Craig Kelly
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Craig Kelly (born 29 September 1963) is an Australian conservative politician who represented the division of Hughes as a
Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
(and later
United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...
) MP from 2010 until his defeat at the 2022 federal election. Kelly initially entered politics as a member of the Liberal Party, and was elected to the
Australian House of Representatives The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral Parliament of Australia, the upper house being the Australian Senate, Senate. Its composition and powers are set out in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. ...
at the 2010 federal election, as a member of parliament (MP) for the division of Hughes. He resigned from the Liberal Party in February 2021 to sit on the
crossbench A crossbencher is a minor party or independent politician, independent member of some legislatures, such as the Parliament of Australia. In the British House of Lords the term refers to members of the parliamentary group of non-political peers. ...
as an
independent politician An independent politician or non-affiliated politician is a politician not affiliated with any political party or Bureaucracy, bureaucratic association. There are numerous reasons why someone may stand for office as an independent. Some politicia ...
, before announcing that he was joining the United Australia Party in August of that year, and was appointed as the party's leader. Kelly has been widely criticised for spreading misinformation on social media. He has given a platform to numerous
conspiracy theories A conspiracy theory is an explanation for an event or situation that asserts the existence of a conspiracy (generally by powerful sinister groups, often political in motivation), when other explanations are more probable.Additional sources: * ...
, and has propagated
climate change denial Climate change denial (also global warming denial) is a form of science denial characterized by rejecting, refusing to acknowledge, disputing, or fighting the scientific consensus on climate change. Those promoting denial commonly use rhetor ...
and falsehoods regarding COVID-19. By January 2020, Kelly's
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page had higher levels of engagement than either the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader, leading ''
The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in Sydney, Australia, and owned by Nine Entertainment. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuous ...
'' to call Kelly "one of Australia's most influential politicians on Facebook". Kelly is also a frequent guest on
Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs fe ...
. On 27 February 2024, Kelly left the UAP to join
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON), also known as One Nation (ON) or One Nation Party (ONP), is a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia. It is led by Pauline Hanson. ...
as the party's federal campaign director. He left the party in September of the same year. Kelly contested the 2025 federal election as the Libertarian Party's lead candidate for the
Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
.


Early years and background

Kelly was born in
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
on 29 September 1963. He is one of four children born to Lawrence and Raima Kelly. He was educated at public schools. After finishing high school Kelly worked for his parents as a furniture salesman and "export manager" at their furniture business DV Kelly Pty Ltd. The firm imported Asian furniture and onsold it to retailers like Harvey Norman, but financial troubles resulted in the
Australian Taxation Office The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) is an Australian statutory agency and the principal revenue collection body for the Australian Government. The ATO has responsibility for administering the Taxation in Australia, Australian federal taxation ...
issuing wind-up orders in 2012, leaving creditors and employees owed over $4 million. The
administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...
's report suggested that Kelly may have been a ''de facto'' director of the company and thus be liable to be pursued for trading while insolvent. He stated that this was a "completely baseless allegation", and had previously stated in his maiden speech to parliament that he stopped working for the company in 2009 in order to run for parliament. However,
Crikey Crikey is an Australian online news outlet founded in 1999. It consists of a website and email newsletter available to subscribers. History Crikey was founded by the activist shareholder Stephen Mayne, a journalist and former staffer of the ...
subsequently reported that Kelly had signed himself as a director of the company on a number of documents related to a court case in New Zealand. He was registered as a director of three related companies – Homewares Depot, Valentino Franchising and Valentino Home Fashion – until March 2011. Kelly established the now-defunct Southern Sydney Retailers Association, which he used as a platform to lobby the
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is the chief competition regulator of the Government of Australia, located within the Department of the Treasury. It was established in 1995 with the amalgamation of the Australian Tra ...
.


