Wikipedia

2022 South Australian Liberal Party leadership election

The 2022 South Australian Liberal Party leadership election was held on 19 April 2022 to elect a new leader of the South Australian Liberal Party, following the previous months' state election loss and resignation of then-leader Steven Marshall.[6][7][8] The leadership contest was between three candidates: David Speirs, Josh Teague and Nick McBride. Speirs won the ballot contest by an overwhelming majority, succeeding Steven Marshall as leader and becoming the Leader of the Opposition.

2022 South Australian Liberal Party leadership election
← 2013 19 April 2022 2024 →
 
Candidate David Speirs Josh Teague Nick McBride
Percentage 75% 20.8% 4.2%
Caucus vote 18 5 1
Seat Black Heysen MacKillop
Faction Unaligned[a] Moderate[4] N/A
Leader before election

Steven Marshall

 Elected Leader

David Speirs

2022 South Australian Liberal Party deputy leadership election
19 April 2022
 
Candidate John Gardner Tim Whetstone Vincent Tarzia
Percentage 68.8% 18.8% 12.5%
Caucus 11 3 2
Seat Morialta Chaffey Hartley
Faction Moderate[1][5] Moderate[1][5] Moderate[1][5]
Deputy Leader before election

Dan van Holst Pellekaan

 Elected Deputy Leader

John Gardner

Quitting Leader and Premier, Steven Marshall, had held the position of leader from 2013 (9 years, 74 days), coming to the position following competitive, indecisive leadership contests.[9][10] He was subsequently one of the longest-serving leaders of the party.[11]

Deputy Leader Dan van Holst Pellekaan also stood down,[11] being succeeded by John Gardner who beat Tim Whetstone and Vincent Tarzia in another three-way contest.[1]

Contest

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With the new composition of the State Parliament, the total number of MPs (parliamentary caucus) eligible to vote were twenty-four. These were sixteen Assembly members and eight Council members.

With the leadership election not concluding until a month after the election, speculation began as to who would announce their candidacy to succeed Steven Marshall.[12] Several names were put out such as Nick McBride, moderate-aligned Morialta MP John Gardner[1] and expected front-runner David Speirs.[12]

The first announced candidate for the leadership ballot was MacKillop MP Nick McBride on 21 March, two days after the election. Having almost quit the party a year prior, and only being in Parliament since 2018, the backbencher was considered the weakest candidate.[13] The next announced candidate was former House of Assembly Speaker and former Minister for Planning and Local Government, Josh Teague (Heysen).[14] Just days later the expected front-runner,[14] former Environment Minister and eight-year MP David Speirs, who had unsuccessfully run for Deputy Leader in 2021,[15] announced his candidacy.[16] He was the longest-serving MP of the announced candidates, and the youngest (36–38).

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Although nominally a Conservative,[1][2] Speirs has maintained his status as being factionally unaligned.[1][3]
  2. ^ One MP, Vickie Chapman, voted via proxy.[17]
  3. ^ The vote for Deputy Leader was made exclusively by the Lower House MPs.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Richardson, Tom (19 April 2022). "Great Scot: Speirs takes leadership as Libs seek renewal". InDaily.
  2. ^ McClaren, Rory; MacLennan, Leah (23 April 2022). "Who is new South Australian Opposition Leader David Speirs?". ABC News.
  3. ^ "Lib leadership favourite leaves door ajar for Chapman". The Advertiser. 13 April 2022.
  4. ^ Richardson, Tom (8 April 2022). "Teague bids for Lib leadership as federal heavyweight tapped for major review". InDaily.
  5. ^ a b c Richardson, Tom (6 April 2022). "'I'm not playing that game': Chapman won't rule out by-election". InDaily.
  6. ^ Dayman, Isabel (19 March 2022). "Labor leader Peter Malinauskas has been voted in as South Australia's new premier. What kind of leader will he be?". ABC News.
  7. ^ McLeod, Catie (20 March 2022). "Outgoing premier Steven Marshall quits as Liberal Party leader after SA election defeat". news.com.au.
  8. ^ Pestrin, Stacey; Garcia, Sara (19 March 2022). "Peter Malinauskas to become premier as Labor pulls off stunning victory in South Australian election". ABC News.
  9. ^ "Marshall to run for Liberal leadership". ABC News. 1 February 2013.
  10. ^ Evans, Simon (20 March 2022). "Steven Marshall quits as SA Liberals leader". Australian Financial Review.
  11. ^ a b Boisvert, Eugene; Fedorowytsch, Tom (20 March 2022). "Outgoing SA Premier Steven Marshall to step down as Liberal leader after election defeat". ABC News.
  12. ^ a b "Possible SA Liberal Party leaders emerge as recriminations begin into election loss". ABC News. 21 March 2022.
  13. ^ Richardson, Tom (26 April 2022). "Beaten leadership aspirant intends to remain a Liberal 'at this stage'". InDaily.
  14. ^ a b McLaren, Rory (8 April 2022). "Liberal Party leadership contest widens to include Adelaide Hills MP Josh Teague". ABC News.
  15. ^ MacLennan, Leah; Tomevska, Sara (25 November 2021). "SA Mining and Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan is officially SA's new Deputy Premier". ABC News.
  16. ^ MacLennan, Leah (13 April 2022). "Former environment minister David Speirs puts his hand up for Liberal leadership". ABC News.
  17. ^ Evans, Simon (19 April 2022). "David Speirs, 37, goes from Scottish farm to SA Liberals leader". Australian Financial Review.
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