Professor Ken Coghill

Biography

Ken Coghill BVSc (Melbourne) PhD (Monash) was born at Mansfield, in 1944.

Ken first graduated BVSc in 1967 and worked at Wodonga as a Department of Agriculture veterinaryofficer. During this period he became a member of the Australian Labor Party and was active in rural policy development. He was also elected to Wodonga Council.

After relocating to Werribee, he was elected as the local State MP, also serving as Parliamentary Secretary and Speaker. Enhancing social cohesion and community resilience were among his proudest and most satisfying achievements as an MP.

After retiring from Parliament in 1996, he joined Monash University and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2007. He leads research in governance and parliamentary studies.

He conducts research into the enhancement of parliamentarians’ knowledge, skills and capabilities, including ethical competence and codes of conduct for MPs. 

Swinburne University of Technology appointed him as Adjunct Professor from 1 January 2018. At Swinburne University, Ken uses his background of practice and research to continue research related to parliaments and parliamentarians.

Ken is director of a number of civil society organisations including the Accountability Round Table, the Australian Open Government Partnership Network and Urimbirra Cooperative which conserves an area in the Murray Basin. He has been a member of the Australian Government’s Open Government Forum (which is part of Australia’s membership of the 75 nation Open Government Partnership).

His knowledge (research, practice & teaching) and experience in democratic governance, include:

• Governance (MGF5300, Monash University) - research & teaching (1996 - 2018)
• PhD (1999) on ministerial responsibility and accountability
• ARC Grants  - lead Chief Investigator (3 grants)
• Research Committee of Legislative Specialists (RC08), International Political Science Association
• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association - contract research on codes of conduct for MPs
• Victorian Parliament - MP (Werribee; 1979-96) including Cabinet Secretary (1982-88) and Speaker (1988-92)
• Open Government Forum - civil society member (part of the Australian Government's membership of the multi-national Open Government Partnership)
• Accountability Round Table - member and director
• Australian Open Government Partnership Civil Society Network - member and chair
• Lighter Footprints Inc (climate action group) - member and director
• Urimbirra Cooperative (land conservation) -  member and director