Political career


Member of the Liberal Party (2010-2021)

At age 46, Kelly was elected to the Australian House of Representatives as the Member for Hughes in 2010, which was considered a marginal seat. He served on the Standing Appropriations and Administration Australian House of Representatives committee from 2010 to 2013. In 2012, Kelly was referred to the parliamentary privileges committee over a range of allegations, including a failure to declare on his register of interests his directorship of several companies linked to his family's bankrupt company, which owed millions to creditors and staff. The then Leader of the House,
Anthony Albanese Anthony Norman Albanese ( or ; born 2 March 1963) is an Australian politician serving as the 31st and current prime minister of Australia since 2022. He has been the Leaders of the Australian Labor Party#Leader, leader of the Labor Party si ...
, alleged Kelly failed to disclose his directorship of three entities which he had not officially relinquished until March 2011, eight months after the 2010 election. Kelly denied the allegations and the Parliamentary Privileges Committee did not pursue the matter further. Kelly and the President of the NSW Commandos Association, Barry Grant, fought Labor government cuts in the 2012 budget to entitlements for defence personnel to travel home during holiday times. Kelly and Grant put together a petition in favour of reinstating the entitlements that was circulated Australia-wide, attracting well over 10,000 signatures. With Kelly's help a disallowance motion was moved in the House of Representatives that forced the Labor government to reinstate the entitlements. This affected upwards of 22,000 service men and women. In 2013, Kelly was nominated by then Opposition leader
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
as the representative of the
Coalition A coalition is formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political, military, or economic spaces. Formation According to ''A G ...
on the bipartisan committee overseeing the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Kelly was the only sitting member of the House of Representatives with firsthand knowledge of raising a child with severe disabilities and said that he would use this experience in the position. Kelly also served on the Joint Standing Committee on Migration from 2013 to 2016. In April 2014, Kelly spoke at an event commemorating the establishment in 1941 of the
Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...
, which was associated with Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany during the Second World War. A Croatian-language newspaper described Kelly's speech as conveying congratulations from Prime Minister Tony Abbott. Kelly subsequently described the speech he gave as condemning fascism and communism, and apologised for appearing to endorse the flag of the Independent State of Croatia. Kelly served on the Joint Standing Committee on Law Enforcement from 2015, and he became the committee's chair in that same year. Speaking in relation to his position as chairman of the Joint Committee on Law Enforcement, Kelly proposed that signs at
Mildura Mildura ( ) is a regional city in north-west Victoria, Australia. Located on the Victorian side of the Murray River, Mildura had a population of 34,565 at the 2021 census. When nearby Wentworth, Irymple, Nichols Point, Merbein and Red ...
should warn drivers of an increased risk of car theft in the town. In the
Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, September 2015 A motion seeking a leadership spill of the federal parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and Prime Minister was proposed by Malcolm Turnbull, who requested the ballot on 14 September 2015. The incumbent Prime Minister, Tony A ...
