James Harley Kennan SC (25 February 1946 – 4 August 2010) was an Australian politician and later adjunct professor of law at

Deakin University Deakin University is a public university in Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1974 with antecedent history since 1887, the university was named after Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia and a founding father of Australian Fede ...

. Kennan earned a Master of Laws from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. He was a member of parliament between 1982 and 1993, initially in the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

, and then in the Legislative Assembly as the member for Broadmeadows and was Deputy Premier of Victoria from 1990 to 1992. After the defeat of the Labor Party Government at the 1992 state election, and the later retirement of leader

Joan Kirner Joan Elizabeth Kirner (née Hood; 20 June 1938 – 1 June 2015) was an Australian politician who was the 42nd Premier of Victoria, serving from 1990 to 1992. A Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch), Labor Party member of the Parliament of ...

in March 1993 he became the Leader of the Opposition until his shock retirement from Parliament three months later. He was succeeded as leader and member for Broadmeadows by a former member of the Legislative Council, John Brumby. To date, Kennan is the last Victorian Labor leader who did not become Premier. In the early 1990s, Kennan was identified as part of the informal "Victorian Independents" faction within the ALP, along with John Button, Michael Duffy and Barry Jones. He worked as a Senior Counsel in the Victorian legal system, most notably representing Jack Thomas at his re-trial on terrorism charges in late 2008.

Death

Kennan died on 4 August 2010, aged 64, after a battle with cancer.

References

1946 births 2010 deaths Members of the Victorian Legislative Council Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly Ministers for the environment (Victoria) Australian Labor Party members of the Parliament of Victoria Australian barristers Deputy premiers of Victoria University of Melbourne alumni Academic staff of Deakin University Deaths from cancer in Victoria (state) People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne Leaders of the opposition in Victoria (state) Australian Senior Counsel Attorneys-general of Victoria Melbourne Law School alumni Politicians from Melbourne Ministers for the creative industries (Victoria) Ministers for planning (Victoria) Ministers for major projects (Victoria) Ministers for transport infrastructure (Victoria) {{Australia-Labor-Victoria-MP-stub