Nick Xenophon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nick Xenophon
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Xenophon in 2009
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| Senator for South Australia | |
| In office 1 July 2008 – 31 October 2017 |
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| Succeeded by | Rex Patrick |
| Member of the South Australian Legislative Council |
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| In office 11 October 1997 – 15 October 2007 |
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| Leader of Independent No Pokies Campaign Group | |
| In office 13 September 1997 – 1 July 2013 as No Pokies |
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| Deputy | Ann Bressington |
| Preceded by | Party established |
| Succeeded by | John Darley |
| In office as 1 July 2013 – 5 March 2017 as Nick Xenophon Team |
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| Deputy | Stirling Griff |
| Preceded by | Party merged |
| Succeeded by | Party dissolved |
| In office 4 July 2017 – 17 March 2018 as SA-BEST |
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| Deputy | Kris Hanna |
| Preceded by | Party rebranded |
| Succeeded by | Frank Pangallo |
| 1st Leader of Centre Alliance Party | |
| Assumed office 24 March 2022 |
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| Deputy | Kris Hanna |
| Preceded by | Connie Bonaros |
| In office 10 April 2018 – 7 May 2018 |
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| Deputy | Skye Kakoschke-Moore |
| Preceded by | Rebekha Sharkie |
| Succeeded by | Party established |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Nicholas Xenophou
29 January 1959 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Citizenship | Australian British Overseas (renounced) Greek (renounced) |
| Political party | Independent (1997–2013, 2018–) |
| Other political affiliations |
Liberal (1976–1981) No Pokies (1997–2013) Nick Xenophon Team (2013–2018) SA-Best (2017–2018) |
| Spouses |
Sandra Kazubiernis
(m. 1990; div. 2007) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Christian Brothers College |
| Alma mater | University of Adelaide (LLB) |
| Occupation | Law firm principal (Xenophon & Co. Lawyers) |
| Profession | Solicitor Politician |
Nick Xenophon (born 29 January 1959) is an Australian politician and lawyer. He was a Senator for South Australia from 2008 to 2017. He led two political parties: the Nick Xenophon Team at a national level, and Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST in South Australia.
In October 2017, Xenophon left the Australian Senate. He wanted to run for a seat in the House of Assembly in the 2018 state election. Before becoming a Senator, he was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 1997 to 2007. During that time, he was an independent politician. His main goal was to reduce or stop poker machines.
Xenophon first focused on his strong anti-gambling policy. But he also worked on other important issues in federal parliament. These included civil liberties, defence, education, and health. He also focused on manufacturing, national security, and regional affairs.
Contents
Early Life & Education
Nick Xenophon was born Nicholas Xenophou in Adelaide, South Australia. He was born on 29 January 1959. He is the older of two children. His father, Theo, was from Cyprus, and his mother, Georgia, was from Greece.
Xenophon went to Prince Alfred College. He later earned a law degree from the University of Adelaide. From 1976 to 1981, he was a member of the Liberal Party of Australia. He was also part of the Young Liberals.
While at university, Xenophon wrote for the student magazine On Dit. He revealed that the Young Liberals had unfairly influenced a vote. This experience made him dislike party politics.
Legal Career
In 1982, Xenophon started working as a lawyer. In 1984, he opened his own law firm, Xenophon & Co. Lawyers. His firm mainly helps people with workers' compensation and personal injury cases. They often work on a "no-win-no-fee" basis. This means clients only pay if they win their case.
From 1994 to 1997, Xenophon was President of the South Australian branch of the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers' Association. He also taught law at the University of South Australia.
In 2019, it was reported that his law firm was representing Huawei. This is a Chinese telecommunications company. Xenophon also represents David McBride, a military whistleblower.
Political Beliefs
Xenophon sees himself as a centrist politician. He has very strong views against poker machine gambling.
In 2010, Xenophon tried to introduce laws against certain groups. These laws were similar to those in France. He mainly targeted the Church of Scientology and its tax-exempt status.
In 2012, Xenophon worked with Senator John Madigan. They tried to limit government money for wind farms. Xenophon worried about health problems from wind turbines. He also questioned how reliable wind power was.
Political Journey
South Australian Parliament (1997–2007)
In the 1997 state election, Xenophon ran for the South Australian Legislative Council. He ran as an Independent on a No Pokies platform. He wanted to reduce or get rid of poker machines. He received a small percentage of the vote. However, he got many extra votes from smaller parties. This allowed him to be elected. He was the first independent elected to the Legislative Council in 60 years.
After the 1997 election, the government needed support from non-Liberal members. Xenophon often played a key role in passing laws. After the 2002 state election, the government still needed independent support. Xenophon shared power with other independent members.
Xenophon was active on many issues, not just poker machines. He spoke out for consumer rights and essential services. He also cared about the environment and taxation. He was also involved in the Eugene McGee hit and run case. He supported the victim's wife. This led to a special investigation and tougher laws.
In the 2006 state election, he ran a very active campaign. He used creative ways to get attention. He rode a model "gravy train" to protest politicians' benefits. He also walked around with a sandwich board to promote his campaign. He even brought a small goat to Parliament.