, Kelly supported Tony Abbott as prime minister. Kelly opposed the Moorebank Intermodal Terminal in 2015 and 2016, citing concerns about diesel air pollution. The project will enable "import-export freight travelling through Sydney to and from Port Botany to be transported on rail instead of the road network". The Intermodal Terminal began construction in 2017. In the lead-up to the 2016 election, the moderate faction of the Liberal party planned to challenge Kelly in his seat. Radio commentator Alan Jones threw his support behind Kelly, and Prime Minister Turnbull wrote a letter of endorsement, stating that Kelly was one of the government's "most consistent performers" and that Kelly had a "fine reputation". Tony Abbott had also "pushed aside moderate challengers" to Kelly when Abbott was Prime Minister. The redistribution of Hughes was thought to strengthen Kelly's hold on the seat, and Kelly was returned with a margin greater than 9 points, despite a small swing against him. Kelly travelled to
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
for a week to observe the 2016 referendum, listing the trip on his statement of members' interests. Kelly returned to Azerbaijan to observe the presidential election in 2018, praising the use of photographic ID to obtain a ballot paper. Kelly was the chair of a parliamentary inquiry into methamphetamine, and has urged his colleagues to look at the drug policy of Portugal. Kelly opposes
drug checking Drug checking or pill testing is a way to Harm reduction, reduce the harm from drug consumption by allowing users to find out the content and purity of substances that they intend to consume. This enables users to make safer choices: to avoid more ...
. Kelly was expected to be challenged for preselection for his seat for the 2019 Australian federal election, and former prime minister Tony Abbott endorsed Kelly. Again being challenged by the moderate faction of the Liberal party, Kelly reportedly threatened to join the
crossbench A crossbencher is a minor party or independent politician, independent member of some legislatures, such as the Parliament of Australia. In the British House of Lords the term refers to members of the parliamentary group of non-political peers. ...
as an independent if he did not win preselection, but stated that he has confidence in the preselection committee. On 18 July 2018, Kelly commented on Sky News, in response to a Facebook post by the father of three children killed aboard MH17: 'if some of the things that Russia has gotten away with in the past has to be slightly looked over, well I'm sorry that's the price that we have to pay sometimes to have good relations going forward'. In the Liberal Party of Australia leadership spill, 2018 on 21 August, Kelly confirmed he voted for Peter Dutton to become leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party and therefore Prime Minister. In the second spill on 24 August, Kelly was one of the first few to sign the petition calling for a party room meeting to vote on the leadership of the Liberal Party. While he voted for Dutton in the second spill, Kelly stated that he would throw his support behind
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party and was ...
. Kelly criticised Julia Banks' decision to retire following the spill in a
Sky News Sky News is a British free-to-air television news channel, live stream news network and news organisation. Sky News is distributed via an English-language radio news service, and through online channels. It is owned by Sky Group, a division of ...
interview, defending politics as a "rough-and-tumble game." Kelly was critical of AGL's 2018 announcement that the coal-fired Liddell Power Station would be closed in 2022, stating that it was anti-competitive of AGL not to consider selling Liddell before retiring it. As of August 2018, Kelly's electoral conference had raised $5,000 of a $75,000 fundraising target for the Liberal Party. Kelly was approached to run for the electoral district of East Hills, a state seat, but declined. Scott Morrison reportedly intervened in the pre-selection process for Hughes, indicating that he wanted Kelly to run unchallenged, but local branch members argued that as Kelly was an important figure in the August leadership spills, he should go. The pre-selection contest was reportedly being delayed by the party as long as possible, and Kelly was advised by former Liberal Party presidential candidate John Ruddick to quit the party and run as an independent. Kelly affirmed that he intends to remain in the Liberal Party, although he refused to rule out a move to the crossbench if he lost pre-selection. Morrison reportedly floated using state executive powers to save Kelly from a pre-selection challenge, taking the decision-making process away from grassroots members. This has been described by former prime minister
