Sonya Kilkenny
Australian politician
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Sonya Kilkenny (born 15 May 1969[citation needed]) is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since November 2014, representing the Electoral district of Carrum.
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Jacinta Allan
Sonya Kilkenny | |
|---|---|
Kilkenny in 2018 | |
| 56th Attorney-General of Victoria | |
| Assumed office 19 December 2024 | |
| Premier | Jacinta Allan |
| Preceded by | Jaclyn Symes |
| Minister for Planning | |
| Assumed office 5 December 2022 | |
| Premier | Daniel Andrews Jacinta Allan |
| Preceded by | Lizzie Blandthorn |
| Minister for Finance | |
| Assumed office 15 April 2026 | |
| Premier | Jacinta Allan |
| Preceded by | Danny Pearson |
| Minister for Violence Reduction | |
| Assumed office 15 April 2026 | |
| Premier | Jacinta Allan |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Minister for the Suburbs | |
| In office 2 October 2023 – 19 December 2024 | |
| Premier | Jacinta Allan |
| Preceded by | Ros Spence (as Minister for Suburban Development) |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Minister for Outdoor Recreation | |
| In office 5 December 2022 – 2 October 2023 | |
| Premier | Daniel Andrews Jacinta Allan |
| Preceded by | Herself (as Minister for Fishing and Boating) |
| Succeeded by | Steve Dimopoulos |
| Minister for Youth Justice Minister for Corrections Minister for Victim Support | |
| In office 4 July 2022 – 5 December 2022 | |
| Premier | Daniel Andrews |
| Preceded by | Natalie Hutchins |
| Succeeded by | Enver Erdogan |
| Minister for Fishing and Boating | |
| In office 4 July 2022 – 5 December 2022 | |
| Premier | Daniel Andrews |
| Preceded by | Melissa Horne |
| Succeeded by | Herself (as Minister for Outdoor Recreation) |
| Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Carrum | |
| Assumed office 29 November 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Donna Bauer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 May 1969 Sydney, Australia |
| Party | Labor |
| Children | 1 |
| Alma mater | University of New South Wales University of Melbourne |
| Profession | Commercial lawyer |
| Portfolio | Minister for Planning (since 2022) Attorney-General (since 2024) Minister for Finance (since 2026) Minister for Victim Reduction (since 2026) |
Early life and legal career
Kilkenny was born in Sydney, and attended schools in Hong Kong and the United States before returning to Australia.[citation needed] She graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws, and later with a Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne.[citation needed] She has worked as a legal officer or lawyer for organisations such as the Kimberley Land Council and the Australian Children's Television Foundation, and served on the boards of the Back to Back Theatre company and the National Theatre in St Kilda.[1] Just prior to her election, she was head of the legal dispute resolution team at the ANZ Banking Group.[2]
Kilkenny lives in her electorate of Carrum.[3]
Politics
Kilkenny contested the federal Division of Dunkley for Labor at the 2013 federal election, losing to incumbent Liberal Member Bruce Billson.[4]
Kilkenny first entered parliament at the 2014 Victorian state election when she narrowly won the seat off the Liberal incumbent, before holding the seat at the 2018 Victorian state election with an 11.2 per cent swing, one of the biggest swings in the election.[5]
Kilkenny served on the Scrutiny of Acts and Regulations Committee and was an Acting Speaker in the Legislative Assembly.[6]
On 29 November 2018, Kilkenny was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Early Childhood Education and in 2020 appointed Cabinet Secretary.[7]
Kilkenny was appointed as Minister for Corrections, Minister for Youth Justice, Minister for Victim Support and Minister for Fishing and Boating as part of a June 2022 cabinet reshuffle.[8] She was sworn in on 4 July,[9] a week after the rest of the cabinet, due to isolating after contracting COVID-19.[10]
After holding her seat at the 2022 Victorian state election[11] Kilkenny was sworn in as the Minister for Planning and the Minister for Outdoor Recreation in December 2022.[12]
In October 2023, Kilkenny was appointed as Minister for the Suburbs, in addition to continuing as Planning Minister.[13]
In December 2024, Kilkenny was sworn in as the 56th Attorney-General of Victoria, in addition to continuing as Minister for Planning.[14]
