A portrait of a kingmaker: who is Kevin Louey?

In last year’s City of Melbourne council election, Cr Kevin Louey found himself at the top of now Lord Mayor Nick Reece’s ticket.

It is a position he has become comfortable with, having served as a City of Melbourne councillor since 2008 and previously working as John So’s chief of staff. Across consecutive elections between 2012 and 2020, he was elected via the number one positions on the councillor tickets of former Lord Mayors Robert Doyle and Sally Capp.

However, despite his veteran status at Town Hall, he seldom speaks at meetings, and little is known about his private business interests.

CBD News has spoken with several councillors, both past and present – including some who served on the same ticket as the elder statesman – and each expressed similar sentiments: while they have worked beside him, week in and week out, little is known about such a familiar face.

In the council’s Summary of Biannual Personal Interests Returns, Cr Louey disclosed that he received an income exceeding $10,000 in the six months up to September from Sino Capital Pty Ltd.

However, there is minimal public information available on the scope and operations of the company, and when questioned about this, Cr Louey did not provide any further details.

It is understood that Cr Louey is well connected within the property industry and is a close friend of Golden Age Property’s managing director Jeff Xu, and Clement Lee from Riverlee Property.

He also frequents property development events outside the City of Melbourne. In March this year, the Associated Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Australia posted a photo of Cr Louey speaking at the launch of Mullum Ringwood by Sunsuria Berhad (pictured below).

When asked whether he attended this event as a councillor or due to involvement with the project, Cr Louey did not specify. However, he did shed light on the importance of connecting with local communities.

“Councillors are the government representatives that engage with local communities the most,” he said.

“During my 17 years as a councillor, I’ve worked hard to build genuine and productive relationships across the community.”

I have been invited to thousands of forums and events, and I am grateful for the strong community support I’ve received.

He noted that it was critical to his role as both a councillor and the head of the City Economy and Business portfolio that he met with businesses and the organisations that supported them.

As reported by CBD News in 2015, Cr Louey said his major source of income comes from advisory boards of booming, high-tech Chinese manufacturers.

At the time, he said the board positions involved travelling to China for “a couple of board meetings and a couple of dinners” each year.

“They like my feel for it and, because I’ve known them for so long, I’m honest with them, so they like my ideas about which is the correct direction to go,” Cr Louey said.

A former City of Melbourne councillor, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were aware he was involved with manufacturers, but the exact details were always “a little hazy”.

As the council’s representative for the Business Partner Cities (BPC) network, Cr Louey has also travelled extensively throughout the Asia-Pacific.

Between 2013 and 2023, he undertook 10 official delegations. His travels have included visits to Jakarta, Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai, Osaka and Kuala Lumpur, with each delegation centred on strengthening international business links, attracting investment, and supporting innovation.

In September, Cr Louey – alongside Lord Mayor Nick Reece, Cr Philip Le Liu and Cr Gladys Liu – took part in the City of Melbourne’s Asia Business Mission, which focused on the green economy and health sectors. However, as reported by sibling publication Southbank News ahead of the mission, some of delegates who attended were revealed to be property developers.

Prior to this trip, CBD News had arranged to interview Cr Louey. However, upon his return, he declined to speak.

Alongside his work as a councillor, Cr Louey is also the secretary of the Chinese Masonic Society, which donated $10,000 to Nick Reece’s 2024 election campaign.

Several sources from Melbourne’s Chinese civic community who spoke to CBD News claimed the Society has links to the Chinese Consulate and operates beyond organising Chinese New Year celebrations.

They said it served as a conduit for connections between Chinese businesspeople, government representatives, Australian politicians, public servants and business figures.

One source who wished not to be identified said, “The consulate says ‘jump’, and the members of the Masonic Lodge say, ‘how high?’”

However, when asked about the connection between the Chinese government and the Chinese Masonic Society, Cr Louey did not expand on the operations or scope of the organisation’s work.

“I have been an active member of the Chinese Masonic Society for more than 40 years – an organisation that has supported our community since the 1860s,” he said.

“I’m focused on outcomes, not fanfare. I am proud of my track record and will continue to show up and advocate for our community.”

While Cr Louey’s demeanour is usually calm and quiet at Town Hall, there is one aberration.

At the October 1 Future Melbourne Committee meeting in 2019, former councillor Stephen Mayne asked for more information about why the restaurant, Dainty Sichuan, donated $80,000 to Robert Doyle’s mayoral campaign in 2016.

In response, Cr Louey, who was Doyle’s number one councillor, accused Mayne of sending a libellous email and repeatedly threatened to table it. However, he ultimately decided against doing so.

Mayne’s email forewarned councillors of the questions he intended to ask at the meeting relating to the donation. However, it was never made publicly available.

Team Doyle was no stranger to scrutiny over campaign donations. In the 2012 mayoral elections, they received more than $100,000 from developers and builders in the city, including $37,000 from Clement Lee and $20,000 from Chinese developer Richard Gu.

At the time, The Age revealed that Cr Louey had organised meetings at which developers were each asked for tens of thousands of dollars for the Doyle campaign in return for Town Hall access.

But since then, he has kept away from the limelight and headlines. He has made a career out of being connected, as CBD News reported in 2015, but exactly what this means remains opaque.

With present councillors and prominent community members unsure of who Kevin Louey really is, he remains a mystery to many. However, with a reserved top spot on one mayoral ticket after another, his connections and influence have a way of speaking to those wanting to lead the city. •