Malinauskas to be sworn in as Premier
Peter Malinauskas will head to Government House this morning to be sworn in as South Australia’s 47th Premier after leading Labor to a historic state election victory on Saturday.
South Australian Governor Frances Adamson will swear in the state’s new leader at 10am in the ballroom of Government House, marking the formal end of the Liberal Marshall Government’s four-year stint in power and the beginning of the Malinauskas-Labor era.
Incoming Deputy Premier Susan Close and Treasurer Stephen Mullighan will also be sworn in this morning.
Malinauskas, the right faction figurehead who has triumphantly led Labor back into majority government after just one term in Opposition, is now tasked with selecting his first ministry, which will be sworn in at a later date this week.
Asked about what the makeup of that cabinet might be, the Premier-elect was coy on specifics but emphasised the importance of his shadow cabinet.
“I can’t thank my shadow cabinet enough for the work they’ve done over the last four years, they’ve put us in this incredibly strong position,” he told reporters on Sunday.
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“We have worked with unanimity and absolute determination to ensure that we offer a stable alternative.
“I place a value on stability, but I also place a value on renewal, and in coming days we’ll be doing important work to ensure that a cabinet I lead is a strong one, a united one, and puts the interests of South Australians first.
“We’ve got a big policy agenda, and we need a high-quality team to deliver that, and I will make whatever decisions are required to ensure that we achieve that outcome.”
Under the current shadow cabinet line-up, Kaurna MP Chris Picton will get the all-important Health portfolio while party veteran Tom Koutsantonis will handle Transport, Infrastructure, Energy and Mining.
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Upper House MLC and left faction heavyweight Kyam Maher would take over as Attorney General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs under this arrangement. Hurtle Vale MP Nat Cook is set to handle Human Services while Wright MP Blair Boyer will manage Education.
Malinauskas handled Jobs along with the Defence and Space Industry portfolios as Opposition leader.
Labor also faces a looming decision on who to install as Speaker of the House, with Liberal turncoat Dan Cregan – who has been re-elected as an Independent with a thumping majority in Kavel – holding the role in the most recent parliament.
Malinauskas said it would be “presumptuous” to speculate on who will be Speaker until the makeup of the parliament is finalised.
“Clearly, there are a lot of seats in play, there are a lot of seats that are in doubt, so let’s wait and see the final formulation of the parliament,” he said.
The Labor leader also hinted there could be changes in the public service.
Asked by InDaily whether he was intent on removing any current Department CEOs, the Premier-elect said: “I think renewal’s important.”
“I think there are some very high-quality leaders within the public service that will be an important component of delivering our policy,” he said.
“But I also think there’s opportunities for positive change, and that’ll be worked through in coming days.”
Department of Premier and Cabinet chief Nick Reade, SA Health boss Chris McGowan and Department for Infrastructure and Transport head Tony Braxton-Smith are among the public sector leaders who could face the axe under Labor.
