Maxine McKew - profile

Maxine McKew, Labor's candidate for Bennelong

Maxine McKew is the Australian Labor Party's candidate for the seat of Bennelong and a special advisor on strategy to the Federal Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

As Maxine says: "If Kevin Rudd is to become Australia's next Prime Minister he needs to win marginal seats like Bennelong. The best contribution I can make to the ALP effort is to listen to the Bennelong community and to explain Kevin's Rudd's future plan for Australia."

Before making the switch to politics, Maxine spent thirty years as a broadcast and print journalist.

She is a Walkley and Logie award winner and through coverage of national and international events, earned a reputation as one of the country's most authoritative interviewers.

In 2003 she was awarded a Centenary Medal for services to broadcasting.

Maxine has always been a strong advocate of opportunities for women, both in her own industry and in the wider workforce.

Her voluntary activities over the past decade have included chairmanship of the Advisory Council to the National Breast Cancer Centre and membership of the University of Sydney's Research Institute for Asia Pacific.

She has also served as Patron of Osteoporosis Australia and as a member of the Sydney Symphony Council.

Maxine was born in Brisbane in 1953, attended All Hallows' School and studied at the University of Queensland.