Labor has defied predictions of a hung parliament to claim a swift and decisive victory in South Australia's 2022 state election.
The result represents an electoral evisceration for the SA Liberals, and the worst performance since the 2006 Rannslide — key ministers have lost their seats, and several others could follow suit.
Peter Malinauskas has claimed victory, promising to deliver a "fairer, better society and more opportunity for those who need it most".
Look back on how the night unfolded.
Key events
- Liberals crushed by Labor juggernaut
- New premier promises 'fairer, better society'
- Malinauskas begins victory speech by acknowledging Kaurna people
- Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan loses seat
- 'Extraordinary moment in time', Malinauskas says
- Steven Marshall calls Peter Malinauskas, concedes defeat
- Which ministers will lose their seats?
- Hood sinks Minister Rachel Sanderson in seat of Adelaide
- Where are the seats at?
- Labor to win South Australian election
- Premier's seat in doubt
- A great deal of trouble
- Early figures show swing to Labor in Elder
- First numbers for the night
- And so the count begins...
Live updates
By Daniel Keane
That's all folks
And along with Antony Green calling the result, we're calling it a night.
Labor has defied predictions of a hung parliament to claim a swift and decisive victory in the SA 2022 state election.
But the ABC will continue to provide reporting and analysis around the fallout and implications tomorrow and in the coming days.
For now, good night and good luck!
By Daniel Keane
By Daniel Keane
By Daniel Keane
Liberals crushed by Labor juggernaut
Labor's win represents an electoral evisceration for the SA Liberals. In some respects, the night could not have gone worse for Steven Marshall's party. Labor has gained five seats, including the four marginals that had been tipped to potentially change hands: Adelaide, Elder, King and Newland. The big surprise was Davenport, held by Liberal MP Steve Murray, which has been gained by Labor candidate Erin Thompson.
The ABC is projecting Labor will win 26 seats and the Liberals 16, with five independents. That would represent the Liberals' worst return since the 2006 so-called Rann-slide, when they won only 15.
In terms of state-wide trends, Labor picked up a 5.6 per cent swing on the two-party preferred vote.
Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan and Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson are the biggest likely casualties so far, with both projected to lose their seats.
Among other potential ministerial casualties are Transport Minister Corey Wingard and Primary Industries Minister David Basham (who could lose to a little-known independent). Both Mr Wingard and Mr Basham are behind in their respective races.
Outgoing premier Steven Marshall is ahead in Dunstan but the seat remains in doubt.
By Daniel Keane
By Daniel Keane
By Daniel Keane
New premier promises 'fairer, better society'
Mr Malinauskas paid tribute to the outgoing premier, saying the latter's phone call to concede had been "utterly generous, gracious and … done with the class that we have become incredibly familiar with".
He has promised a "fairer, better society" for SA.
I think sometimes on election nights when governments change hands, that the successful party can confuse the elation of electoral success with an inflated sense of achievement. Naturally, people of South Australia and Labor are right to feel satisfied tonight. But true satisfaction for us comes in realising our ambition, ideal of delivering a fairer, better society and more opportunity for those who need it most.
By Daniel Keane
Malinauskas begins victory speech by acknowledging Kaurna people
Peter Malinauskas has addressed supporters and began by paying his respects to the traditional owners of Adelaide, the Kaurna people. He also referenced Aboriginal MP Kyam Maher:
I stand here with my feet firmly on the lands of the Kaurna people. I pay my respects to their elders, past, present and emerging. The way we pay our respects first and foremost is not with our words but with our deeds. I affirm to each and every one of you here and the people across our state that I very much look forward for the first time in the history of our federation, having an initiated Aboriginal man leading our state's Aboriginal affairs movement, but also actively delivering on a state-based voice, treaty and truth for the Aboriginal people of our state.
By Daniel Keane
Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan loses seat
ABC Election Analyst Antony Green says Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan has lost the seat of Stuart to MP Geoff Brock.
The boundaries of the seat were redrawn in 2020, meaning two sitting MPs were up against one another.
In terms of lost seats, it is the Liberals' biggest casualty of the night so far.
By Daniel Keane
By Daniel Keane
'Extraordinary moment in time', Malinauskas says
Labor leader and premier-elect Peter Malinauskas has declared his victory "an extraordinary opportunity and an extraordinary moment in time".
Asked about his phone call from the Premier, he had this to say:
I will have a few words to say about that in a moment, but needless to say the Premier was a class act.