Malcolm Turnbull Malcolm Bligh Turnbull (born 24 October 1954) is an Australian former politician and businessman who served as the 29th prime minister of Australia from 2015 to 2018. He held office as Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party an ...
as unacceptable. Turnbull dismissed comparisons to his own 2016 intervention to save Kelly, and cited recent campaigns in NSW to allow grassroots members more say in pre-selection contests as the reason for his intervention. When the government moved to head off a dispute by using state executive powers to automatically endorse sitting members, Turnbull launched a failed intervention to prevent the outcome, hoping Kelly, a Dutton backer, would be ousted. When Turnbull's representations were leaked to the press, Turnbull confirmed them, and the intervention made it harder for the moderates to do anything other than tacitly re-endorse Kelly. Kelly stated that he was unaware of a job offer being made to his challenger, Kent Johns, on the condition that Johns drop out of the pre-selection race. During the 2019 election campaign, there was a grassroots campaign to unseat Kelly, "Hughes Deserves Better". They used dinosaur suits to draw attention to Kelly's views on climate change. Kelly was returned with a small swing towards him. In October 2018, Kelly suggested that the fuel excise should be reduced by 10 cents per litre, and that divestiture powers should apply to the petrol industry. Kelly is said to cherry-pick "rich meme content that is stimulating, share-able and attractive to his base voters" on social media. He achieves higher levels of engagement than either the Prime Minister or the Opposition Leader by selectively reinforcing the conservative opinions of his followers. A scientist has used Kelly's Facebook page to rebut Kelly's "blatant misrepresentation" of her study, with another scientist saying that Kelly had taken an anomaly out of context to make his point. Despite calling for free speech on the platform, Kelly blocks some commenters, including constituents, who politely disagree with him. A website was set up by a Hughes constituent to fact-check Kelly's claims. Kelly appeared on a podcast with former celebrity chef and conspiracy theorist, Pete Evans. In February 2020 Kelly stated that government taxes on tobacco are driving the creation of a black market. Kelly was criticised for appearing with Pete Evans by RACGP President Dr Karen Price. Kelly has also suggested that the Luxury Car Tax, which applies to imported vehicles worth more than $67,500, be abolished. Kelly was set to face a preselection contest in Hughes, but in February 2021 he resigned from the Liberal Party and sat on the
crossbench A crossbencher is a minor party or independent politician, independent member of some legislatures, such as the Parliament of Australia. In the British House of Lords the term refers to members of the parliamentary group of non-political peers. ...
as an
independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...
. He confirmed he would continue to support the Morrison Liberal/National government on
confidence and supply In parliamentary system, parliamentary democracies based on the Westminster system, confidence and supply is an arrangement under which a minority government (one which does not control a majority in the legislature) receives the support of one ...
. Kelly has said he supports the call for a royal commission into suicides by veterans. While usually up to four extra staff can be allocated to independent MPs, the current Prime Minister must approve any such staffing increase, and Kelly was not allocated extra staff. Kelly amended the Your Future Your Super bill before it passed the lower house to delay the bill's start to July 2022 and to exempt high-risk occupations from 'stapling' people to their first superannuation fund.


