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InnovationAus
InnovationAus
Science
Denham Sadler

New SA Deputy Premier Susan Close appointed Industry and Innovation minister

South Australian Deputy Premier Susan Close will also serve as the state’s industry and science minister in the Labor government’s new Cabinet.

Premier Peter Malinauskas announced his Cabinet on Thursday morning, just days after he had been sworn in following a crushing election victory over the weekend.

The new South Australian Cabinet

Dr Close, who has been the Deputy Labor leader since 2018, was appointed as the Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, along with the Minister for Space and Defence Industries.

The latter is a prominent role in South Australia, with the state playing home to the Australian Space Agency’s headquarters at Lot 14, along with a Mission Control Centre and the Australian Space Discovery Centre.

Dr Close served as a manufacturing, innovation and trade minister in the previous Labor government from 2014.

Mr Malinauskas previously held the role of Shadow Minister for Defence and Space Industries, and Jobs, when he was Opposition Leader during the election campaign.

Stephen Mulligahn will be state’s new Treasurer, while Andrea Michaels was appointed as Minister for Small and Family Business.

Former federal Labor MP Nick Champion will be SA’s Trade and Investment Minister.

Labor gained at least five seats from the Coalition as part of its thumping election win, which has seen former Premier Steven Marshall fighting to keep his seat.

Manufacturing will also be a crucial issue for the new state government, with the Commonwealth providing $155 million in grants to manufacturing in the state in the lead up to the election.

This was in the form of three large grants under the $1.3 billion Modern Manufacturing Initiative, going towards plant protein, space and combat systems projects in the state, in collaboration with the SA government.

The SA Cabinet also includes an independent MP, with Geoff Brock appointed as Minister for Local Government, Regional Roads and Veterans Affairs.

South Australia has been very active in the innovation and tech spaces in recent years, with the establishment of Lot 14, a number of major manufacturing initiatives and huge growth in its local space sector.

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