Dan Cregan Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Honourable
Dan Cregan
Honorific Suffix:MP
Office:Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly
Term End:11 April 2024
Predecessor:Josh Teague
Successor:Leon Bignell
Office3:Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services
Predecessor3:Joe Szakacs
Office2:Special Minister of State
Predecessor2:Position Established
Office4:Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Kavel
Term Start4:17 March 2018
Predecessor4:Mark Goldsworthy
Birth Name:Daniel Roy Cregan
Party:Independent (since 2021)
Otherparty:Liberal (until 2021)
Alma Mater:

Daniel Cregan is an Australian lawyer and Independent politician who has served as Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly and as a Cabinet Minister.[1] He has represented Kavel in the House of Assembly since the 2018 South Australian state election.[2]

Early life

Cregan grew up in South Australia and Western Australia, attending the University of Adelaide, where he was active in student politics, including as a director of the Adelaide University Union and as president of the Adelaide University Law Students' Society. He also rowed for the Adelaide University Boat Club First VIII.

Cregan received a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust bursary to study law at Peterhouse, Cambridge.

Career

After graduating, Cregan was appointed judge's associate to John Doyle AC QC (Chief Justice of South Australia) and later served as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development in Jakarta.[3]

While a student at the University of Adelaide Cregan worked as a summer associate at Allens Linklaters, eventually joining the firm as a graduate lawyer and becoming a senior associate in the firm's disputes and investigations team.

Cregan also held a number of board appointments with the Australian Property Institute and as a director of a family company.

Parliamentary service

Following the election of Steven Marshall's government in March 2018, Cregan was made Chair of the South Australian Public Works Committee with oversight of South Australian infrastructure projects.[4]

In October 2021, Cregan announced that he would recontest his seat as an independent at the forthcoming 2022 South Australian state election saying the State Government had failed to plan for the needs of his rapidly growing regional community.[5]

Election as Speaker

On 12 October 2021, South Australia's Constitution Act was amended to adopt the United Kingdom practice of requiring an independent Speaker.[6] Following passage of the constitutional changes, Cregan was elected Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly 23 votes to 21.[7]

After the 2022 South Australian state election, Cregan was nominated by the Government and Opposition to serve as independent Speaker in the 55th Parliament of South Australia.[8]

On 11 April 2024, Cregan resigned his commission as Speaker and was appointed a Cabinet Minister after Independent member Geoff Brock stepped down from cabinet due to ill health. [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dornin . Tim . 29 April 2022 . Cregan set to continue as SA parly speaker . 17 January 2023 . The Canberra Times.
  2. 5382 . Mr Dan Cregan . 19 August 2022.
  3. Web site: Hawker Scholarship Archive . Online . 18 January 2023 . Dan Cregan CAS Hawker Scholarship . 18 January 2021 . CAS Hawker Scholarship Online.
  4. Web site: Legislation 'Parliamentary Committees Act 1991' . South Australian . 1 January 2023 . Parliamentary Committees Act 1991 (SA) .
  5. News: Keane . Daniel . 8 October 2021 . SA Liberal MP Dan Cregan to Run as Independent at March State Election . ABC . 1 January 2023.
  6. Web site: Constitution (Independent Speaker) Amendment Act 2021 . South Australian Legislation (Current) . 22 November 2021 . South Australian Constitution . Legislation.sa.gov.au.
  7. Web site: South Australian Parliamentary Debates . Hansard . 12 October 2022 . Debates: House of Assembly, 12 October 2022 . 29 December 2022.
  8. Web site: South Australian Parliamentary Debates . Hansard . 3 May 2022 . House of Assembly: Tuesday, May 03, 2022 . 29 December 2022.
  9. Web site: Bermingham . Kathryn . 11 April 2024 . Minister Geoff Brock resigns from cabinet for health reasons, triggering first reshuffle .