18 Facts About Tom Kenyon

Thomas Richard Kenyon was born on 26 February 1972 and is a former Australian politician who represented the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Newland for the Labor Party from the 2006 election until his defeat in 2018.

Tom Kenyon left the Labor Party in 2021 to found the Family First Party.

Tom Kenyon was educated at Saint Ignatius College, South Australia and studied Asian Studies at Flinders University.

Tom Kenyon subsequently completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Management at the University of South Australia.

Tom Kenyon is linked with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association.

Tom Kenyon made his first bid for parliament in his early 20s, as the Labor candidate in the safe Liberal state seat of Heysen at the 1997 state election, achieving a 12.3-point two-party swing.

Tom Kenyon was endorsed unopposed as the party's candidate for the electorate of Newland at the 2006 state election, where veteran Liberal MP Dorothy Kotz was retiring.

Tom Kenyon singled out increasing the use of public transport and addressing youth employment as priorities, and there was some media speculation that his status as a young, relatively conservative father of three would be well-supported in the area of Adelaide known as the "Bible Belt".

Tom Kenyon was on the right of the Labor Party, with links to the rightwing Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association.

Tom Kenyon used his maiden South Australian House of Assembly speech to criticise the SA Greens environmental credentials, stating that he did not believe South Australia should accept nuclear waste from other countries, and that burial of waste materials would be a suitable option.

Tom Kenyon was appointed as Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade, Minister for Small Business as well as becoming a Member of Executive Council.

Tom Kenyon suffered a 4.6-point two-party swing to finish with a 52.2 percent two-party vote at the 2010 state election in Newland.

At the 2014 state election, Tom Kenyon's seat became Labor's most marginal on a 51.4 percent two-party vote from a 1.2-point swing.

Tom Kenyon quit cabinet following the 2014 election stating he wanted to spend more time with his family.

On 28 July 2021, alongside former minister Jack Snelling, Tom Kenyon founded the Family First Party.

Tom Kenyon expressed his belief that the funds raised by such an activity could fund major public infrastructure projects and advance the South Australian economy.

Tom Kenyon spoke on the subject at various events, to the media and demonstrated the potential for bi-partisan support in a public meeting with Liberal party senator, Sean Edwards in which he applauded Edwards' submission to the Royal Commission.

Tom Kenyon noted that Edwards proposition went beyond his own by introducing the potential reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel to generate electricity using advanced nuclear reactors.