Peter Malinauskas | |
---|---|
47th Premier of South Australia | |
Assumed office 21 March 2022 | |
Monarchs | Elizabeth II Charles III |
Governor | Frances Adamson |
Deputy | Susan Close |
Preceded by | Steven Marshall |
Leader of the South Australian Labor Party | |
Assumed office 9 April 2018 | |
Deputy | Susan Close |
Preceded by | Jay Weatherill |
Leader of the Opposition in South Australia | |
In office 9 April 2018 –21 March 2022 | |
Premier | Steven Marshall |
Deputy | Susan Close |
Preceded by | Steven Marshall |
Succeeded by | David Speirs |
Minister for Health | |
In office 18 September 2017 –18 March 2018 | |
Premier | Jay Weatherill |
Preceded by | Jack Snelling |
Succeeded by | Stephen Wade |
Minister for Police,Emergency and Correctional Services | |
In office 19 January 2016 –18 September 2017 | |
Premier | Jay Weatherill |
Preceded by | Tony Piccolo |
Succeeded by | Chris Picton |
Member of the South Australian Parliament for Croydon | |
Assumed office 17 March 2018 | |
Preceded by | Michael Atkinson |
Member of the South Australian Legislative Council | |
In office 1 December 2015 –17 March 2018 | |
Preceded by | Bernard Finnigan |
Personal details | |
Born | Peter Bryden Malinauskas 14 August 1980 Adelaide,South Australia |
Political party | Australian Labor Party (SA) |
Spouse | Annabel West [1] |
Children | 4 |
Alma mater | University of Adelaide (BCom) |
Website | premier |
Peter Bryden Malinauskas [a] (born 14 August 1980) is an Australian politician serving as the 47th and current premier of South Australia since 2022. He has been the leader of the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and a member of the House of Assembly (MHA) for the division of Croydon since 2018. He was previously the Leader of the Opposition from 2018 until his victory at the 2022 state election.
Malinauskas has been a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly since 2018,representing the electorate of Croydon. He was previously a member of the South Australian Legislative Council between 2015 and 2018.
Malinauskas was born in South Australia to Kathryn (Kate) née May and Peter Malinauskas Jr. on 14 August 1980. [1] [2] [3] Malinauskas' paternal Hungarian grandmother Eta survived World War II and escaped the post-war communist Hungarian state when she emigrated to Bathurst in New South Wales. [1] She married Peter Malinauskas Sr.,a Lithuanian refugee,and the couple moved to Adelaide,later opening a fish and chip shop. [1] [4] Malinauskas' mother's forebears were middle-class Irish. [1]
In his school years,Malinauskas' family resided in Colonel Light Gardens. [1] Being from a Catholic family,Malinauskas was sent to Mercedes College where he displayed leadership potential in Australian rules football and cricket,as well as excelling in his studies. [1] He was a member of the student representative council and was school captain in year 12. [1] Mercedes College principal Peter Daw recalled Malinauskas as being "a future leader". [1] Additionally,Daw recalled Malinauskas as being "one of those kids involved in lots of things" and a "popular lad" with a "magnetic personality that appealed to teachers and students alike". [1]
Malinauskas worked for Woolworths for seven years from 1995 at age 15,first as a trolley boy and later a checkout operator and night filler. [5] He formed an early and enduring political relationship with Don Farrell through Woolworths workers' unionism. During his time at Woolworths,Malinauskas obtained a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Adelaide. He became an influential union official who served from 2008 to 2015 as Secretary of the South Australian/Northern Territory branch of the Shop,Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), [1] the major player in the dominant Labor Right faction of the South Australian branch of the Australian Labor Party. [6] In August 2011,some media outlets claimed Malinauskas was the sole "faceless man" who informed Mike Rann he had lost the support of his party and to step down as premier of South Australia in favour of Jay Weatherill. [7] Malinauskas was elected in July 2015 to Labor's National Executive at the party's National Conference. [8]
Malinauskas is a member of the Labor Right faction. His views have been described as centrist. [9] [10]
Asked about progressive political issues in 2011 such as same sex marriage,stem-cell research,euthanasia and abortion,Malinauskas said his personal views would be "considered socially conservative" and went on to state "I didn't get involved in the Australian labour movement because of any of these issues. I believe in the fair go but I get frustrated with left-wing ideology that focuses more on imposing equality than providing for equality of opportunity. This is why I'm passionate about Australian education −universal access to quality schooling gives everyone the chance to succeed". [1]
