Chris Kenny is one of the most influential conservative political commentators in Australia, through his roles as a columnist in The Australian newspaper and a host on The Kenny Report on Sky News Australia. Born on 28 September 1962 in Adelaide, South Australia, Kenny has made a distinct mark in Australian media and politics, becoming a household name to the viewers who wish to get the analysis of national affairs from the perspective of centre-right politics.
Who is Chris Kenny?
To the Australian who types in the search query of “who is Chris Kenny”, the answer is a complex career of journalism, political advisory and media commentary. Kenny is now the Associate Editor of The Australian on the matter of National Affairs, and his weekly columns deconstruct political events and energy policy as well as cultural debates. His weekday show, The Kenny Report, which he presents on Sky News Australia, Monday to Thursday, 5:00 pm, provides a common-sense approach to the big issues in the country, as the network describes.
Kenny took an unusual path to media prominence. His first jobs were in the national parks and wildlife service as a fire-spotter and park assistant in South Australia, and then he later moved to journalism. In 1984, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of South Australia and began his career at The Murray Pioneer in Renmark and proceeded to the metropolitan media in Adelaide.
Political Views and Commentary Style
The political ideologies of Chris Kenny are based on solid foundations of conservatism, although he, in some cases, crosses partisan lines on certain issues. His campaign to have the Indigenous Voice to Parliament included in the 2023 referendum was a complete surprise to many people, considering his historic views on matters that were conservative. Since Kenny was in the Senior Advisory Group for designing the Voice process, he supported the plan but criticised both the Yes and No campaigns due to their methods.
On energy and climate policy, Kenny is an advocate of nuclear power as a viable measure to meet the emissions targets in Australia. In his 2021 documentary Going Nuclear: The Clean Energy Debate, he said that it was impractical to go net-zero without nuclear energy. He frequently attacks policy on renewable energy, arguing that “the policies on climate that are being forced on this country by Labour, the Greens and the Teals…are again hurting us once more” because of increased power prices.
Career Highlights and Political Advisory Roles
Kenny served in important political offices before going back to journalism full-time, and this gives him an insider view. He joined South Australian Liberal Premier, John Olsen, in 2000 as the Director of Strategic Communications, and became the chief of staff to Kerin in 2001. In 2002, he entered federal politics when he became media adviser to the Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, becoming chief of staff in 2006. At this time, Kenny handled the international crises such as the war in Iraq, Bali bombings and the Boxing Day tsunami, visiting more than 50 countries.
His most scandalous advisory position was in 2009 when he was chief of staff to the federal Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, in the so-called “Utegate” scandal. Kenny resigned after Turnbull lost his Liberal leadership to Tony Abbott, though he has insisted that he had no contact with the key player in the scandal.
Family Life: Wife Sunita and Sons Isaac and James
The information concerning the wife and family of Chris Kenny is the most common search among Australians. Kenny is happily married to Sunita Kenny, and the two got married after he proposed marriage on a hilltop in 2009, as it was announced on Twitter in 2011. Although Kenny has comparative privacy to say little about his personal life, the social media presence shows that Kenny cares about his family and takes his wife out frequently.
In the family, there are two sons of the couple, named Isaac and James. Kenny periodically mentions his family life on social media, which proves that he “values and enjoys spending time with his wife and children”. The family is living in the eastern suburbs of Sydney.
Note: Some sources report conflicting details about Kenny, which state that the wife was Sarah; this is incorrect. His wife’s name is Sunita Kenny, as confirmed by the most stable and reliable sources.
Is Chris Kenny Leaving Sky News?
Among the top questions, one that people ask is “whether or not Chris Kenny is leaving Sky News?”. By October 2025, Kenny has not shown any credible signs that he is leaving the network. In January 2025, Sky News Australia revealed its yearly programming schedule, with the weekly series The Kenny Report heavily featured in this list. Even when President Trump was inaugurated in January 2025, Kenny did a live broadcast on the network in the United States, thus proving his continued loyalty to the network.
