Finance and Deregulation conducted a feasibility study into the development of th ...
in 2015 and 2016, citing concerns about diesel air pollution. The project will enable "import-export freight travelling through Sydney to and from Port Botany to be transported on rail instead of the road network". The Intermodal Terminal began construction in 2017. In the lead-up to the 2016 election, the moderate faction of the Liberal party planned to challenge Kelly in his seat. Radio commentator Alan Jones threw his support behind Kelly, and Prime Minister Turnbull wrote a letter of endorsement, stating that Kelly was one of the government's "most consistent performers" and that Kelly had a "fine reputation". Tony Abbott had also "pushed aside moderate challengers" to Kelly when Abbott was Prime Minister. The redistribution of Hughes was thought to strengthen Kelly's hold on the seat, and Kelly was returned with a margin greater than 9 points, despite a small swing against him. Kelly travelled to
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
for a week to observe the 2016 referendum, listing the trip on his statement of members' interests. Kelly returned to Azerbaijan to observe the presidential election in 2018, praising the use of photographic ID to obtain a ballot paper. Kelly was the chair of a parliamentary inquiry into methamphetamine, and has urged his colleagues to look at the
drug policy of Portugal The drug policy of Portugal, informally called the "drug strategy", was put in place in 2000, and came into effect in July 2001. Its purpose was to reduce the number of new HIV/ AIDS cases in the country, as it was estimated around half of new c ...
. Kelly opposes
drug checking Drug checking or pill testing is a way to reduce the harm from drug consumption by allowing users to find out the content and purity of substances that they intend to consume. This empowers users to make safer choices: to avoid more dangerous substa ...
. Kelly was expected to be challenged for preselection for his seat for the 2019 Australian federal election, and former prime minister Tony Abbott endorsed Kelly. Again being challenged by the moderate faction of the Liberal party, Kelly reportedly threatened to join the
crossbench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...
as an independent if he did not win preselection, but stated that he has confidence in the preselection committee. On 18 July 2018, Kelly commented on Sky News, in response to a Facebook post by the father of three children killed aboard MH17: 'if some of the things that Russia has gotten away with in the past has to be slightly looked over, well I'm sorry that's the price that we have to pay sometimes to have good relations going forward'. In the
Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 2018 Leadership spills of the Federalism, federal parliamentary leadership of the Liberal Party of Australia were held on 21 and 24 August 2018 and were called by the incumbent leader of the party, Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm ...
on 21 August, Kelly confirmed he voted for
Peter Dutton Peter Craig Dutton (born 18 November 1970) is an Australian politician who has been leader of the opposition and leader of the Liberal Party since May 2022. He has represented the Queensland seat of Dickson in the House of Representatives sinc ...
to become leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party and therefore Prime Minister. In the second spill on 24 August, Kelly was one of the first few to sign the petition calling for a party room meeting to vote on the leadership of the Liberal Party. While he voted for Dutton in the second spill, Kelly stated that he would throw his support behind
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for t ...
. Kelly criticised
Julia Banks Julia Helen Banks (born 18 September 1962) is an Australian lawyer and politician. Elected as the member for Chisholm in the Australian House of Representatives at the 2016 federal election, Banks was the only candidate for the governing Li ...
' decision to retire following the spill in a
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel and organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of Comcast. John Ryley is the hea ...
interview, defending politics as a "rough-and-tumble game." Kelly was critical of AGL's decision to close the coal-fired
Liddell Power Station Liddell Power Station is a coal-fired thermal power station with four GEC steam driven turbine alternators for a combined electrical capacity of . However, as at April 2018, its operating capacity has been assessed at . Commissioned betwee ...
in 2022, stating that it is anti-competitive of AGL not to consider selling Liddell before retiring it. As of August 2018, Kelly's electoral conference had raised $5,000 of a $75,000 fundraising target for the Liberal Party. Kelly was approached to run for the
electoral district of East Hills East Hills is a state electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is represented by member Wendy Lindsay. East Hills includes the suburbs of Condell Park, East Hills, Milperra, Padstow, Padsto ...