Asked about nuclear power in South Australia,Malinauskas in 2014 said he was pro-nuclear despite Labor at the time remaining opposed to the establishment of a new nuclear waste repository or nuclear power plant in South Australia. Malinauskas stated "I believe climate change is a real challenge we need to face up to,and nuclear energy can be a safe source of baseload power,with zero carbon emissions" and "we should have a mature debate based on science and economics to determine if a nuclear industry is viable in South Australia". In March 2015 Labor initiated a Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission, [11] and in 2016 launched a "Get to know nuclear" campaign to further explore the commission's findings. In October 2016 at the South Australian Labor party conference,Malinauskas spoke of the protesters who had gathered outside in opposition to the establishment of new nuclear waste storage facilities. He told delegates:"The difference between us and them,of course,is that we take very seriously our obligation to make sure that our ideology is underpinned by evidence." [12]
Following the parliamentary resignation of Bernard Finnigan on 12 November 2015,Malinauskas filled the Legislative Council casual vacancy in a joint sitting of the Parliament of South Australia on 1 December. [13]
Premier Jay Weatherill indicated that Malinauskas could enter the Cabinet of South Australia in an early 2016 ministerial reshuffle, [14] [15] [16] with reports of media speculation and internal party talk suggesting Malinauskas could potentially become the next Labor premier of South Australia,entering the House of Assembly through preselection as the next Labor candidate in Labor's safest lower house seat of Croydon with claims that incumbent Michael Atkinson "has long been willing to vacate his seat to Malinauskas if he ever wanted it". [17] [18] Atkinson announced in February 2017 that he would be retiring from parliament as of the 2018 election. [19] Malinauskas confirmed he would be nominating for preselection. [20]
Malinauskas served in the Cabinet of South Australia in the Weatherill Ministry between January 2016 and March 2018,holding,at various times,ministerial portfolios with responsibility for police (2016−2017),correctional services (2016−2017),emergency services (2016−2017),road safety (2016−2017),health (2017−2018),and mental health and substance abuse (2017−2018). [21] [22] [23]
Malinauskas won the seat of Croydon at the 2018 election. [24]
Following the resignation of Jay Weatherill after the 2018 election,a caucus meeting on 9 April 2018 elected Malinauskas as Labor Leader. He consequently became Leader of the Opposition,with former Education Minister Susan Close as his deputy. [25] [26] [27]
In April 2021,former Labor MP Annabel Digance and her husband were arrested and charged with attempting to blackmail Malinauskas. Police alleged that the couple had threatened to make accusations against Malinauskas if he did not orchestrate Digance's return to politics by preselection for a safe seat or appointment to the Legislative Council or the Senate. [28] The charges against the Digances were withdrawn in April 2023. [29]
In early January 2022,Malinauskas was diagnosed with COVID-19 and announced that he would isolate at home. [30] He had recovered and was back in the community by 13 January 2022. [31]
In March 2022,Malinauskas led the party to victory at the state election, [32] party after making healthcare a theme during the election. [33] He was sworn in as premier of South Australia on 21 March 2022. [34]
In May 2022,the government ended South Australia's state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia,after 793 consecutive days. [35]
Soon after the election,Malinauskas pledged to implement a state-based First Nations Voice to Parliament,as well as restarting treaty talks and greater investment in areas affecting Aboriginal South Australians. [36] In July 2022 Dale Agius was appointed as the state's first Commissioner for First Nations Voice,with the role commencing in August. [37] The South Australian state-based Voice was delayed until 2024,because of the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum. [38] [39] Elections took place on 16 March 2024, [40] with Maher describing it as a successful election despite the low turnout,saying that it would take time to build awareness and engagement. [41]
