Steven Kons - Member for Braddon
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Burnie Office: 64 Wilson Street Burnie, TAS, 7320 Tel: (03) 6434 6307 Fax: (03) 6434 6221 Email: steven.kons@justice.tas.gov.au |
Steve Kons was born on the 17th of September 1962.
His parents Angela and Arthur Kons immigrated to Australia in the 1950s, leaving behind a war torn Greece and looking for a new future in Australia. Both his parents worked as manual process workers in Melbourne until the late 1970s.
Steve was educated at Middle Park Primary School, St Kilda Park Primary School, Elwood High School and completed his secondary education at Caulfield Grammar School in Melbourne.
In 1980 the family moved to Devonport to buy a business, which operated successfully for a number of years. Steve attended the University of Tasmania in Hobart, completing a Batchelor of Laws degree in 1986.
After graduating Steve returned to Melbourne to further his legal career. During his three years back in Melbourne, Steve worked for several legal firms both small and large, which included providing tax advice to a large multinational accounting firm. In his spare time, he renovated properties.
It was in Melbourne that Steve met and married his wife Eva.
In 1989 Steve and Eva relocated to Burnie where Steve purchased the Farmers Supermarket. He operated that business until he was elected to Parliament in 1998.
Steve and Eva, their two children Anastasi and Angelika and Steve’s parents Angela and Arthur are deeply involved in the community on Tasmania’s North West Coast and believe that there is no better place to live and raise a family.
In 1994 Steve was elected as an Alderman to the Burnie City Council. At the end of his first term he was elected Mayor in 1996.
Steve and his family bought the Club Hotel in Burnie and whilst his parents now run the hotel, Steve still enjoys occasionally helping out in the bottle shop in his spare time.
In 1998 Steve was asked by then Premier Jim Bacon to run for State Parliament. Steve’s result was outstanding, elected to represent Braddon with a full quota on his first attempt as a state candidate.
Before long he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier. He was then made Secretary to Cabinet before being elevated to Minister for Primary Industries and Water in 2004.
Steve was re-elected in March of 2006 when the Lennon Labor Government was returned to office.
Following the election, Steve was given the senior role of Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Workplace Relations and Planning.
From October 2006 to April 2008, Steve served in the position of Deputy Premier.
Braddon was named after Sir Edward Braddon (1829-1904), Premier of
Tasmania (1894-1899), and a Member of the House of Representatives
(1901-1904).
Braddon is a rural electorate covering approximately 11 760 sq km in
North West Tasmania. It includes King Island. The cities of Burnie and
Devonport are in the Division of Braddon. Other major towns include
Currie, Latrobe, Penguin, Port Sorell, Smithton, Stanley, Ulverstone,
Waratah and Wynyard.
Products and industries of the area cover forestry, fishing, kelp
harvesting, dairying, beef cattle production and vegetable, poppy and
pyrethrum growing, which are major primary industries. Vegetable
processing, cheese manufacture and sawmilling complement these
activities. Lead and zinc and iron ore are mined in the Division.
Manufacturing industry includes paper mills at Burnie and Wesley Vale,
mining equipment at Burnie and weaving mills at Devonport. A number of
telecommunications call centres are located in the Division. Burnie and
Devonport are major ports, and interstate airports are located at
Devonport and Wynyard.