, a state seat, but declined. Scott Morrison reportedly intervened in the pre-selection process for Hughes, indicating that he wanted Kelly to run unchallenged, but local branch members argued that as Kelly was an important figure in the August leadership spills, he should go. The pre-selection contest was reportedly being delayed by the party as long as possible, and Kelly was advised by former Liberal Party presidential candidate John Ruddick to quit the party and run as an independent. Kelly affirmed that he intends to remain in the Liberal Party, although he refused to rule out a move to the crossbench if he lost pre-selection. Morrison reportedly floated using state executive powers to save Kelly from a pre-selection challenge, taking the decision-making process away from grassroots members. This has been described by former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull as unacceptable. Turnbull dismissed comparisons to his own 2016 intervention to save Kelly, and cited recent campaigns in NSW to allow grassroots members more say in pre-selection contests as the reason for his intervention. When the government moved to head off a dispute by using state executive powers to automatically endorse sitting members, Turnbull launched a failed intervention to prevent the outcome, hoping Kelly, a Dutton backer, would be ousted. When Turnbull's representations were leaked to the press, Turnbull confirmed them, and the intervention made it harder for the moderates to do anything other than tacitly re-endorse Kelly. Kelly stated that he was unaware of a job offer being made to his challenger, Kent Johns, on the condition that Johns drop out of the pre-selection race. During the 2019 election campaign, there was a grassroots campaign to unseat Kelly, "Hughes Deserves Better". They used dinosaur suits to draw attention to Kelly's views on climate change. Kelly was returned with a small swing towards him. In October 2018, Kelly suggested that the
fuel excise A fuel tax (also known as a petrol, gasoline or gas tax, or as a fuel duty) is an excise tax imposed on the sale of fuel. In most countries the fuel tax is imposed on fuels which are intended for transportation. Fuels used to power agricultural v ...
should be reduced by 10 cents per litre, and that divestiture powers should apply to the petrol industry. Kelly is said to cherry-pick "rich meme content that is stimulating, share-able and attractive to his base voters" on social media. He achieves higher levels of engagement than either the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader by selectively reinforcing the conservative opinions of his followers. A scientist has used Kelly's Facebook page to rebut Kelly's "blatant misrepresentation" of her study, with another scientist saying that Kelly had taken an anomaly out of context to make his point. Despite calling for free speech on the platform, Kelly blocks some commenters, including constituents, who politely disagree with him. A website was set up by a Hughes constituent to fact-check Kelly's claims. Kelly appeared on a podcast with former celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist,
Pete Evans Peter Daryl Evans (born 29 August 1973) is an Australian chef, and former television presenter, who was a former judge of the competitive cooking show ''My Kitchen Rules''. Evans has been heavily criticised for spreading misinformation about ...
. In February 2020 Kelly stated that government taxes on tobacco are driving the creation of a black market. Kelly was criticised for appearing with Pete Evans by
RACGP The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the professional body for general practitioners (GPs) in Australia. The RACGP is responsible for maintaining standards for quality clinical practice, education and training, and r ...
President Dr Karen Price. Kelly has also suggested that the Luxury Car Tax, which applies to imported vehicles worth more than $67,500, be abolished. Kelly was set to face a preselection contest in Hughes, but in February 2021 he resigned from the Liberal Party and sat on the
crossbench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...
as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...
. He confirmed he would continue to support the Morrison Liberal/National Government on
confidence and supply In a parliamentary democracy based on the Westminster system, confidence and supply are required for a ruling cabinet to retain power in the lower house. A confidence-and-supply agreement is one whereby a party or independent members of parl ...
. Kelly has said he supports the call for a royal commission into suicides by veterans. While usually up to four extra staff can be allocated to independent MPs, the current Prime Minister must approve any such staffing increase, and Kelly was not allocated extra staff. Kelly amended the Your Future Your Super bill before it passed the lower house to delay the bill's start to July 2022 and to exempt high-risk occupations from 'stapling' people to their first superannuation fund.


