Smithson: SA Pollie’s 2025 scorecard – who was hot and who was dropped
His annual scorecard is out, and Mike Smithson has gone hard on rating SA’s top pollies saying there’s been “so many cringe moments during the year that it’s hard to know where to begin”.
Calculating the annual end of year scorecard for our most prominent state politicians has been kookier than watching National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
There have been so many cringe moments during the year that it’s hard to know where to begin, especially judging the state Liberal Party.
So, let’s start with the government and the Premier.
“Perfect Pete”, as some in the Labor Party call him, continues to climb in popularity despite his keynote broken promise to fix ambulance ramping and the failure of his so-called $500 million hydrogen “vanity project.”
He’s also battling public service pay disputes and the algal bloom.
Malinauskas has the luxury of a strong and disciplined team and an Opposition resembling the famed and dysfunctional Griswold movie family.
Given the Premier’s skill in avoiding elephants in the room while also securing big events for the state he rates a healthy 9.5/10.
If politics is about results, optics and popularity it’s hard to rate him any lower.
Two others also rate well; in fact, both have scored 9/10.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis takes all before him, almost begging for a bigger and harder workload.
His decades of experience can’t be underestimated in executing his job with apparent ease.
He’s easily the government’s safest pair of hands, aside from the Premier, and the state will be all the poorer from his inevitable retirement, at some point.
Blair Boyer is another star performer in his Education portfolio.
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His stature grows with a true sense of saying what he means and meaning what he says.
Chris Picton rates 8/10 in the Health portfolio.
He’s usually left to mop up the mess of ambulance ramping figures, angry health unions and gotcha moments which have always plagued that job.
Health issues rarely find anyone congratulating the minister for their hard work.
Stephen Mullighan and Susan Close were other high-flyers last year but are now sailing off into the political sunset.
But such departures allow others to step up to the plate.
Lucy Hood’s star is on the rise, as I’ve often predicted it would.
She relishes the new role of Environment Minister with informative weekly algal updates, so earns an 8/10.
I haven’t seen enough of newbie Rhiannon Pearce to rate her in Corrections and Emily Bourke is another relative newcomer who will survive and thrive in Transport and Infrastructure.
Old hand Katrine Hildyard has often copped a serve in her Child Protection role but has significantly lifted her game to an 8/10 as well.
Kyam Maher, Andrea Michaels, Clare Scriven, Nat Cook, Nick Champion, Joe Szakacs and Zoe Bettison are all like an old pair of slippers.
They’re comfortable and reliable but hardly a glitzy political fashion statement.
They’ll happily accept scores between 6.5 and 8/10 because that’s a healthy pass mark leading into the election period.
But the government’s scores seems irrelevant if polls are correct, suggesting it’s rocketing towards a monumental victory.
So, let’s get onto the more interesting scores handed out to the beleaguered Opposition.
Vincent Tarzia’s decision to quit the party leadership, if that’s the truth and nothing but the truth, landed the Liberals in a hot mess.
Therefore, if the job of leader was too hard after little more than a year, I’m whacking him with a 5/10.
The going’s got tough, but he hasn’t got going for the long term.
Being Opposition Leader is a thankless task, but he’s more than happy to hand the poisoned chalice to another victim.
Ashton Hurn rates 8.5/10 purely for having the courage to take it on.
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She knows how to give others a good kick in the pants when needed.
That highly specialized “arse kicking” technique may need frequent application over the coming weeks.
I also rate Jack Batty’s work in his many shadow portfolios including Community Safety, Police and Correctional Services.
I see him as a potential deputy or even a leader one day, and happily give him 8/10
Penny Pratt, Ben Hood, Michelle Lensink and Stephen Patterson can all take heart from 7.5/10 as that’s high praise in the current climate of a chaotic political party.
Tim Whetstone has also had his moments with 7/10 along with current Deputy Leader Josh Teague who flashes in and out of my attention span without too much dazzle.
Heidi Girolamo and Nicola Centofanti are also gaining traction and rate 6.5/10 or higher.
Frank Pangallo fancies himself in a variety of roles before he’s even elected to Waite.
There was plenty of bite, bluff and bluster from the Liberal watchdog until his AI blunder and fruitless rumblings to muscle himself into the deputy’s role.
Frank scores a lowly 5.5/10.
Others in shadow cabinet might be saying “what about us?”
Perhaps next time, if you survive.
Lower house Liberal MPs don’t need to worry too much about how I rate them because, on the current trajectory, many of them won’t be around to criticize me when parliament returns in 2026.
The reasons behind Tarzia’s departure remain clouded.
He says the decision was his alone, coming the morning after last week’s annual Liberal media Christmas drinks.
It was poorly attended by his own MPs giving rise to speculation that something was amiss.
He says no-one tapped him on the shoulder to leave, and Hurn wasn’t given a prior personal warning from him, despite him now pledging loyalty to her.
Her involvement in his departure was non-existent.
It didn’t happen.
Every political journalist in Adelaide knew the factional sharks were circling after shocking internal polling results, but they were too spineless to attack.
Ashton Hurn’s first day in the new role was first class.
But since the David Speir’s era, I’ve been generally disappointed with the Liberal Party which owes SA taxpayers far greater respect than they’ve delivered.
They’re on track to be annihilated at the next election, which in some respects will be deserved.
I feel sorry for those who will lose their jobs for which they’ve fought hard.
A well governed state needs a strong and vibrant Opposition overseeing the checks and balances.
Sadly, the widely anticipated result will not be in the broader interests of South Australia.
Mike Smithson is weekend presenter and political analyst for 7News.
