Perin Davey


Perin McGregor Davey is an Australian politician who was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 2019 Australian federal election. She is a member of the National Party and serves as its Senate whip.

Early career

Davey was born in Sydney and grew up in Canberra. Her father was born in England and she held British citizenship by descent until renouncing it in 2018 to stand for parliament.
After leaving high school Davey worked as a cadet journalist for the Mudgee Guardian for three years. She later worked as a consultant for public relations firm Gavin Anderson & Co., as a farm administrator for the Australian Agricultural Company, and as water policy adviser and corporate affairs manager for Murray Irrigation Limited. She also had two periods of service as a reservist with the Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps.
Davey served on the board of the New South Wales Irrigators' Council from 2014 to 2016 and in 2017 was nominated to the board of the Murray-Darling Basin Authority by federal agriculture and water minister Barnaby Joyce. Her nomination was opposed by South Australian water minister Ian Hunter on the grounds that she was not independent. She eventually asked Joyce to withdraw her nomination, after it was reported that a New South Wales government official had been recorded offering her government data to "help irrigators exploit the Murray-Darling Basin Plan".

Politics

Davey joined the Nationals in 1998 and in 2000 worked as a media adviser to Senator Ron Boswell. Before entering parliament she held various offices in the New South Wales branch, including vice-chairman of the women's council, central council member, and chairman of the Deniliquin branch.
Davey was elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election, in third place on the Coalition's ticket in New South Wales. Her term began on 1 July 2019. She was subsequently elected as the Nationals' Senate whip.

Personal life

Davey lives with her husband John and two daughters on a property in Conargo.