More Labor MPs call time on politics
On the back of two shock senior state Cabinet resignations, another two Labor MPs are jumping ship.
The Labor MPs for the seats of Elizabeth and Torrens both announced on Wednesday that they would not stand for their seats at the 2026 state election.
Member for Elizabeth Lee Odenwalder said that after 16 years in politics it was “time for me to try something new”, while Member for Torrens Dana Wortley said it was an “absolute honour” to serve the state for more than a decade.
Their announcements mean SA Labor has lost four long-standing MPs in the past month.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said he was “really saddened by this” at the time. Both ministers held senior front bench portfolios for more than a decade.
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Their announcements led to a Cabinet reshuffle the next day, with veteran Labor Minister Tom Koutsantonis named Treasurer and Attorney-General Kyam Maher promoted to Deputy Premier.
Odenwalder said he would continue to serve until the next election, “as well as throw my support behind the new Labor candidate and the party I love”.
“It has been the privilege of my life serving as the Member for Elizabeth – where I grew up, went to school, worked as a cop, and raised my kids,” he said.
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“I have made so many friends, met so many wonderful people, and hopefully helped some of them along the way.
“But, after 16 years, it’s time for me to try something new. I won’t be standing at the next election.”
Wortley, a stalwart of the Labor Party who was also Senator for South Australia in Federal Parliament from 2005 to 2011, also said she would continue to serve her community until March.
“It has been an absolute honour to serve as a member of the Malinauskas (and Weatherill) Labor Governments delivering major infrastructure projects and some important and significant legislation,” she said.
“I leave at a time when we have an incredibly dedicated Premier at the helm, and a wonderful, hardworking team on the benches.”
On X, SA Labor said “both Lee and Dana have dedicated their parliamentary careers to improving the lives of South Australians and advancing the values at the heart of the Labor movement, fairness, opportunity, and social justice”.
“Lee has been a tireless advocate for his community in the northern suburbs for more than 15 years, always standing up for working people and the services they rely on,” the party statement said.
“Dana’s long career, in both state and federal parliament, has been defined by her deep commitment to education, equality, and giving a voice to those who too often go unheard.
“Their integrity, compassion and unwavering belief in the Labor movement have made a lasting contribution to our party and our state.”
