Labor will continue as the party of government in South Australia, with Premier Peter Malinauskas taking on a second term.
The election has been called by many media outlets with Labor on track to pick up additional seats, while the Liberals are falling far behind. The One Nation vote is remarkably high, polling in second place in many seats – noting these are very early counts.
A record 388 candidates contested House of Assembly seats, significantly more than the 240 at the 2022 election.
New SA One Nation leader Cory Bernardi, a former federal Liberal senator and founder of the short-lived Australian Conservatives party, is expected to be voted in to the state’s upper house.
Earlier this month, Bernardi reaffirmed he stood by comments made more than a decade ago, conflating legislating for same-sex marriage with acceptance of bestiality.
Liberal leader Ashton Hurn concedes defeat
At 9:30pm on election night Liberal leader Ashton Hurn took to the stage and conceded defeat. Hurn, who has only been the party’s leader for just over 100 days, said she intended to stay on a leader.
“The voters never get it wrong, and they’ve sent us a clear message, and its up to us now to heed that advice and to look forward with a true sense of optimism.” Hurn said.
Hurn will be returning to the parliament with a much smaller team that she had heading into the election with. Among those not returning to parliament is former leader Vincent Tazia who has conceded defeat in his seat of Hartley.
Pauline Hanson says her new MPs will be landmines for the Malinauskas government
Federal leader of One Nation, Pauline Hanson, has spoken to her supporters after the party had one of its best election results ever.
Hanson said she expected South Australian leader Cory Bernardi and potentially two other members to be elected to the state’s upper house, and said counting over the next week might see the party also pick up several lower house seats.
Senator Hanson said she would be returning to Canberra on Sunday but described the new MPs she was leaving behind in South Australia would be “landmines” for the Malinauskas government.
The ABC was banned from covering One Nation’s election night event after they revealed that one of their candidates, Aoi Baxter, was wanted in the United Kingdom for failing to appearing in court on a charge of inappropriately sexually touching a woman.
Premier Peter Malinauskas claims victory
At 10:15pm Premier Peter Malinauskas took to the stage in front his enthusiastic supporters and said he was overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude to the people who allowed his government to continue to serve.
The Premier recognised that One Nation had a significant result at the election and his government would work with all members of the parliament to ensure the best future for all South Australians.
In his speech the Premier had a message for his parliamentary colleagues saying they should see the election result as an invitation to “work our guts out” for the next four year.
While his message for all South Australians was that patriotism comes in a number of forms and the country’s success comes from multiculturism. Quoting a poem from Henry Lawson that highlights that many Australians come from overseas the Premier made a clear stance against the rise of One Nation.
“When we work together diversity has always been our greatest strength.” Premier Malinauskas declared.
“There is no way that this state comes to its full potential unless we work together.” the Premier said in his rousing speech. “But if we get this right. If we focus on what unites us, a shared love of living in a peaceful prosperous place, a state full of hard working people – that values care and compassion – then we can harness this moment, with our new found confidence as a state, to look out rather than just in on ourselves.
“To create new wealth and prosperity by celebrating capital and well as labour, so that everyone has a seat at the table of opportunity. So that we set our state up for future generation who can choose to call this state home with pride as much as we do here tonight.
“This is a great state in the most magnificent of countries. So lets be proud and patriotic in the Australian way, and work and walk together, to ensure that when we look back on this moment we can honestly say, we did our bit, we made a difference, and we made sure that the journey of South Australia’s march and momentum continued so that everyone benefitted. Regardless of where they lived, regardless of where they’ve come from, regardless of the circumstances they’ve endured, regardless of their background – Just as long as they call South Australia home.”