Leader of the United Australia Party

On 23 August 2021, Kelly joined and was appointed the leader of
Clive Palmer Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian businessman and politician. He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings. Palmer owns many businesses such as Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel at Townsville, the Palmer C ...
's
United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four federal elections in that time, usually governing in coalition with the Country Party. It provided two prim ...
(UAP). Kelly was previously approached to join after becoming an Independent. Kelly will continue to support the government on issues of confidence and supply. Kelly has drafted a bill calling for politicians and senior bureaucrats to be paid $750 per week while a lockdown is in place in their area. Kelly has been criticised for using random-number dialling technology to send unsolicited text messages. The TGA are seeking legal advice over whether a website linked in these texts which uses the TGA's logo and data breaches the criminal code. His personal mobile phone number was leaked by Australian online news publisher, Crikey, in retaliation. Hundreds of frustrated recipients of the unsolicited sms messages also joined together to send a huge bag dildos to Craig Kelly to protest his divisive anti-vaccination text messages and inadequate regulation surrounding political parties exemption from the Spam Act. In November 2021, Kelly was ‘awarded’ in absentia the ‘Bent Spoon’ award by organisation the
Australian Skeptics Australian Skeptics is a loose confederation of like-minded organisations across Australia that began in 1980. Australian Skeptics investigate paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using scientific methodologies. This page covers all Australian ...
‘for spreading misinformation about Covid and vaccinations.’ In December 2021 Kelly, who has been permanently banned from Facebook, was nominated by the
crossbench A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...
and appointed to a parliamentary committee looking into social media and online safety, along with two Opposition MPs. Also in December 2021, Kelly was labelled one of Australia’s most unpopular political figures, following a Resolve Political Monitor survey that showed that only 9% of surveyed Australians had a positive view of him. This was only slightly higher than
Clive Palmer Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian businessman and politician. He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings. Palmer owns many businesses such as Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel at Townsville, the Palmer C ...
who was viewed positively by 8% of Australians, according to the survey. During the 2022 election campaign, Kelly was egged in a Melbourne park. In the 2022 election, Kelly won around 8% of the vote, and
Jenny Ware Jennifer Leslie Ware is an Australian politician and a member of the Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party. She was elected to the Australian House of Representatives, House of Representatives in the 2022 election, gaining the New South Wa ...
, representing the Liberal Party, won Hughes. After the election, Kelly was appointed national director of the UAP. Kelly was sued by the AEC for displaying non-compliant signage during the election campaign. Kelly called for Scott Morrison to resign after it was revealed that Morrison had secretly been appointed to several ministerial positions.


Political positions

Kelly was formerly part of the
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...
right-wing faction inside the Liberal Party. Kelly put his support behind a plebiscite into same-sex marriage, and he predicted that the majority would vote against it. He stated on his Facebook page that he would vote with what his electorate wanted in the marriage survey. In the
conscience vote A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party. In a parliamenta ...
s which sought to amend the
Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017 The ''Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017'' (Cth) is an Act of the Parliament of Australia, which legalises same-sex marriage in Australia by amending the '' Marriage Act 1961'' to allow marriage between two persons o ...
, Kelly voted for all the amendments, none of which were passed. Kelly supports Australia's
constitutional monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
, and is a frequent guest on conservative network
Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs f ...
often speaking on subjects related to the parliamentary environmental and energy committee. While a member of this committee, Kelly criticised the Turnbull Government's position on energy. Kelly replaced
Ross Cameron Ross Alexander Cameron (born 14 May 1965) is an Australian politician who was a Liberal member of the Australian House of Representatives from March 1996 to October 2004, representing the Division of Parramatta, New South Wales. Between 2013 ...
on Sky program
Outsiders Outsider(s) may refer to: Film * Outsider (1997 film), ''Outsider'' (1997 film), a 1997 Slovene-language film * Outsider (2012 film), ''Outsider'' (2012 film), a Malayalam-language Indian film * Outsiders (1980 film), ''Outsiders'' (1980 film), a ...
after Cameron was fired, becoming a regular co-host. With Kelly's Facebook page having high engagement, the Sydney Morning Herald called Kelly "one of Australia's most influential politicians" on the platform. In the aftermath of the
2021 storming of the United States Capitol On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of then-United States President, U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 United States presidential election, 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol, U ...
by pro-
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
rioters, Kelly shared a debunked ''
Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., that covers general interest topics with a particular emphasis on national politics. Its broadsheet daily edition is distributed throughout ...
'' article that falsely claimed facial-recognition technology had recognized members of Antifa among the attackers. Kelly commented that "neo-fascists and
Marxists Marxism is a left-wing to far-left method of socioeconomic analysis that uses a materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to understand class relations and social conflict and a dialectic ...
had engaged in a highly co-ordinated '
false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misr ...
' operation, by infiltrating the protest and invading the capital so that the world’s media would falsely blame and discredit Trump supporters." Kelly did note the correction by the ''Washington Times'' but said he would not retract his post, citing other evidence such as a ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...
'' story citing an unnamed law enforcement official who claimed to recognize two members of Antifa as well as a
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
video showing an unidentified person being discouraged from vandalism. Kelly also criticised
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
for flagging a Donald Trump video in which Trump made false claims about fraud in the
2020 United States presidential election The 2020 United States presidential election was the 59th quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. The Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and the junior U.S. senator from California Kamala Ha ...
and praised the mob, arguing that fraud was a greater threat to democracy than the storming of the Capitol. Kelly was one of only three members of the House of Representatives to speak against the proposal to change the
Australian Constitution The Constitution of Australia (or Australian Constitution) is a constitutional document that is supreme law in Australia. It establishes Australia as a federation under a constitutional monarchy and outlines the structure and powers of the ...
to enable the Federal Government to place any terms and conditions on financial assistance given to local government councils. He cited the built in checks and balances of the constitution and its longevity as a reason for opposing the change. Kelly opposes the proposed First Nations National Constitutional Convention's voice to parliament described in the
Uluru Statement from the Heart The ''Uluru Statement from the Heart'' is a 2017 petition by Australian Aboriginal leaders to change the constitution of Australia to improve the representation of Indigenous Australians. The statement was released on 26 May 2017 by delegates t ...
, which intends to recognise
Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...
in Australia's Constitution. He described it as "divisive", and as a reverse form of
apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...
. He has suggested that he would actively campaign for the "No" side in a referendum for
constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians has been campaigned for since 1910, including having an Indigenous voice to parliament enshrined in the Constitution of Australia. 1958: FCAATSI From its formation in Adelaide in February 1958 ...
.