Leader of the United Australia Party (2021-2024)

On 23 August 2021, Kelly joined and was appointed the leader of
Clive Palmer Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian billionaire businessman and politician. He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings. Palmer owns many businesses such as Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel at Townsville, t ...
's
United Australia Party The United Australia Party (UAP) was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. The party won four Elections in Australia, federal elections in that time, usually governing Coalition (Australia), in coalition ...
(UAP). Kelly was previously approached to join after becoming an Independent. Kelly will continue to support the government on issues of confidence and supply. Kelly has drafted a bill calling for politicians and senior bureaucrats to be paid $750 per week while a lockdown is in place in their area. Kelly has been criticised for using random-number dialling technology to send unsolicited text messages. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) is seeking legal advice over whether a website linked in these texts which uses the TGA's logo and data breaches the criminal code. His personal mobile phone number was leaked by Australian online news publisher, Crikey, in retaliation. Hundreds of frustrated recipients of the unsolicited sms messages also joined together to send a huge bag of dildos to Craig Kelly to protest his divisive anti-vaccination text messages and inadequate regulation surrounding political parties exemption from the Spam Act. In November 2021, Kelly was ‘awarded’ in absentia the ‘Bent Spoon’ award by organisation the
Australian Skeptics Australian Skeptics is a loose confederation of like-minded organisations across Australia that began in 1980. Australian Skeptics investigate paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using science, scientific methodologies. This page covers all A ...
‘for spreading misinformation about Covid and vaccinations.’ Kelly charged taxpayers for flights and the use of Comcar (a government car service) to attend anti-vaccine mandate and anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne in November and December 2021, and was investigated by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority as to whether it was an appropriate use of taxpayer funds. Kelly argued that it was related to parliamentary business due to his private members' bill on vaccine passports. Kelly was told to repay $2000 from these trips by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority, a decision he is appealing. In December 2021 Kelly, who has been permanently banned from Facebook, was nominated by the
crossbench A crossbencher is a minor party or independent politician, independent member of some legislatures, such as the Parliament of Australia. In the British House of Lords the term refers to members of the parliamentary group of non-political peers. ...
and appointed to a parliamentary committee looking into social media and online safety, along with two Opposition MPs. Also in December 2021, Kelly was labelled one of Australia’s most unpopular political figures, following a Resolve Political Monitor survey that showed that only 9% of surveyed Australians had a positive view of him. This was only slightly higher than
Clive Palmer Clive Frederick Palmer (born 26 March 1954) is an Australian billionaire businessman and politician. He has iron ore, nickel, and coal holdings. Palmer owns many businesses such as Mineralogy, Waratah Coal, Queensland Nickel at Townsville, t ...
who was viewed positively by 8% of Australians, according to the survey. During the 2022 election campaign, Kelly chose to display signs with his name being more prominent than the name of the United Australia Party, as Kelly thought he could be re-elected on the strength of his own personal brand. During the 2022 election campaign, Kelly was egged in a Melbourne park. In the 2022 election, Kelly won around 8% of the vote, coming fourth behind both major parties and an independent, and Jenny Ware, representing the Liberal Party, won Hughes. After the election, Kelly was appointed national director of the UAP. Kelly was sued by the AEC for displaying non-compliant signage during the election campaign, who argued that the 8 point font used for who authorised the advertisement on an early print run of Kelly's signs was not noticeable enough and although a later print run with larger font was made, the original signs remained in use until the election. The AEC's case against Kelly was dismissed by the federal court in July 2023. Kelly called for Scott Morrison to resign after it was revealed that Morrison had secretly been appointed to several ministerial positions. During a case between a former Kelly staffer and his chief of staff, Frank Zumbo, the former staffer claimed that she didn't speak up about the sexual harassment because she feared retribution. Kelly maintained in March 2021 that no-one had any complaints about Zumbo, despite former staffers saying they had raised specific complaints about Zumbo with Kelly in 2013.


2023 New South Wales state election

Kelly registered as an independent candidate for the
2023 New South Wales state election The 2023 New South Wales state election was held on 25 March 2023 to elect the 58th Parliament of New South Wales, including all 93 seats in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly and 21 of the 42 seats in the New South ...
in the
New South Wales Legislative Council The New South Wales Legislative Council, often referred to as the upper house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, parliament of the Australian state of New South Wales. Along with the New South Wales Legislative As ...
. He was not elected, gaining 3498 first preference votes.


Pauline Hanson's One Nation (2024)

On 27 February 2024, Kelly left the UAP to join
Pauline Hanson's One Nation Pauline Hanson's One Nation (PHON), also known as One Nation (ON) or One Nation Party (ONP), is a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist List of political parties in Australia, political party in Australia. It is led by Pauline Hanson. ...
as the party's federal campaign director. He left the party in September of the same year.


Libertarian Party

On 2 December 2024, Kelly announced via 2GB he had joined the Libertarian Party and will contest a Senate seat at the next election.