In April 2024,after a public outcry following the announcement that a developer was going to gut the historic Crown &Anchor pub,famed for its live music,and build high-rise student housing above its facade, [42] Malinauskas intervened,placing the building was under provisional state heritage-listing to protect it until its heritage values could be fully assessed, [43] a decision supported by opposition leader David Speirs. [44] [45] [46]
Also in April 2024,Malinauskas intervened to launch a review panel to examine a plan to restructure the South Australian Museum,which had included cutting out 27 research positions. He said that both the previous government and his government had made cuts to the museum's budget. [47]
The Malinauskas government introduced a range of initiatives,including educational reforms. One of these is introducing compulsory civics subject into the school curriculum. [48] It has also introduced a number of 24/7 pharmacies,and continued efforts to reduce ambulance ramping through investments in increased bed capacity and building ambulance stations. [49] [50]
On 8 September 2024,the Malinauskas government proposed a new law,in the Children (Social Media Safety) Bill 2024,to ban children under 14 from accessing social media,and to require parental consent for children aged 14 and 15. The bill followed a review by the former Chief Justice of the High Court,Robert French. [51] [52] [53] Shortly afterwards,Malinauskas supported the federal Labor government's age verification system for social media use. [54]
Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine,Malinauskas was listed among 121 Australians banned from entering Russia,possibly due to his Lithuanian background. He later joked that he was "grateful" to be included on the list. During an election debate from Advertiser,Premier Steven Marshall dodged the question of a state government sanctions to Russia especially super investments saying “it would require too much legalisation”however Malinauskas said “classic example of points of difference between my self and Premier [Marshall]. The Premier [Marshall] says that’s too hard that will take months. I completely disagree,we could get the legalisation through the Parliament like that”with clicking his fingers “and what it takes is active leadership”. Malinauskas Labor Government then legislate to ban State Government investment in Russian assets,as well as sending non-lethal aid to Ukraine and welcoming Ukrainian refugees. [55] [56] [57] [58]
Malinauskas is married to Annabel West,a partner at a legal firm in Adelaide. [59] The couple has two daughters and two sons. [60] [61]
Michael John Atkinson,a former Australian politician in the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party,was a member of the Parliament of South Australia from 1989 to 2018.
Jay Wilson Weatherill is a former Australian politician who was the 45th premier of South Australia,serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the House of Assembly seat of Cheltenham as a member of the South Australian Labor Party from the 2002 election to 17 December 2018,when he retired.
Martin Leslie James Hamilton-Smith is a former Australian politician who represented the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Waite from the 1997 election until his retirement in 2018. First elected as a candidate for the Liberal Party,Hamilton-Smith was the state parliamentary leader of the Liberal Party and the Leader of the Opposition in South Australia from 2007 to 2009,and a Minister in the Kerin Liberal government from 2001 to 2002.
Anastasios "Tom" Koutsantonis is an Australian politician in the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party,representing the seats of West Torrens (2002−current) and Peake (1997−2002) as a Labor member in the South Australian House of Assembly.
Bernard Vincent Finnigan is an Australian former politician who served as a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 2006 until 2015. He was appointed in May 2006 as a member of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party to the Legislative Council in a casual vacancy triggered by the death of Terry Roberts. Elected at the 2010 election,Finnigan briefly served in the Rann government cabinet from February until April in 2011,when Labor suspended him from the party,sitting thereafter as an independent backbencher until his 2015 parliamentary resignation. He was the Acting Police Minister at the time of his arrest.
Geoffrey Graeme Brock is an Australian politician. He is an Independent member in the South Australian House of Assembly,representing the seat of Stuart since the 2022 South Australian state election. Prior to this,he represented the seat of Frome from the 2009 Frome by-election until a redistribution leading up to the 2022 state election.
