Deputy Premier of South Australia explained

Post:Deputy Premier
Body:South Australia
Flag:Flag of South Australia.svg
Flagsize:120px
Flagcaption:Flag of South Australia
Insignia:South Australian Coat of Arms.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Insigniacaption:South Australian Coat of Arms
Incumbent:Susan Close
Incumbentsince:21 March 2022
Department:Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Style:The Honourable
Reports To:Premier of South Australia
Nominator:Premier of South Australia
Appointer:Governor of South Australia
Appointer Qualified:on the advice of the premier
Termlength:At the Governor's pleasure
Formation:26 March 1968
First:Des Corcoran

The deputy premier of South Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of South Australia. The deputy premiership is a ministerial portfolio in the Cabinet of South Australia, and the deputy premier is appointed by the governor on the advice of the premier of South Australia.

The current deputy premier since 2022 is Susan Close of the South Australian Division of the Australian Labor Party.

History

The office of Deputy Premier was created in March 1968. The first to serve in the position was Labor deputy leader Des Corcoran. Prior to that time the term was sometimes used unofficially for the second-highest ranking minister in the government, usually the Treasurer.

In both Labor and Liberal governments, the deputy premier is usually the party's deputy leader.

Two deputy premiers have subsequently become Premier in their own right: Des Corcoran and Rob Kerin. This last happened in 2001, when Rob Kerin became premier after John Olsen's resignation. Dean Brown did the reverse, becoming Deputy Premier to Rob Kerin, 5 years after his own premiership ended at the hands of John Olsen.

South Australia's longest-serving deputy premier is Kevin Foley, who served in the position from March 2002 to February 2011.

Duties

The duties of the deputy premier are to act on behalf of the premier in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The deputy premier has additionally always held at least one substantive portfolio. It is possible for a minister to hold only the portfolio of Deputy Premier, but this has never happened.

If the premier were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Governor would normally appoint the deputy premier as Premier. If the governing or majority party had not yet elected a new leader, that appointment would be on an interim basis. Should a different leader emerge, that person would then be appointed Premier.

List of deputy premiers of South Australia

No.PortraitName
Electoral district
(Birth–Death)
Term of officePartyPremier
Term startTerm end
1Des Corcoran
MHA for Millicent
(1928–2004)
26 March
1968
16 April
1968
LaborDon Dunstan
Labor
(1967–1968)
None
(16 April 1968–2 July 1970)
Steele Hall
Liberal and Country League
(1968–1970)
(1)Des Corcoran
MHA for Millicent
(until 1975)
MHA for Coles
(1975–1977)
MHA for Hartley
(from 1977)

(1928–2004)
2 July
1970
15 March
1979
LaborDon Dunstan
Labor
(1970–1979)
2Hugh Hudson
MHA for Brighton
(1930–1993)
15 March
1979
18 September
1979
LaborDes Corcoran
Labor
(1979)
3Roger Goldsworthy
MHA for Kavel
(born 1929)
18 September
1979
10 November
1982
LiberalDavid Tonkin
Liberal
(1979–1982)
4Roger Goldsworthy
MHA for Adelaide
(1927–1998)
10 November
1982
16 July
1985
LaborJohn Bannon
Labor
(1982–1992)
5Don Hopgood
MHA for Baudin
(born 1938)
16 July
1985
4 September
1992
Labor
6Frank Blevins
MHA for Giles
(1939–2013)
4 September
1992
14 December
1993
LaborLynn Arnold
Labor
(1992–1993)
7Stephen Baker
MHA for Waite
(born 1946)
14 December
1993
28 November
1996
LiberalDean Brown
Liberal
(1993–1996)
8Graham Ingerson
MHA for Bragg
(born 1941)
28 November
1996
7 July
1998
LiberalJohn Olsen
Liberal
(1996–2001)
9Rob Kerin
MHA for Frome
(born 1954)
7 July
1998
22 October
2001
Liberal
10Dean Brown
MHA for Finniss
(born 1943)
22 October
2001
5 March
2002
LiberalRob Kerin
Liberal
(2001–2002)
11Kevin Foley
MHA for Port Adelaide
(born 1960)
5 March
2002
6 February
2011
LaborMike Rann
Labor
(2002–2011)
12John Rau
MHA for Enfield
(born 1959)
7 February
2011
19 March
2018
LaborJay Weatherill
Labor
(2011–2018)
13Vickie Chapman
MHA for Bragg
19 March
2018
22 November
2021
LiberalSteven Marshall
Liberal
(2018–2022)
14Dan van Holst Pellekaan
MHA for Stuart
23 November
2021
21 March
2022
Liberal
15Susan Close
MHA for Port Adelaide
(born 1967)
21 March
2022
IncumbentLaborPeter Malinauskas
Labor
(since 2022)

References