No government has changed hands since the pandemic begun. That means we had a very significant mountain to climb. My whole team has worked so incredibly hard. Politics naturally focuses on the leader, and that's understandable, but it truly is a team effort, not just from MPs and candidates, but so many hard working volunteers that we've been able to rely upon, but the people I'm most thankful to are the people of our state who have decided to change the government and invest their confidence in me.
By Daniel Keane
By Daniel Keane
Marshall 'proud' of legacy as pandemic premier
For much of the pandemic, it seemed likely that Mr Marshall was a shoo-in to secure re-election. In his concession speech, delivered to deflated supporters, he defended his record and spoke warmly of his time in office:
I'm just so proud, so proud, of the way that the people of South Australia have responded to the coronavirus, and not had it break them, not had it destroy them, no big marches in the street, throwing flares in the air, throwing bricks through windows. I'm just so proud of the way that South Australians have responded to a global pandemic. We come out of this stronger than before and all South Australians must share in this fantastic result.
I leave you tonight by saying this: thank you for your support. I think we have immeasurably changed South Australia. We've put it on a new trajectory going forward.
By Daniel Keane
Steven Marshall calls Peter Malinauskas, concedes defeat
Premier Steven Marshall has arrived at the Liberal function and is addressing supporters, beginning by saying:
Ladies and gentleman, I called the Leader of the Opposition … Peter Malinauskas a few moments ago. I conceded and I congratulated him on his campaign and congratulated him on being the 47th Premier of South Australia. Ladies and gentlemen, it's been an honour and a privilege and a pleasure to serve as the Premier of South Australia.
By Daniel Keane
Which ministers will lose their seats?
At the moment, Child Protection Minister Rachel Sanderson is projected to lose her seat of Adelaide.
Deputy Premier Dan van Holst Pellekaan and Agriculture Minister David Basham are in doubt.
Planning Minister Josh Teague and Education Minister John Gardner are ahead in their electorates, and are likely to hold them, but the seats look like becoming marginal.
By Daniel Keane
Hood sinks Minister Rachel Sanderson in seat of Adelaide
One of the night's major winners is Labor candidate Lucy Hood, who has clinched victory in the high profile seat of Adelaide, ousting Liberal frontbencher Rachel Sanderson. A short time ago, Ms Hood told the ABC's Rory McLaren:
It's remarkable. I'm so incredibly humbled. It's been a two-year campaign, I wanted to give it everything.
By Daniel Keane
Steven Marshall leaves home
The SA Premier has left his Norwood home, presumably on his way to the Liberal Party function at the Robin Hood Hotel. It remains unclear whether he intends to make a concession speech.
By Daniel Keane
Concession on the cards?
Senior Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis had this to say about whether Steven Marshall would concede defeat:
I'm not in a position to claim victory but, given what Antony [Green] is saying, I'm not in a position to doubt it either. We will wait a bit longer to see what the Liberal Party [does], whether the Premier concedes or not, that's a matter for him.
The Premier deserves the courtesy to make a concession if he thinks it is necessary when he wants to make it. It would be inappropriate for me or anyone or the Labor Party to come out and claim something without giving him the courtesy and he led us for four years, he's been the leader of the Liberal Party for 10, he deserves a level of respect and courtesy.
By Rebecca Puddy
Where are the seats at?
- Labor is predicted to win Adelaide, Newland, Davenport and Elder from the Liberals.
- Labor is ahead in a fifth Liberal-held seat, King.
- Former Liberals turned independents Troy Bell, Fraser Ellis and Dan Cregan will hold Mt Gambier, Narungga and Kavel but the Liberals also face threats from independents in deputy premier Dan van holst Pellekaan's seat of Stuart and Agriculture Minister David Basham's seat of Finniss.
By Daniel Keane
Hung parliament prediction defied
It took just over two hours after booths closed for a result to be declared. The speed of Labor's victory has caught some pundits by surprise — before the count, many were predicting a hung parliament, along with the prospect of a lengthy wait as pre-poll votes were counted, and likely deals with independents. But despite holding onto hope, senior Liberals are already speaking in sombre terms. Here's what senior Liberal Vickie Chapman had to say moments after Antony Green declared a Labor victory:
Let's assume for the moment, if you are asking me the hypothetical, that there is a loss — has there been a failure to sell the credentials of the past? Do people care about the past? Are they only interested in what is being offered for the future?
