Two well-known SA Labor Ministers dropped from Cabinet
Two of the Labor Party’s well-known faces are losing their jobs as ministers in a revamped state government leadership team.
Three new faces will serve on the front bench of the new Labor Government in South Australia, after Zoe Bettison dropped out of the running having previously served as SA’s tourism minister in the old team.
In an announcement on Tuesday afternoon, the new state government said cabinet would now include the Member for Elder, Nadia Clancy MP, the Member for Florey, Michael Brown MP, and the incoming Member for Unley, Alice Rolls. Former lawyer Rolls has only just been elected to parliament after seizing the once blue-ribbon seat.
The three will fill the vacancies left by former Tourism and Multicultural Affairs Minister Zoe Bettison, former Arts and Small and Family Business Minister and Member for Enfield, Andrea Michaels, who retired, and a surprise spot left by former Human Services Minister Nat Cook.
Two other MPs who have only just been elected – including the Member for Gibson, Sarah Andrews MP, and the incoming Member for Enfield, Lawrence Ben, a former adviser to Premier Peter Malinauskas and the son-in-law of Labor heavyweight and federal Trade Minister Don Farrell, would also win top jobs.
Both will be Assistant Ministers with all of the government’s new cabinet roles to be announced at a press conference on Wednesday morning.
The members were elected to the new roles at Labor’s first caucus meeting held at Parliament House, where Premier Peter Malinauskas told his newly elected MPs that he could “see a big opportunity for us at the moment”.
“I think the electorate has said, ‘Just get on with it’, ‘Make the decisions’, ‘Make the calls’, ‘Be pro-economic’, ‘Be pro-business’, ‘Be sensible’, ‘Make decisions even if that results in a bit of pushback’, ‘Make a call if we form a view collectively that it’s for the interests of the state’,” he said.
“I note that others on election night were calling for celebration, I know that others were proud of the landmines they will be. Well, our approach its different – we’re not celebrating; we’re getting on with the job. We’re not laying landmines and announcing euphemisms. We’re actually bringing them together to get the job done.”
Malinauskas was referring to One Nation national leader Pauline Hanson who said “Peter Malinauskas congratulations on your win,” and that while she was soon leaving for Canberra “Guess what mate, I’m leaving you some landmines, they are called One Nation members of parliament .. I’m suggesting don’t step on them because they will explode.”
Zoe Bettison served on the Labor frontbench for 12 years, and also held a range of portfolios in the former Labor Weatherill Government, including Ageing, Communities and Social Inclusion, Multicultural Affairs, Social Housing, Volunteers and Youth.
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Nat Cook has served on the Labor frontbench for eight years including as Minister for Human Services and Minister for Seniors and Ageing Well “where she has been a passionate advocate for some of the most vulnerable members of our community”.
Andrea Michaels, who resigned from parliament at the state election, served on the Labor frontbench for six years, including as Minister for Arts, Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs and Minister for Small and Family Business.
Malinauskas said both Bettison and Cook would continue “to bring their experience, insight and strong commitment to public service as valued members of the Parliamentary Labor team, and it is clear they still have much to offer”.
The new Malinauskas Government Ministry will be sworn in at a ceremony at Government House at 10:45am tomorrow.
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