COVID-19

Kelly's views on the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
were described as "crackpot" by Omar Khorshid, the head of the
Australian Medical Association The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is an Australian public company by guarantee formed as a professional association for Australian doctors and medical students. The association is not run by the Australian Government and does not regul ...
. Kelly has said that forcing children to wear masks is child abuse, though this post was later removed by Facebook. Kelly advocated for hydroxychloroquine to be used in Australia to prevent COVID-19. The majority of research says that it has no clinical benefit to COVID-19 treatment, and may have negative side effects, including a possible increased risk of mortality. Some of these posts were removed by Facebook. Kelly has also posted conspiracy theories about
Bill Gates William Henry Gates III (born October 28, 1955) is an American business magnate and philanthropist. He is a co-founder of Microsoft, along with his late childhood friend Paul Allen. During his career at Microsoft, Gates held the positions ...
requiring that the world population be vaccinated. Kelly has also given a speech in parliament supporting his views on hydroxychloroquine, and posted on his Facebook page a call for the deputy chief medical officer, Nick Coatsworth, to resign, which he later removed. Kelly and Coatsworth have reportedly "agreed to disagree" on hydroxychloroquine. Kelly has stated that he would not vaccinate himself or his children if a vaccine became approved by the
Therapeutic Goods Administration The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is the medicine and therapeutic regulatory agency of the Australian Government. As part of the Department of Health and Aged Care, the TGA regulates the quality, supply and advertising of medicines, pa ...
(TGA), later clarifying that he was not
anti-vax Vaccine hesitancy is a delay in acceptance, or refusal, of vaccines despite the availability of vaccine services and supporting evidence. The term covers refusals to vaccinate, delaying vaccines, accepting vaccines but remaining uncertain abou ...
. He then switched to promoting Ivermectin, which is a
head lice The head louse (''Pediculus humanus capitis'') is an obligate ectoparasite of humans. Head lice are wingless insects that spend their entire lives on the human scalp and feeding exclusively on human blood. Humans are the only known hosts of thi ...
,
rosacea Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that typically affects the face. It results in redness, pimples, swelling, and small and superficial dilated blood vessels. Often, the nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin are most involved. A red, enlarge ...
, intestinal
strongyloidiasis Strongyloidiasis is a human parasitic disease caused by the nematode called ''Strongyloides stercoralis'', or sometimes the closely related ''S. fülleborni''. These helminths belong to a group of nematodes called roundworms. These intestinal worm ...
, and
onchocerciasis Onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, is a disease caused by infection with the parasitic worm ''Onchocerca volvulus''. Symptoms include severe itching, bumps under the skin, and blindness. It is the second-most common cause of blindne ...
medication, as a COVID-19 treatment, despite there being insufficient data for its use in treatment of COVID-19. The Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, has stated that Craig Kelly's posts are "not scientifically based".
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) is the professional body for general practitioners (GPs) in Australia. The RACGP is responsible for maintaining standards for quality clinical practice, education and training, and re ...
President Karen Price criticised Kelly for his 2021 appearance on a podcast with
Pete Evans Peter Daryl Evans (born 29 August 1973) is an Australian chef, and former television presenter, who was a former judge of the competitive cooking show ''My Kitchen Rules''. Evans has been heavily criticised for spreading misinformation about ...
, who "spread alarming misinformation, including content linked to the
