Former ALP ministers Jack Snelling and Tom Kenyon reviving Family First party

Two former Labor ministers will quit the party to revive another and, they say, use it to fight attacks on religious freedom.

Former Labor ministers Tom Kenyon and Jack Snelling will relaunch Family First as a political party and quit the ALP over “moves to restrict religious freedom”.

The duo, who were ministers in the Rann and Weatherill governments, revealed the move to Sunday Mail columnist Matthew Abraham and declared they would resign from Labor today. Mr Snelling, who ruled out preference deals with either Labor or the Liberals, said the pair planned to field candidates at next March’s state election.

“There is a momentum to restrict religious freedom”, Mr Snelling told Mr Abraham.

Mr Snelling said neither Labor nor the Liberals provided a vehicle to fight this attack on religious freedom.

Soon-to-be former Labor member Jack Snelling. Picture: Ben Macmahon

Former Minister Tom Kenyon. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Mr Snelling told Mr Abraham he was the chairman of an incorporated association, Family First Party, that was not yet registered as a party but the formal process to do so was being worked through.

Their plans have received the blessing of Family First co-founder, former Paradise Assemblies of God pastor Andrew Evans, who has declined requests to be involved in the revival.

The Labor duo’s plans to quit the party they served follow a Liberal membership recruitment drive among Pentecostal Christian churches, spearheaded by Senator Alex Antic, that has gathered about 500 recruits.

Formed in SA, Family First’s powerbase was Adelaide Pentecostal Christians.

Mr Snelling told Abraham he did not plan to stand as a candidate but Mr Kenyon was considering this.

Mr Malinauskas said he had “little interest in what ex MPs from a past government do in a minor party”.

“My focus is on taking a future-orientated policy to the next state election,” he said.

Mr Evans, who now lives on the Gold Coast, said the party had made a mistake by merging with the Australian Conservatives and Labor duo would be challenged by grassroots organisation. “I don’t mind them doing it. It puts a brake on the major parties,” he said. “I just said to them: ‘Leave me out of it. I’ve done my bit.”