Ms Kealy, 45, is the Member for Lowan, an electorate that takes in a large chunk of western Victoria, including the towns of Horsham and Hamilton.
“It’s just fabulous to be at Parliament House and to be selected as the new deputy leader for the National Party in Victoria,” Ms Kealy said.
“I have been a fierce advocate for country Victoria all of my life, I’m a fierce advocate for the National Party, which is the only party who always puts the voices of regional and rural Victorians first and brings it to Parliament House.
“We need to make sure that the Nationals are front and centre, in the solutions, to rebuild Victoria and get Victoria back on track.”
Ms Kealy replaces Steph Ryan, who resigned from the role and as the Member for Euroa last week.
Her new appointment was ratified by the Victorian Nationals’ party room.
Nationals leader Peter Walsh, the Member for Murray Plains, congratulated Ms Kealy on her new role.
“Emma has a strong reputation as a dedicated local advocate who will go above and beyond to secure the very best for the people of Lowan, which is an energy I know she’ll bring as deputy leader,” Mr Walsh said.
“As shadow minister, Emma has played a crucial role in leading the Liberals’ and Nationals’ response to support Victorians to recover and rebuild from the COVID pandemic.
“A former CEO of Edenhope hospital with a strong background in the health sector, Emma also brings a wealth of invaluable skills to her shadow responsibilities as we continue to build our positive plan to fix Victoria’s health crisis.”
Mr Walsh said the new leadership team would waste no time getting to work ahead of November’s state election.
Ms Kealy was elected as the Member for Lowan in 2014.
She currently holds shadow portfolios in mental health, women, and for prevention of family violence.
The past two years of the pandemic have taken a devastating toll on the mental health of many Victorians, with Ms Kealy stepping up as a determined advocate for the mental health sector.
Mr Walsh said fixing the health crisis was just one part of the plan that the Nationals, if elected to government, would deliver for regional Victoria.
“Regional Victorians are sick and tired of being overlooked by a city-centric Labor Government that’s not interested in looking past Melbourne’s tram tracks,” Mr Walsh said.
“As a team of MPs who live and work in the communities we represent, remember this November that only the Nationals in government are truly focused on delivering a fair share for regional Victorians.”
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