QAnon QAnon ( , ) is an American political conspiracy theory and political movement. It originated in the American far-right political sphere in 2017. QAnon centers on fabricated claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals known as "Q". ...
conspiracy theory and COVID-19 denialist claims". Kelly reassured Evans that the government would not mandate vaccines for COVID-19. After Kelly clashed with Labor Party politician
Tanya Plibersek Tanya Joan Plibersek (born 2 December 1969) is an Australian politician who served as Deputy Leader of the Labor Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2013 to 2019. She has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sydney since 1998 ...
in the halls of parliament over the issue, leading Plibersek to label him a "taxpayer-funded nong"; Prime Minister
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (; born 13 May 1968) is an Australian politician. He served as the 30th prime minister of Australia and as Leader of the Liberal Party of Australia from 2018 to 2022, and is currently the member of parliament (MP) for t ...
also reprimanded Kelly. Kelly later released a statement to the press after his meeting with Morrison, however his Facebook page was still replete with posts on ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Two days after being reprimanded, Kelly again posted about COVID-19 treatments on his Facebook page. Kelly had been lobbying
Minister for Health and Aged Care The Minister for Health and Aged Care is the position in the Australian cabinet responsible for national health and wellbeing and medical research. The incumbent Minister is Labor MP Mark Butler. In the Government of Australia, the minister is ...
Greg Hunt Gregory Andrew Hunt (born 18 November 1965) is a former Australian politician who was the Minister for Health between January 2017 and May 2022. He was a Liberal Party member of the House of Representatives between November 2001 and 2022, repre ...
and the head of the TGA to try to influence their recommendations to the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, ceasing only when his correspondence was subject to
freedom of information Freedom of information is freedom of a person or people to publish and consume information. Access to information is the ability for an individual to seek, receive and impart information effectively. This sometimes includes "scientific, indigeno ...
applications. Kelly was also banned by Facebook for a week over his COVID-19 posting. Kelly has called for the halt of the
AstraZeneca vaccine AstraZeneca plc () is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical industry, pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with its headquarters at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in Cambridge, England. It has a portfolio of products for major d ...
rollout in Australia. On 26 April 2021, Facebook permanently removed Kelly's account, saying that he had continued to breach their misinformation policies, and on 28 April his backup and Instagram accounts were removed. Kelly has shared a draft of a "bill that would outlaw restrictions on anyone who doesn't get a COVID-19 vaccine". The bill includes constitutional problems such as not allowing for people who want to restrict who comes into their home. In late July 2021, Kelly addressed a Brisbane anti-lockdown protest via telephone, and was banned from Twitter for a week. On 15 September 2021, lawyers for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) threatened Kelly with legal action, alleging the United Australia Party breached copyright and demanded that it stop distributing incomplete extracts of adverse event reports relating to COVID-19 vaccines which the TGA believes could be seriously misleading. In November 2021, the
Australian Skeptics Australian Skeptics is a loose confederation of like-minded organisations across Australia that began in 1980. Australian Skeptics investigate paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using scientific methodologies. This page covers all Australian ...
, an organisation that investigates pseudoscientific claims and medical misinformation, awarded Kelly the " Bent Spoon", presented since 1982 "to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The Australian Skeptics cited, "spreading misinformation about COVID and vaccinations, and offering dubious cures and conspiracy theories".


