Renee Coffey
Renee Coffey | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Australian Parliament for Griffith | |
| Assumed office 3 May 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Max Chandler-Mather |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Political party | Labor |
| Spouse | Jason McKenzie |
| Children | 2 sons, 2 step-daughters |
| Education | University of Queensland (BA, Hons I) University of South Australia (Grad Dip Ed) |
| Awards | Australian Centenary Medal (2001)[1] |
| Website | www |
Renee Coffey is an Australian politician from the Labor Party. She is a member of the Australian Parliament for the Division of Griffith after winning the seat in the 2025 Australian federal election.[2] Coffey was born and raised in Hawthorne.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Renee Coffey was born at the Mater Hospital in Brisbane in April 1982 and grew up in the suburb of Hawthorne. During her high school years, she founded "Young Australians for Anti-Racism and Reconciliation".[4] Her 2006 Bachelor of Arts Honours thesis discussed the frontier violence in Gin Gin, focusing on the 1850 massacre at Paddy Island and the myths resulting. [5]
Career
[edit]Before entering politics, Coffey served as the CEO of Australian Kookaburra Kids Foundation which provides mental health services to young people affected by family mental illness.[6] During this time, the foundation launched the Regenerate program, which combines environmental education with mental health literacy for young people impacted by family mental illness.[7] Prior to Kookaburra Kids, Coffey served as the Deputy CEO of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation (AIEF) for more than a decade, where she worked to expand access to educational scholarships for Indigenous students.[8] [9]
Awards and recognition
[edit]Coffey has been recognised for her advocacy work:
- Queensland Finalist in the Young Australian of the Year Awards (2000)
- Non-Indigenous Youth Representative, Corroboree 2000[10]
- Australian Centenary Medal (2001)[11]
- Delegate, Australia 2020 Summit
- Nominated for Pride of Australia Medal (2015) for her community and advocacy work.[12]
- Recipient of the Stanford Australia Association scholarship for the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders, Stanford University.[13]
Personal life
[edit]In June 2024, Coffey married Jason McKenzie. She has two sons and two step-daughters.[14]
References
[edit]- ^ "Centenary Medal recipients". 1 January 2001. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Griffith (Key Seat) Federal Election 2025 Results". www.abc.net.au. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Renee Coffey". Queensland Labor. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "2018 IBSC annual conference speakers". International Boys' Schools Coalition. 11 July 2018.
- ^ "Frontier violence in Gin Gin : a history of murder, massacre and myth". 1 June 2006.
- ^ Moore, Tony (2 August 2024). "Albanese reveals Labor candidate to contest Kevin Rudd's old seat". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Regenerate program – Bupa Foundation partnership". 2 August 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
- ^ "Introducing our new CEO". Kookaburra Kids. 16 March 2023.
- ^ "'Buyer's remorse': Labor in the hunt for Chandler-Mather's seat". Australian Financial Review. 6 April 2025. Retrieved 3 May 2025.
- ^ "Renee Coffey, Youth Representative - Speech to Corroboree 2000". Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ "Centenary Medal recipients". 1 January 2001. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ King, Emily (2 September 2015). "Pride of Australia Medal – 2015". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Stanford Australia Foundation Partnership Program". UTS. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
- ^ Elks, Sarah (14 June 2024). "Peter Dutton's failed Gerard Rennick intervention". The Australian.