He received a large number of votes. This allowed him to be re-elected. He also helped another "No Pokies" candidate, Ann Bressington, get elected.
Australian Senate (2008–2017)
Becoming a Senator
On 11 October 2007, Xenophon announced he would resign from the South Australian Parliament. He wanted to run for the Australian Senate in the 2007 federal election. His main goals were anti-gambling measures and consumer protection. He also wanted to help with the water crisis in the Murray River. He opposed a decrease in state rights and the "WorkChoices" laws.
Because he ran as an independent, his name was not easily visible on the ballot. Voters had to look for his details. He received 14.78 percent of the vote and was elected.
First Term (2008–2014)
In the Senate, Xenophon often held the balance of power. This meant his vote was important for passing laws. The government needed his support, along with other independent senators.
In 2009, the government needed to pass a large economic support package. Xenophon first voted against it. But he later voted for it after some changes were made. He convinced the government to provide more money for water projects.
In 2011, Xenophon's anti-pokies efforts gained strength. This was because another independent, Andrew Wilkie, was elected. Wilkie also strongly opposed poker machines. The government agreed to new rules for poker machines. These included requiring people to decide how much they would bet before playing. They also introduced machines with a lower maximum bet.
In November 2011, Xenophon voted against a bill about clean energy. This bill was about a carbon pricing scheme. The bill passed with support from other parties.
In May 2012, Xenophon visited Malaysia. He wanted to observe anti-government protests. A Malaysian newspaper wrongly changed a quote from him. Xenophon threatened to sue, and the article was removed. In February 2013, Xenophon tried to visit Malaysia again. But he was stopped at the airport and sent back to Australia.
2013 Election Campaign
During the 2013 federal election, Xenophon focused on four main issues. These included gaming machine reforms and stopping palm oil sales. He also wanted to break up the supermarket duopoly (when two companies control most of the market). Finally, he sought better deals for farmers in the Murray-Darling basin. His vote increased to 24.9 percent.
Second Term (2014–2016)
After being re-elected, Xenophon continued to hold influence in the Senate. He focused on defence issues. He also opposed cuts made by the government in the 2014 budget.
In October 2014, Xenophon supported the government's plan to fight Climate Change. This helped the plan pass in the Senate. However, he later said the plan was weakened by changes.
In December 2014, Xenophon voted against changes to university funding. These changes would have led to more private funding for universities.
In March 2015, Xenophon opposed new national security laws. He was concerned about how they would affect journalists. He also worked with the Minister for Immigration to bring back a certain type of visa.
In March 2015, Xenophon traveled to Indonesia. He went with an Adelaide sheikh to ask for mercy for two Australians.
In November 2015, Xenophon asked for a special investigation. This was into a spying issue between Australia and East Timor.
In February 2016, Xenophon supported changes to the Senate election system. Other senators criticized him for this. They said it would make it harder for them to be re-elected.
2016 Election Campaign
During the 2016 federal election, Xenophon faced criticism. He was accused of not declaring a directorship in a company. He said these were unfair attacks.
Third Term (2016–2017)
In August 2016, Xenophon and his team opposed a public vote on same-sex marriage. They believed it was a waste of money and not legally binding.
In March 2017, Xenophon announced a new party for the 2018 South Australian state election. This party, Nick Xenophon's SA-BEST, was officially registered in July 2017.
In August 2017, Xenophon's eligibility to be a Senator was questioned. This was part of a larger issue affecting many politicians. He asked the High Court to check his eligibility. On 27 October 2017, the High Court confirmed he was eligible.
In September 2017, Xenophon supported changes to media laws. These changes allowed companies to own more types of media in one market.
On 6 October 2017, Xenophon announced he would resign from the Senate. He wanted to run for the South Australian Parliament. He officially resigned on 31 October 2017. His senior advisor, Rex Patrick, replaced him.
South Australian House of Assembly (2018)
On 17 March 2018, Xenophon ran for the seat of Hartley. This was in the South Australian House of Assembly election. He did not win the seat.
2022 Senate Election Campaign
On 24 March 2022, Xenophon announced he would run for the Australian Senate again. He ran as an independent candidate for the Group O ticket. He ran with Centre Alliance Senator Stirling Griff. However, neither of them were elected.
After Politics
In December 2019, Huawei Australia announced they had hired Xenophon as an "external lawyer." The Australian government had banned the company from providing 5G infrastructure. Xenophon stated he would not lobby members of parliament for Huawei.
Xenophon continues to support reforms for poker machine gambling.
Personal Life
In 1990, Xenophon married Sandra Kazubiernis. They had one child in 1992. At that time, Xenophon changed his last name to Xenophon. This was his paternal grandfather's surname. He and Sandra later divorced.
In 2023, Xenophon opened a Greek-Cypriot restaurant in Adelaide. He named it "Thanks to Theo" to honor his father.
Filmography
- Kitchen Cabinet (2013) - Himself
- The House with Annabel Crabb (2017) - Himself
- The Ex-PM (2017) - Prime Minister
Images for kids
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Xenophon in 2009
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Xenophon in September 2008
