UPDATED: Hurn names top Liberals in new-look shadow cabinet
Ashton Hurn has named the Opposition leadership team that will be fighting for seats at next year’s March state election – and there are a few surprises.
Sam Telfer has been dumped as shadow Treasurer to make way for South-East newcomer Ben Hood – the brother of Labor’s Environment Minister Lucy Hood – in a new-look Liberal team Ashton Hurn is taking to next year’s state election.
At today’s announcement made near the Colonel William Light Statue on Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide, Hurn said Hood would take on the shadow Treasurer role while Heidi Girolamo takes on Hurn’s former portfolio of Health and Wellbeing, along with Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.
Former Leader Vincent Tarzia, who relinquished the Liberal Leader job last Friday, has won the shadow Sport, Recreation and Racing Portfolio.
The net zero portfolio – which used to be tied to Energy – has been quietly dropped.
When asked if the SA Liberals were still united on a net zero target by 2050, Hurn said “they would review a number of policies” and her focus was affordability.
“I’ve been really clear that we are committed to affordability. That’s our focus, but we’ll have more to say on that in the future,” she said.
“We need to have some form of goal, but South Australia is a very unique jurisdiction, given we’re already at 75–80 per cent renewables but I make no apologies for the fact that we’ll be focused on affordability for families and businesses.”
When asked if the disappearing portfolio would appease party members after claims some left over the contentious issue, Hurn said she was “not interested in claims and things like that”.
Jack Batty adds Education to his responsibilities alongside the Arts, plus Police and Correctional Services.
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“We are united, energetic and determined to roll up our sleeves for the people of South Australia,” Hurn said.
“With this team we will be putting forward strong policies that get back to the bread-and-butter issues that really matter, lower taxes, better health and a safer community.”
South Australia’s Liberal Party voted Hurn in as its new leader unanimously on Monday morning after Vincent Tarzia quit the top job last Friday, saying he wanted to spend more time in his Hartley electorate and with his family.
Ben Hood was elected by the party to fill a spot in the Legislative Council in 2023 when long-term Liberal Stephen Wade retired.
He grew up farming property in the South-East and currently lives in Mount Gambier with his wife, Ellen, and their three children.
The former business owner for over 20 years, was also Mount Gambier’s deputy mayor and was previously overseeing four shadow portfolios – Infrastructure and Transport, Government Accountability, Industrial Relations and Public Sector, along with Hospitality.
As a first-term MP, Hurn was appointed shadow Health Minister by former Liberal leader David Speirs in 2022.
Speirs resigned from parliament in October 2024 after facing charges, but was among health leaders who commended her appointment as leader earlier this week, saying it was a good opportunity for a “reset” ahead of the state election next year.
Following the announcement, Premier Peter Malinauskas said: “I’m not going to provide a running commentary on the chopping and changing that we see in the Liberal Party weeks away from a state election”.
“In only a few weeks’ time, the people of South Australia will have to cast a vote as to who will be the government of this state and the Liberal Party themselves are still trying to work it out, who’s in charge of what?”
Shadow Ministry Liberal Team
Ashton Hurn: Leader of the Opposition
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Josh Teague: Deputy Leader, shadow Attorney-General, shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, shadow Minister for Child Protection
Nicola Centofanti: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, shadow Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, shadow Minister for Water
Heidi Girolamo: Deputy Leader in the Legislative Council, shadow Minister for Health and Wellbeing
Ben Hood: shadow Treasurer, shadow Minister for Small and Family Business, shadow Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector
Jack Batty: shadow Minister for Education, shadow Minister for Police and Correctional Services, shadow Minister for Arts, Manager of Opposition Business
Vincent Tarzia: shadow Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing
Michelle Lensink: shadow Minister for Planning, shadow Minister for Housing, shadow Minister for Human Services, shadow Minister for Women, shadow Minister for the prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence
Stephen Patterson: shadow Minister for Energy and Mining, shadow Minister for Defence and Space Industries
Tim Whetstone: shadow Minister for Trade, Industry and Investment, shadow Minister for Emergency Services
Samuel Telfer: shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, shadow Minister for Local Government
Adrian Pederick: shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs, shadow Minister for Regional Roads
Penny Pratt: shadow Minister for Regional Health Services, shadow Minister for Tourism
David Basham: shadow Minister for Climate and Environment
Dennis Hood: shadow Minister for Training and Skills, shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs
Laura Henderson: shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader, shadow Assistant Minister to the shadow Attorney-General, shadow Assistant Minister for Child Protection, shadow Assistant Minister for Youth, shadow Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs, shadow Cabinet Secretary
More to come.
