Perin Davey

Davey was born in Sydney on 5 February 1972.^[1] 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.^[2] He was born in England and she held British citizenship by descent until renouncing it in 2018 to stand for parliament.^[3]

Davey grew up in Canberra,^[4] attending Curtin Primary School and Alfred Deakin High School.^[2] After leaving school, she spent three years as a cadet journalist for the Mudgee Guardian.^[1] 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.^[5] She was also a safari cook in Botswana for three years.^[2] 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).^[1]

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.^[6] 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".^[7]

Davey joined the Nationals in 1998 and worked as a media adviser to Senator Ron Boswell in 2000. 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.^[1]

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.^[1]

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.^[8]

In February 2024, Davey attracted criticism for speaking in a slurred manner during a Senate estimates committee meeting after having attended a National Party drinks event.^[9] However, Davey later explained that her speaking difficulties were the result of a medical problem.^[10]

At the 2025 federal election, Davey was again third on the Coalition Senate ticket, but failed to retain her seat.^[11] She was succeeded as deputy leader by New South Wales MP Kevin Hogan.^[12]

Davey lives with her husband John Dickie and two daughters on a property in Conargo, New South Wales, just outside Deniliquin.^[4][3][13] As of 2019^[update] she also owned an investment property in Canberra.^[2]