This speculation can be due to the general confusion with other departures of Sky News, including long-time presenter Kenny Heatley, who declared his retirement from television altogether in October 2025 after 17 years of service. Chris Kenny, on the other hand, has not changed his usual broadcasting schedule and is still a stalwart of opinion programming in Sky News Australia.
Contact Information and Email Address
To the viewers who would want to get in touch with Chris Kenny, there are several alternatives. His work email address when dealing with Sky News is chris.kenny@skynews.com.au. In his case with The Australian, one can be contacted via the editorial channels of the newspaper. The Kenny Report by Kenny also welcomes the comments of the viewer, and the fans are encouraged to write to chris.kenny@skynews.com.au to draw attention to time-sensitive stories or comments.
Height, Age, and Personal Background
Chris Kenny is 63 years old (as of October 2025) and was born in 1962. Although certain information about his height is not generally publicised, these personal traits are not very significant in his impact on the profession. Kenny was brought up in South Australia, and thus his early interests, such as his interest in Australian rules football, were formed. At a young age, he represented SANFL in Norwood and West Adelaide.
Relationship with Mark Kenny
The question many Australians would pose is the relationship between Chris Kenny and Mark Kenny: are they brothers or are they related? The two journalists are cousins and not brothers. Mark Kenny is an Australian national and a professor in the Australian Studies Institute of the Australian National University, and a host of the podcast Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny. Contrary to his cousin Chris, Mark Kenny has rather progressive political views, which include marriage equality and republicanism. The cousins are the two sides of the Australian political media environment, and while sharing the same surname and the profession of being a journalist
Publications and Documentary Work
In addition to his regular columns and television work, Kenny has written two books: State of Denial (1993) on the collapse of the Bannon Government and Women Business (1996) on the Hindmarsh Island bridge scandal. He has been a contributor towards books on Indigenous recognition and Australian Rules Football.
His documentary work also encompasses a documentary, Going Nuclear: The Clean Energy Debate (2021), and a series, Your ABC Exposed (2022), both on controversial policy and media matters, albeit through the lens of his conservative viewpoint.
The ABC Dog Controversy
The 2013-2014 scandal involving the ABC and The Chaser team would not have been mentioned in a profile of Chris Kenny. After Kenny criticised the ABC, The Hamster Decides episode of The Chaser featured a satirical sketch with a photoshopped picture of Kenny in a sexually explicit pose with a dog. Kenny sued the ABC, leading to an apology by the company, payment of damages amounting to $35,000 and payment of his legal expenses. The Australian Communications and Media Authority decided that broadcast standards were violated. Kenny later reflected, “To the degree that I am remembered because of this, I will be remembered as the journalist called a dog fucker who stood up for his rights.”
Podcast and Digital Presence
The Kenny Report can be listened to on leading services such as Apple Podcasts, so that anybody can keep up with the episodes discussing issues related to immigration policy, Middle East tensions, etc. The show is a weekly episode series, and usually approximately 50 minutes in length.
Net Worth and Salary
The net worth of Chris Kenny is not revealed publicly, but his multiple positions at The Australian and Sky News Australia also make him one of the well-paid media faces in Australia. His earnings are an indicator of his popularity in the Australian conservative media as a senior columnist and prime-time TV host. Nevertheless, definite salaries are not openly advertised.
Conclusion
Chris Kenny is still a staple in Australian politics commentary, and his views appeal to centre-right mindsets in all parts of the country. Regardless of whether or not the viewers agree or disagree with his views on nuclear energy, Indigenous recognition, or climate policy, his impact on the Australian public discourse cannot be ignored. His rise to political adviser and then media heavyweight out of being a park ranger shows the variety of tracks of excellence in the Australian public life.
The Kenny Report is broadcast weeknights at 5:00 pm by Sky News Australia, and his columns are also found in The Australian. With the federal election of 2025 drawing closer, Kenny’s commentary will certainly be a major contributor to the conservative narratives and question the policies of the Labour government.