Political positions

Kelly was formerly part of the
conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
right-wing Right-wing politics is the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position based on natural law, economics, authority, property ...
faction inside the Liberal Party. Kelly put his support behind a plebiscite into same-sex marriage, and he inaccurately predicted that the majority would vote against it. He stated on his Facebook page that he would vote with what his electorate wanted in the marriage survey. In the
conscience vote A conscience vote or free vote is a type of vote in a legislative body where legislators are allowed to vote according to their own personal conscience rather than according to an official line set down by their political party. In a parliamenta ...
s which sought to amend the Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Bill 2017, Kelly voted for all the amendments, none of which were passed. Kelly supports Australia's
constitutional monarchy Constitutional monarchy, also known as limited monarchy, parliamentary monarchy or democratic monarchy, is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in making decisions. ...
, and is a frequent guest on conservative network
Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs fe ...
often speaking on subjects related to the parliamentary environmental and energy committee. While a member of this committee, Kelly criticised the Turnbull government's position on energy. Kelly replaced
Ross Cameron Ross Alexander Cameron (born 14 May 1965) is an Australian politician who was a Liberal Party of Australia, Liberal Party member of the Australian House of Representatives from 1996 until 2004, representing the division of Parramatta. Between ...
on Sky program Outsiders after Cameron was fired, becoming a regular co-host. With Kelly's Facebook page having high engagement, the Sydney Morning Herald called Kelly "one of Australia's most influential politicians" on the platform. In the aftermath of the
2021 storming of the United States Capitol On January 6, 2021, the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., was attacked by a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump in an attempted self-coup,Multiple sources: * * * * * * * * * * * * * two months after his defea ...
by pro-
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
rioters, Kelly shared a debunked '' Washington Times'' article that falsely claimed facial-recognition technology had recognized members of antifa among the attackers. Kelly commented that "neo-fascists and
Marxists Marxism is a political philosophy and method of socioeconomic analysis. It uses a dialectical and materialist interpretation of historical development, better known as historical materialism, to analyse class relations, social conflict, and ...
had engaged in a highly co-ordinated '
false flag A false flag operation is an act committed with the intent of disguising the actual source of responsibility and pinning blame on another party. The term "false flag" originated in the 16th century as an expression meaning an intentional misrep ...
' operation, by infiltrating the protest and invading the capital so that the world’s media would falsely blame and discredit Trump supporters." Kelly did note the correction by the ''Washington Times'' but said he would not retract his post, citing other evidence such as a ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
'' story citing an unnamed law enforcement official who claimed to recognize two members of antifa as well as a
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
video showing an unidentified person being discouraged from vandalism. Kelly also criticised
Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
for flagging a Donald Trump video in which Trump made false claims about fraud in the
2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
and praised the mob, arguing that fraud was a greater threat to democracy than the storming of the Capitol. Kelly was one of only three members of the House of Representatives to speak against the proposal to change the
Australian Constitution The Constitution of Australia (also known as the Commonwealth Constitution) is the fundamental law that governs the political structure of Australia. It is a written constitution, which establishes the country as a Federation of Australia, ...
to enable the Federal Government to place any terms and conditions on financial assistance given to local government councils. He cited the built in checks and balances of the constitution and its longevity as a reason for opposing the change. Kelly opposes the proposed voice to parliament described in the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which intends to recognise
Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians are people with familial heritage from, or recognised membership of, the various ethnic groups living within the territory of contemporary Australia prior to History of Australia (1788–1850), British colonisation. The ...
in Australia's Constitution. He described it as "divisive", and as a reverse form of
apartheid Apartheid ( , especially South African English:  , ; , ) was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. It was characterised by an ...
. He has suggested that he would actively campaign for the "No" side in the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, referendum for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.


