Kaila Murnain

Kaila Murnain is an Australian politician who was the first female General Secretary of NSW Labor.[1]

Kaila Murnain
Born
Newcastle, New South Wales
NationalityAustralia
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales
Years activePolitical party administrator
Known forGeneral Secretary of NSW Labor
(2016 – 2019)

Early life and education

Murnain was born in Newcastle, to parents Anne and Neil, and grew up in Narrabri in north western New South Wales.[2] Murnain attended Narrabri Public School and Narrabri High School.[3] Her mother, Anne Murnain, contested the federal seat of Gwydir for the Australian Labor Party in 1998 and 2001. Murnain joined the Labor party herself when she was old enough, in 2000, and attended her first party conference at 15 years of age. She campaigned for Australia to become a republic.[2]

Murnain moved to Sydney to attend the University of New South Wales to complete a Bachelor of Social Science. Murnain worked three jobs while studying. She is currently undertaking a Masters of Business Administration at the Australian Graduate School of Management (UNSW).[2]

Murnain is married to Tom Hollywood,[4] an Army Reservist and Labor staffer who has worked for NSW Labor MLC Sophie Cotsis.[2]

Career

Murnain worked as an electorate officer for Michael Daley MP from 2005–2007. She served as a policy advisor for Ageing and Disability Services to Kristina Keneally MP from 2007–2008. In 2008 Murnain began working at the NSW Labor Party head office as an organiser running campaigns in local, state and federal by-elections and general elections.[2] With the support of the Australian Political Exchange Council, Murnain undertook an Individual Study Tour of the United States of America in 2012 and aided the Democratic Party campaign. In 2013 Murnain was appointed Assistant General Secretary of NSW Labor.[5]

In February 2016 Murnain was elected by ballot as the first female General Secretary of NSW Labor. Federal Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, backed Ms Murnain, then aged 29, stating that "She's not to be underestimated. She'll make a strong NSW General Secretary."[5]

In response to a report into the status of women within the NSW division of the Labor Party, commissioned in response to the sexual harassment claim, Murnain stated that her goal as General Secretary is to achieve cultural reform and strengthen Labor's affirmative action rules.[6][2] Murnain introduced the Party's first code of conduct[7][8] and announced the introduction of compulsory ethics seminars for newly elected representatives.[9] At the 2016 NSW Labor Conference delegates voted in affirmative action reforms such as a women's mentoring program and targets for women to have equal representation in all elected party positions, across all council, state and federal electorates, by 2027.[8]

In the lead up to the 2016 federal election, Murnain led a campaign strategy similar to Obama's "organising to win" campaign.[10] Labor NSW won 24 of the available 47 seats,[11][12] with half of NSW Labor seats held by women, meeting the party's affirmative action goal.[13]

Murnain was suspended as General Secretary of NSW Labor on 28 August 2019,[14] after she testified before the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to knowing, since September 2016, about a potentially illegal 2015 donation of $100,000 from Huang Xiangmo, a billionaire closely linked to the Communist Party of China, to the NSW Labor Party; and not disclosing the donation to relevant authorities.[15][16][17][18]

Murnain resigned as General Secretary of NSW Labor on 17 October 2019.[19] Murnain is currently being investigated by Labor's Internal Appeals Tribunal for her role in the corruption scandal.[20]

References
  1. Bramston, Troy (10 January 2017). "New Labor women reckon they have the ideas — not just the numbers". The Australian. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. Nicholls, Sean (12 February 2016). "New Labor general secretary Kaila Murnain wants to drive cultural change in the party membership". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  3. "New Labor Chief is On Fire : Kaila Murnain Takes Top Post". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  4. Snow, Deborah (30 June 2018). "Kaila Murnain: the woman behind the NSW Labor machine". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 2 September 2019. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  5. "Bill Shorten backs Kaila Murnain to replace Jamie Clements as NSW Labor general secretary". ABC News. Australia. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  6. Nicholls, Sean (18 January 2016). "Labor launches historic affirmative action rules in wake of Jamie Clements saga". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  7. Bramston, Troy (5 December 2016). "NSW Labor adopts code of conduct for officials, members". The Australian. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  8. "NSW Labor Party votes to adopt bullying "code of conduct"". ABC News. Australia. 13 February 2016. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  9. Nicholls, Sean (15 August 2016). "ALP councillors' new school for scandal". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  10. Bramston, Troy (23 November 2015). "NSW Labor adopts Barack Obama campaign tactics". The Australian. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  11. Michael Evans (8 July 2016). "Federal election 2016: How the west was won by NSW Labor Party general secretary Kaila Murnain". The Border Mail. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  12. "2016 Federal Election - AEC Tally Room". Australian Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 11 June 2017. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
  13. "Labor Party Brings in More Women to Take Aim at NSW Seats". The Daily Telegraph. Australia. Archived from the original on 20 May 2016. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  14. "NSW Labor boss Kaila Murnain suspended in the wake of anti-corruption revelations". News.com.au. Australia. 28 August 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  15. "Labor boss Kaila Murnain's future is now clear". The Sydney Morning Herald. 28 August 2019. Archived from the original on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  16. Knaus, Christopher (29 August 2019). "Sam Dastyari told Kaila Murnain to 'cover your arse' about dubious NSW Labor donation, Icac hears". Guardian Australia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  17. Chenoweth, Neil (29 August 2019). "The mystery behind Dastyari's ICAC moment". Financial Review. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  18. Wells, Jamelle (29 August 2019). "ICAC hearing into donations continues, suspended NSW Labor boss Kaila Murnain cries". ABC News. Australia. Archived from the original on 29 August 2019. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  19. Stewart, Selby; Calderwood, Kathleen (17 October 2019). "NSW Labor boss resigns amid corruption probe, gets $700,000 payout". ABC News. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
  20. Stratton, Harry (24 January 2021). "Corrupt, Right-Wing Machine Politics Are Crippling the Australian Labor Party". Jacobin. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
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