Chris Kenny

Member of the Indigenous Voice Senior Advisory Group

Chris Kenny hosts The Kenny Report on Sky News and is an Associate Editor at The Australian, writing columns and commentary. He has hosted talk radio for the Macquarie Radio network, appeared on the ABC’s Insiders and Q&A and been published in Adelaide’s Sunday Mail, The Spectator Australia and Quadrant, among others.

In 2019 Chris was one of a handful of non-Indigenous appointees to the federal government’s co-design process for an Indigenous voice. He contributed to the Senior Advisory Group which reported to government in December last year.

He holds a BA (Journalism) from the University of South Australia and began in journalism at The Murray Pioneer in Renmark, South Australia, before joining The News in Adelaide, and moving on to television at the ABC’s 7.30 Report. He later covered state and federal politics for the Ten Network and Channel Nine Adelaide.

Chris was a political adviser to SA Liberal Premier John Olsen in 2000 and chief of staff to his successor, Rob Kerin. In 2002 he joined the staff of then foreign minister Alexander Downer as media adviser and was promoted to chief of staff, dealing with issues such as the Iraq war, Bali bombings and Boxing Day tsunami. He visited more than 50 countries, including Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and North Korea, joining top level meetings in The White House, Number 10 Downing Street and United Nations HQ in New York. In 2009 he was chief of staff to Malcolm Turnbull as federal opposition leader.

Chris has published two books, State of Denial (1993) about the downfall of the Bannon Government and Women’s Business (1996), the inside story of the Hindmarsh Island bridge saga. He contributed chapters to two books published in 2016: “The Forgotten People – Liberal and conservative approaches to recognising Indigenous peoples” (MUP) and “Heartfelt Moments in Australian Rules Football” (ConnorCourt)

Chris is married to Sunita, a lawyer, and they have two boys. He also has two adult sons. A former keen footballer, Chris is an Ambassador for the Adelaide Crows AFL Club and coaches junior football and cricket. He lives in Sydney.