Chantelle Thomas
Chantelle Thomas | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Narungga | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Fraser Ellis |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1995 or 1996 (age 30–31)[1] Gawler, South Australia, Australia |
| Party | One Nation |
Chantelle Marie Thomas (born 1995 or 1996) is an Australian politician. A member of One Nation, she has represented the district of Narungga in the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2026 state election.
Early life and education
[edit]Chantelle Thomas was born in 1995 or 1996.[1]
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]Thomas has previously worked in hospitality and as a counsellor with Lifeline.[2] At the time of proposing her candidacy for One Nation, she described her occupations as photographer and make-up artist.[1]
Political career
[edit]Thomas was announced as a candidate for the 2026 South Australian state election in January 2026, representing One Nation in the district of Narungga.[1][3] At the time, Narungga was held by Fraser Ellis, a former Liberal who left the party to become an independent. In 2024, Ellis was found guilty of deception in relation to the misuse of his parliamentary allowances.[4]
Thomas's website focused on health care, saying "One Nation will crack down on Medicare fraud and implement reforms to better remunerate GPs so they can bulk-bill".[2] During her campaign for office, federal leader of One Nation Pauline Hanson and SA leader Cory Bernardi flew in to her electorate to lend support.[5]
At the 2026 election, although it was clear Ellis had been defeated, Thomas and Liberal candidate Tania Stock both remained in contention as counting progressed.[6] Following a recount, Thomas was confirmed as the MP for Narungga, leading Stock by 58 votes in the two-candidate preferred vote and becoming one of four One Nation members of the House of Assembly.[7][8] On 16 April, after Narungga was declared for Thomas, 81 unopened ballots for the seat were discovered by the Electoral Commission of South Australia.[9] In an indicative count performed the following day, acting Electoral Commissioner Leah McLay declared that the missing ballot papers would have increased Thomas' margin of victory from 58 to 74 votes.[9]
Personal life
[edit]Thomas grew up in Gawler.[7] She is married to Daniel Thomas, a former member of the Royal Australian Air Force, with whom she has three children.[7][10] As of March 2026, she lives in Kadina on the Yorke Peninsula.[7]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 Harris, Rob (18 March 2026). "'People have had a gutful': South Australia is about to be hit by One Nation's orange wave". The Age. Archived from the original on 18 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- 1 2 Karakulak, Helen (23 March 2026). "Make-up artist in mix for orange wave and Labor legacy picks win seats". InDaily. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ↑ "Thomas stands for One Nation". Yorke Peninsula Country Times. 20 January 2026. Archived from the original on 21 March 2026. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ↑ Quail, Jack (15 March 2026). "Pauline Hanson concedes One Nation must sharpen economic pitch as she fights to win in South Australia". The Australian. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ↑ Harris, Rob (17 March 2026). "One Nation support SA election: Will South Australian election be start of One Nation resurgence". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 3 April 2026.
- ↑ Karakulak, Helen (30 March 2026). "Former deputy mayor and make-up artist in tight election race". InDaily. Archived from the original on 2 April 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "One Nation wins its fourth seat in SA's lower house following Narungga recount". ABC News. 2 April 2026. Archived from the original on 2 April 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- ↑ Briggs, Casey (2 April 2026). "Narungga – SA Election 2026". ABC News. Archived from the original on 2 April 2026. Retrieved 2 April 2026.
- 1 2 MacLennan, Leah; Boisvert, Eugene (17 April 2026). "Narungga votes that went missing see margin increase for One Nation". ABC News. Archived from the original on 20 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
- ↑ Daw, Michelle (28 April 2026). "Narungga to benefit from 'real power'". Yorke Peninsula Country Times. Archived from the original on 8 May 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- 21st-century Australian politicians
- 21st-century Australian women politicians
- Living people
- Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
- One Nation members of the Parliament of South Australia
- Women members of the South Australian House of Assembly
- 21st-century Australian photographers
- 21st-century Australian women photographers
- Australian make-up artists