Steve Kons
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Steven Kons (born 17 September 1962, Melbourne) is an Australian Labor politician and member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly in the electorate of Braddon. His current positions within the Government of Tasmania include posts as Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice and Workplace Relations and Minister for Planning.
Kons was born to Greek immigrants who worked in heavy manual employment to help educate him at Caulfield Grammar School in Melbourne. After the family moved to operate a Devonport business, he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Tasmania before returning to Melbourne to practice mainly in the corporate sector.
Kons later returned to Tasmania and established a successsful business career. From 1997 to 1999, he served as Mayor of Burnie.
Invited by Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon to run for the Labor Party, he was first elected in the 1998 Tasmanian legislative election. Before long he was appointed as Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier, then was given the position of Secretary to Cabinet before being elevated to Minister for Primary Industries and Water.
In October 2004, Kons controversially drank a glass of water contaminated with atrazine after a property in the north-east of Tasmania was accidentally sprayed by a Gunns Limited contractor. [1] [2]. His actions were supposedly to prove the water was "safe".
On October 27, 2006, he was appointed Deputy Premier, replacing Bryan Green. [3]