Climate change and renewable energy

Described as a "serial denier of climate change", Kelly was appointed chair of the backbench environment and energy committee, giving advice to environment minister
Josh Frydenberg Joshua Anthony Frydenberg () (born 17 July 1971) is an Australian former politician who served as the treasurer of Australia and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2018 to 2022. He also served as a member of parliament (MP) for the divisio ...
. He has previously written that convict arrivals to Australia in the 18th century found the weather warmer than in recent years, and has invited climate deniers from the
Institute of Public Affairs The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is a conservative non-profit free market public policy think tankAbout the IPA
...
to present to the government prior to the
Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...
. Kelly advocates for a "hockey-stick" approach to meeting the Paris 2030
emissions target A climate target, climate goal or climate pledge is a measurable commitment for climate policy and energy policy with the aim of limiting the climate change. Researchers within, among others, the UN climate panel have identified probable co ...
for the energy industry, which has been characterised as delaying action to the last possible moment. Kelly has criticised renewable energy, saying that it causes higher electricity bills, which would kill people, according to Kelly. Kelly has written to NSW education minister,
Rob Stokes Robert Gordon Stokes (born 17 January 1975) is an Australian politician. Stokes is the New South Wales Minister for Infrastructure, the Minister for Cities, and the Minister for Active Transport in the Perrottet ministry since 21 December 20 ...
, complaining that a high school textbook published by
Pearson Education Pearson Education is a British-owned education publishing and assessment service to schools and corporations, as well for students directly. Pearson owns educational media brands including Addison–Wesley, Peachpit, Prentice Hall, eCollege, ...
had described
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is a former Australian politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia. Abbott was born in Londo ...
as a
climate change denier Climate change denial, or global warming denial, is denial, dismissal, or doubt that contradicts the scientific consensus on climate change, including the extent to which it is caused by humans, its effects on nature and human society, or the ...
. Kelly opposed
carbon pricing in Australia A carbon pricing scheme in Australia was introduced by the Gillard Labor minority government in 2011 as the ''Clean Energy Act 2011'' which came into effect on 1 July 2012. Emissions from companies subject to the scheme dropped 7% upon its in ...
and in 2012 addressed a rally of about 2,000 people on the issue in
Hyde Park Hyde Park may refer to: Places England * Hyde Park, London, a Royal Park in Central London * Hyde Park, Leeds, an inner-city area of north-west Leeds * Hyde Park, Sheffield, district of Sheffield * Hyde Park, in Hyde, Greater Manchester Austra ...
, describing the carbon pricing as a "poisonous, toxic tax" and claiming the Federal Labor Government was destroying Australia's prosperity by undermining the country's competitive advantage. He also stated that "Every Coalition member will sign a blood oath to get rid of this tax." Kelly has been a critic of federal subsidies for industrial
wind farms Wind is the natural movement of air or other gases relative to a planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting a few hou ...
. In a speech in parliament he criticised the use of federal funds to obtain wind power of "questionable reliability" in favour of spending on other critical social needs. He attended a "wind power fraud rally" of 150 people in front of
Parliament House, Canberra Parliament House, also referred to as Capital Hill or simply Parliament, is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, and the seat of the legislative branch of the Australian Government. Located in Canberra, the Parliament building is ...
, which called for the abolition of the renewable energy target and a ban on new wind farms. Kelly was one of the members of the Monash Forum
ginger group The Ginger Group was not a formal political party in Canada, but a faction of radical Progressive and Labour Members of Parliament who advocated socialism. The term ginger group also refers to a small group with new, radical ideas trying to act ...
which aimed to influence the design of the
National Energy Guarantee National Energy Guarantee (NEG) was an energy policy proposed by the Turnbull government in late 2017 to deal with rising energy prices in Australia and lack of clarity for energy companies to invest in energy infrastructure. The policy specificall ...
. The group advocated for a "Hazelwood 2.0" coal-fired power station to be built. Other confirmed members of the forum include Tony Abbott,
Eric Abetz Eric Abetz (born 25 January 1958) is a former Australian politician who was a Senator for Tasmania from 1994 to 2022, representing the Liberal Party. He was the Minister for Employment and the Leader of the Government in the Senate in the Abbo ...
, Kevin Andrews, Barnaby Joyce,
George Christensen George Robert Christensen (born 30 June 1978) is a former Australian politician and former journalist who was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, as the member of parliament (MP) for the division of Dawson. He ...
, and
Ian Goodenough Ian Reginald Goodenough (born 3 July 1975) is a Singaporean-born Australian politician who is the current Liberal Party member for the Division of Moore in the House of Representatives, located in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Austral ...