COVID-19

Kelly's views on the COVID-19 pandemic were described as "crackpot" by Omar Khorshid, the head of the Australian Medical Association. Kelly has said that forcing children to wear masks is child abuse, though this post was later removed by Facebook. Kelly advocated for hydroxychloroquine to be used in Australia to prevent COVID-19. The majority of research says that it has no clinical benefit to COVID-19 treatment, and may have negative side effects, including a possible increased risk of mortality. Some of these posts were removed by Facebook. Kelly has also posted conspiracy theories about Bill Gates requiring that the world population be vaccinated. Kelly has also given a speech in parliament supporting his views on hydroxychloroquine, and posted on his Facebook page a call for the deputy chief medical officer, Nick Coatsworth, to resign, which he later removed. Kelly and Coatsworth have reportedly "agreed to disagree" on hydroxychloroquine. Kelly has stated that he would not vaccinate himself or his children if a vaccine became approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), later clarifying that he was not Anti-vaccine activism, anti-vax. He then switched to promoting Ivermectin, which is a Head lice infestation, head lice, rosacea, intestinal strongyloidiasis, and onchocerciasis medication, as a COVID-19 treatment, despite there being insufficient data for its use in treatment of COVID-19. The Chief Medical Officer, Paul Kelly, has stated that Craig Kelly's posts are "not scientifically based". Royal Australian College of General Practitioners President Karen Price criticised Kelly for his 2021 appearance on a podcast with Pete Evans, who "spread[s] alarming misinformation, including content linked to the QAnon conspiracy theory and COVID-19 denialist claims". Kelly reassured Evans that the government would not mandate vaccines for COVID-19. After Kelly clashed with Labor Party politician Tanya Plibersek in the halls of parliament over the issue, leading Plibersek to label him a "taxpayer-funded wikt:nong, nong"; Prime Minister
Scott Morrison Scott John Morrison (born 13 May 1968) is an Australian former politician who served as the 30th prime minister of Australia from 2018 to 2022. He held office as leader of the Liberal Party of Australia, leader of the Liberal Party and was ...
also reprimanded Kelly. Kelly later released a statement to the press after his meeting with Morrison; however, his Facebook page was still replete with posts on ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine. Two days after being reprimanded, Kelly again posted about COVID-19 treatments on his Facebook page. Kelly had been lobbying Minister for Health and Aged Care Greg Hunt and the head of the TGA to try to influence their recommendations to the National COVID-19 Clinical Evidence Taskforce, ceasing only when his correspondence was subject to freedom of information applications. Kelly was also banned by Facebook for a week over his COVID-19 posting. Kelly has called for the halt of the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, AstraZeneca vaccine rollout in Australia. On 26 April 2021, Facebook permanently removed Kelly's account, saying that he had continued to breach their misinformation policies, and on 28 April his backup and Instagram accounts were removed. Kelly has shared a draft of a "bill that would outlaw restrictions on anyone who doesn't get a COVID-19 vaccine". The bill includes constitutional problems such as not allowing for people who want to restrict who comes into their home. In late July 2021, Kelly addressed a Brisbane anti-lockdown protest via telephone, and was banned from Twitter for a week. On 15 September 2021, lawyers for the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) threatened Kelly with legal action, alleging the United Australia Party breached copyright and demanded that it stop distributing incomplete extracts of adverse event reports relating to COVID-19 vaccines which the TGA believes could be seriously misleading. In November 2021, the
Australian Skeptics Australian Skeptics is a loose confederation of like-minded organisations across Australia that began in 1980. Australian Skeptics investigate paranormal and pseudoscientific claims using science, scientific methodologies. This page covers all A ...
, an organisation that investigates pseudoscientific claims and medical misinformation, awarded Kelly the "Australian Skeptics#Bent Spoon Awards, Bent Spoon", presented since 1982 "to the perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle". The Australian Skeptics cited, "spreading misinformation about COVID and vaccinations, and offering dubious cures and conspiracy theories".