Steven Spence Marshall is a former Australian politician who served as the 46th premier of South Australia between 2018 and 2022. He was a member of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia in the South Australian House of Assembly from 2010 until 2024,representing the electorate of Dunstan.
Leesa Anne Vlahos,néeChesser is a former Australian politician. She represented the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Taylor for the Labor Party from the 2010 election until her retirement in 2018.
Susan Elizabeth Close is an Australian politician,who is currently the deputy premier of South Australia since March 2022. She also holds the ministerial portfolios of Minister for Climate,Environment and Water;Minister for Industry,Innovation and Science;and Minister for Defence and Space Industries.
Zoe Lee Bettison is an Australian politician representing the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Ramsay for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party since the 2012 Ramsay by-election.
Kyam Joseph Maher is an Australian politician and lawyer who has been Attorney-General of South Australia and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council since March 2022. He was appointed to a casual vacancy in the South Australian Legislative Council for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party on 17 October 2012. He previously served in the Cabinet of South Australia between 2015 and 2018 and was the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council between 2016 and 2018.
The 2018 South Australian state election to elect members to the 54th Parliament of South Australia was held on 17 March 2018. All 47 seats in the House of Assembly or lower house,whose members were elected at the 2014 election,and 11 of 22 seats in the Legislative Council or upper house,last filled at the 2010 election,were contested. The record-16-year-incumbent Australian Labor Party (SA) government led by Premier Jay Weatherill was seeking a fifth four-year term,but was defeated by the opposition Liberal Party of Australia (SA),led by Opposition Leader Steven Marshall. Nick Xenophon's new SA Best party unsuccessfully sought to obtain the balance of power.
Stephen Campbell Mullighan is an Australian politician representing the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Lee for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party since the 2014 state election. He has served as the Treasurer of South Australia in the Malinauskas government since 2022.
Annabel Faith Catford Digance is an Australian politician who represented the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Elder for the Labor Party from the 2014 state election until her defeat at the 2018 state election. She was an independent candidate for the South Australian Legislative Council in the 2022 South Australian state election and at the time she and her husband were awaiting trial on charges of alleged blackmail,which were later withdrawn.
Natalie Fleur Cook is an Australian politician and anti-violence campaigner. She became an anti-violence campaigner after the death of her son in a one-punch attack in 2008.
The Weatherill ministry was the 72nd ministry of the Government of South Australia,led by Jay Weatherill of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party. It commenced on 21 October 2011,when Weatherill succeeded Mike Rann as Premier and Labor leader.
The 2022 South Australian state election was held on 19 March 2022 to elect members to the 55th Parliament of South Australia. All 47 seats in the House of Assembly,and half the seats in the Legislative Council were up for re-election.
Joseph Karl Szakacs is an Australian politician and trade unionist. He is a Labor Party member of the South Australian Legislative Assembly,representing the electoral district of Cheltenham since the 2019 Cheltenham by-election.
Lucy Penelope Hood is an Australian politician,journalist and former political adviser. She has been a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2022 state election,representing Adelaide. With a swing of 7.1 per cent,she defeated the incumbent Liberal Party member,Rachel Sanderson,who had held the seat since 2010. Prior to the election,the ABC election analyst Antony Green stated that results in Adelaide have tracked closely with the seat being won by the party that won the state-wide two-party-preferred vote (2PP) at every election since 1985.
Rhiannon Kate Pearce is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor member of the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2022 state election,representing King. With a swing of 3.5 per cent,she defeated the incumbent Liberal Party member,Paula Luethen,who had held the seat since 2018 and had a slim pre-election margin of 0.6 per cent.
Peter Bryden ... to Peter & Kathryn
Labor's rising star Peter Malinauskas has paid tribute to his refugee grandparents during his maiden speech in South Australia's parliament. ... His Hungarian grandmother Eta and Lithuanian grandfather Peter fled to SA after World War II, eventually opening a fish and chips shop.