. Kelly has stated that Labor's proposed increases in the emissions reduction target undermines policy certainty, and has stated that the emissions reduction target for the agriculture industry in Australia could result in farmers having to cull their livestock. Kelly has warned that
Josh Frydenberg Joshua Anthony Frydenberg () (born 17 July 1971) is an Australian former politician who served as the treasurer of Australia and deputy leader of the Liberal Party from 2018 to 2022. He also served as a member of parliament (MP) for the divisio ...
's offer to the states of a review of the NEG emissions target in 2024 could lead to the target being reduced from its current level of 26%. Kelly also began the Parliamentary Friends of Coal Exports, which was joined by
Joel Fitzgibbon Joel Andrew Fitzgibbon (born 16 January 1962) is a retired Australian politician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has served in the House of Representatives from 1996 to 2022, representing the New South Wales seat of Hunt ...
,
Mike Freelander Michael Randolph Freelander FRACP (born 23 April 1953) is an Australian politician and paediatrician. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has held the Division of Macarthur in the House of Representatives since the 2016 fede ...
,
Meryl Swanson Meryl Jane Swanson (; born 3 September 1970) is an Australian politician and former radio presenter. She is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and has represented the Division of Paterson in the Australian House of Representatives sinc ...
, Milton Dick,
George Christensen George Robert Christensen (born 30 June 1978) is a former Australian politician and former journalist who was a member of the Australian House of Representatives from 2010 to 2022, as the member of parliament (MP) for the division of Dawson. He ...
, Kevin Andrews and Phillip Thompson. Kelly was stopped from appearing on Australian TV show '' Q&A'' during the election campaign by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Kelly was preparing charts to display during the program supporting his views on climate change. In September 2018, speaking at a Liberal Party function, Kelly stated that the Pacific island of
Tuvalu Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
was growing, not sinking, as evidence in favour of his climate scepticism. In September 2019, at a monarchist league dinner, he claimed that this increase was because coral islands float, further complaining that this was not reported on Australia's public broadcast network, the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...
. In January 2020, he was heavily criticised through global media for an appearance on UK television, in which he denied climate change was a contributing factor to the 2019-20 Australian bushfires. Kelly was further criticised for
racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...
and
misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...
after referring to meteorologist
Laura Tobin Laura Elizabeth Tobin FRMS (born 10 October 1981) is an English broadcast meteorologist, currently employed by ITV. Tobin worked for the BBC before moving to the ITV Breakfast programme '' Daybreak'' in 2012. ''Daybreak'' was later replaced by ...
as an "ignorant Pommy weather girl" who had "no idea what she's talking about", despite her university degree in
physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which r ...
and
meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...
. Tobin told Kelly that "You're not a climate skeptic, you're a climate denier", and host
Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at '' The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was appointed editor of the ...
labelled Kelly a "disgrace" who should "wake up". Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison distanced themselves from Kelly's comments, and NSW Energy and Environment Minister,
Matt Kean Matthew John Kean (born 16 September 1981) is an Australian politician, who has served as the Treasurer of New South Wales in the second Perrottet ministry of New South Wales since October 2021. He has also served as the Minister for Energy s ...
, said that "Craig Kelly is as qualified to talk about atmospheric physics as he is to perform brain surgery". During this bushfire season, Kelly also implied that environmentalists were responsible for arson. Kelly supports Advance Australia's attempts to introduce educational materials to schools that falsely describe climate change as a hoax. Kelly has falsely claimed that 2020 was the coolest year ever, and has accused the Bureau of Meteorology of altering weather records.


Personal life

Kelly has a daughter and a son. His son has
Down syndrome Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with physical growth delays, mild to moderate intellectual dis ...
and has been diagnosed with
autism The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...
. Kelly's maternal grandfather was born in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
, which Kelly believes was because of his great-grandparents' pursuit of migrating to
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
from the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
via South Africa. In 2021 Kelly sold his family home in the Sutherland Shire and purchased a new home approximately 100 km from his electorate in Narara on the New South Wales Central Coast.


References


External links


Profile at TheyVoteForYou
  {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Craig 1963 births 21st-century Australian politicians Australian anti-vaccination activists Australian conspiracy theorists Australian monarchists COVID-19 conspiracy theorists Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Living people Independent members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Hughes United Australia Party (2013) politicians