Climate change and renewable energy

Described as a "serial denier of climate change", Kelly was appointed chair of the backbench environment and energy committee, giving advice to environment minister Josh Frydenberg. He has previously written that convict arrivals to Australia in the 18th century found the weather warmer than in recent years, and has invited climate deniers from the Institute of Public Affairs to present to the government prior to the Paris Agreement. Kelly advocates for a "hockey-stick" approach to meeting the Paris 2030 emissions target for the energy industry, which has been characterised as delaying action to the last possible moment. Kelly has criticised renewable energy, saying that it causes higher electricity bills, which would kill people, according to Kelly. Kelly has written to NSW education minister Rob Stokes, complaining that a high school textbook published by Pearson Education had described
Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...
as a climate change denier. Kelly opposed carbon pricing in Australia and in 2012 addressed a rally of about 2,000 people on the issue in Hyde Park, Sydney, Hyde Park, describing the carbon pricing as a "poisonous, toxic tax" and claiming the Federal Labor government was destroying Australia's prosperity by undermining the country's competitive advantage. He also stated that "Every Coalition member will sign a blood oath to get rid of this tax." Kelly has been a critic of federal subsidies for industrial wind farms. In a speech in parliament he criticised the use of federal funds to obtain wind power of "questionable reliability" in favour of spending on other critical social needs. He attended a "wind power fraud rally" of 150 people in front of Parliament House, Canberra, which called for the abolition of the Renewable energy in Australia, renewable energy target and a ban on new wind farms. Kelly was one of the members of the Monash Forum ginger group which aimed to influence the design of the National Energy Guarantee. The group advocated for a "Hazelwood 2.0" coal-fired power station to be built. Other confirmed members of the forum include Tony Abbott, Eric Abetz, Kevin Andrews (politician), Kevin Andrews, Barnaby Joyce, George Christensen (politician), George Christensen, and Ian Goodenough. Kelly has stated that Labor's proposed increases in the emissions reduction target undermines policy certainty, and has stated that the emissions reduction target for the agriculture industry in Australia could result in farmers having to cull their livestock. Kelly has warned that Josh Frydenberg's offer to the states of a review of the NEG emissions target in 2024 could lead to the target being reduced from its current level of 26%. Kelly also began the Parliamentary Friends of Coal Exports, which was joined by Joel Fitzgibbon, Mike Freelander, Meryl Swanson, Milton Dick, George Christensen, Kevin Andrews and Phillip Thompson. Kelly was stopped from appearing on Australian TV show ''Q+A (Australian talk show), Q&A'' during the election campaign by Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Kelly was preparing charts to display during the program supporting his views on climate change. In September 2018, speaking at a Liberal Party function, Kelly stated that the Pacific island of Tuvalu was growing, not sinking, as evidence in favour of his climate scepticism. In September 2019, at a monarchist league dinner, he claimed that this increase was because coral islands float, further complaining that this was not reported on Australia's public broadcast network, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In January 2020, he was heavily criticised through global media for an appearance on UK television, in which he denied climate change was a contributing factor to the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season, 2019–20 Australian bushfires. Kelly was further criticised for racism and misogyny after referring to meteorologist Laura Tobin as an "ignorant pommy weather girl" who had "no idea what she's talking about", despite her university degree in physics and meteorology. Tobin told Kelly that "You're not a climate skeptic, you're a climate denier", and host Piers Morgan labelled Kelly a "disgrace" who should "wake up". Emergency Management Minister David Littleproud, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison distanced themselves from Kelly's comments, and NSW Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean (politician), Matt Kean said that "Craig Kelly is as qualified to talk about atmospheric physics as he is to perform brain surgery". During this bushfire season, Kelly also implied that environmentalists were responsible for arson. Kelly supports Advance Australia (lobby group), Advance Australia's attempts to introduce educational materials to schools that falsely describe climate change as a hoax. Kelly has falsely claimed that 2020 was the coolest year ever, and has accused the Bureau of Meteorology of altering weather records.


Personal life

Kelly has a daughter and a son. His son has Down syndrome and has been diagnosed with autism. Kelly's maternal grandfather was born in South Africa, which Kelly believes was because of his great-grandparents' pursuit of migrating to Australia from the United Kingdom via South Africa. In 2021 Kelly sold his family home in the Sutherland Shire and purchased a new home approximately 100 km from his electorate in Narara on the New South Wales Central Coast.


References


External links


Profile at TheyVoteForYou
  {{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Craig 1963 births Australian conspiracy theorists Australian monarchists COVID-19 conspiracy theorists Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Australia Living people Independent members of the Parliament of Australia Members of the Australian House of Representatives Members of the Australian House of Representatives for Hughes Right-wing populists United Australia Party (2013) politicians Australian MPs 2010–2013 Australian MPs 2013–2016 Australian MPs 2016–2019 Australian MPs 2019–2022