# South Australian Labor Party

The South Australian Labor Party, officially known as the Australian Labor Party (South Australian Branch) and commonly referred to simply as South Australian Labor, is the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party, originally formed in 1891 as the United Labor Party of South Australia. It is one of two major parties in the bicameral Parliament of South Australia, the other being the South Australian Liberal Party.
Since the 1970 election, marking the beginning of democratic fair representation (one vote, one value) and ending decades of pro-rural electoral malapportionment known as the Playmander, Labor have won 11 of the 15 elections. Spanning 16 years and 4 terms, Labor was last in government from the 2002 election until the 2018 election. Jay Weatherill led the Labor government since a 2011 leadership change from Mike Rann. During 2013 it became the longest-serving state Labor government in South Australian history, and in addition went on to win a fourth four-year term at the 2014 election. After losing the 2018 election, the party spent 4 years in opposition before leader Peter Malinauskas led the party to a majority victory in the 2022 election.
Labor's most notable historic Premiers of South Australia include Thomas Price in the 1900s, Don Dunstan in the 1970s, John Bannon in the 1980s, and Mike Rann in the 2000s.

## Formation

A United Trades and Labor Council meeting with the purpose of creating an elections committee was convened on 12 December 1890, and held on 7 January 1891. The elections committee was formed, officially named the United Labor Party of South Australia (unlike state Labor, prior to 1912 their federal counterparts included the 'u' in their spelling of Labour) with John McPherson the founding secretary. Four months later, Labor enjoyed immediate success, electing David Charleston, Robert Guthrie and Andrew Kirkpatrick to the South Australian Legislative Council. A week later, Richard Hooper won the 1891 Wallaroo by-election as an Independent Labor member in the South Australian House of Assembly. McPherson won the 1892 East Adelaide by-election on 23 January, becoming the first official Labor leader and member of the House of Assembly.
Prior to party creation, South Australian politics had lacked parties or solid groupings, although loose liberal and conservative blocs had begun to develop by the end of the 1880s. The 1893 election was the first general election Labor would stand at, resulting in liberal and conservative leaning MPs beginning to divide, additionally with unidentified groupings and independents, as well as the subsequent formation of the staunchly anti-Labor National Defence League. The voluntary turnout rate increased from 53 to 68 percent, with Labor on 19 percent of the vote, and 10 Labor candidates including McPherson and Hooper were elected to the 54-member House of Assembly which gave Labor the balance of power. The Kingston liberal government was formed with the support of Labor, ousting the Downer conservative government. Kingston served as Premier for a then-record of six and a half years, usually implementing legislation with Labor support.
Thomas Price formed the state's first Labor minority government and the world's first stable Labor Party government at the 1905 election with the support of several non-Labor MPs to form the Price-Peake administration, which was re-elected at the 1906 double dissolution election, with Labor falling just two seats short of a majority. So successful, John Verran led Labor to form the state's first of many majority governments at the 1910 election, just two weeks after the 1910 federal election where their federal counterparts formed Australia's first elected majority in either house in the Parliament of Australia, the world's first Labor Party majority government at a national level, and after the 1904 Chris Watson minority government the world's second Labor Party government at a national level.
Known as the United Labor Party of South Australia until 1917, the Australian Labor Party at both a state/colony and federal level pre-dates, among others, both the British Labour Party and the New Zealand Labour Party in party formation, government, and policy implementation.

## Premiers

Thirteen of the nineteen parliamentary Labor leaders have served as Premier of South Australia: Thomas Price (1905–1909), John Verran (1910–1912), Crawford Vaughan (1915–1917), John Gunn (1924–1926), Lionel Hill (1926–1927 and 1930–1931; expelled from party but continued as Premier until 1933), Frank Walsh (1965–1967), Don Dunstan (1967–1968 and 1970–1979), Des Corcoran (1979), John Bannon (1982–1992), Lynn Arnold (1992–1993), Mike Rann (2002–2011), Jay Weatherill (2011–2018) and Peter Malinauskas (2022–Present) . Robert Richards was Premier in 1933 while leading the rebel Parliamentary Labor Party of MPs who had been expelled in the 1931 Labor split; he would later be readmitted and lead the party in opposition. Bannon is Labor's longest-serving Premier of South Australia, ahead of Rann and Dunstan by a matter of weeks. Every Labor leader for more than half a century has gone on to serve as Premier.

## Deputy Premiers

Since the position's formal introduction in 1968, seven parliamentary Labor deputy leaders have served as Deputy Premier of South Australia: Des Corcoran (1968 and 1970–1979), Hugh Hudson (1979), Jack Wright (1982–1985), Don Hopgood (1985–1992), Frank Blevins (1992–1993), Kevin Foley (2002–2011), John Rau (2011–18) and Susan Close (2022– Present). Foley is the state's longest-serving Deputy Premier.

## List of parliamentary leaders

| No | Party leader | Constituency | Assumed office | Left office | Premier | Reason for departure |
| 1 | John McPherson | East Adelaide (1892–1897) | 23 February 1892 | 13 December 1897 | | Died |
| 2 | Lee Batchelor | West Adelaide (1893–1901) | 1897/1898 | 12 December 1899 | | Joined federal parliament |
| 3 | Tom Price | Sturt/Torrens (1893–1909) | 12 December 1899 | 31 May 1909 | 1905–1909 | Died |
| 4 | John Verran | Wallaroo (1901–1917) | 1909 | 26 July 1913 | 1910–1912 | Lost party room challenge to Vaughan |
| 5 | Crawford Vaughan | Torrens/Sturt (1905–1918) | 26 July 1913 | 12 February 1917 | 1915–1917 | Quit party |
| 6 | Andrew Kirkpatrick | Leg. Council (1891–1897; 1900–1905) Newcastle (1915–1918) | 6 March 1917 | 15 February 1918 | | Retired |
| 7 | John Gunn | Adelaide (1915–1926) | 18 April 1918 | 18 August 1926 | 1924–1926 | Resigned |
| 8 | Lionel Hill | East Torrens / Port Pirie (1915–1933) | 18 August 1926 | 15 August 1931 | 1926–1927; 1930–1933 | Expelled from party |
| 9 | Edgar Dawes | Sturt (1930–1933) | 12 May 1932 | 22 April 1933 | | Lost seat in 1933 election |
| 10 | Andrew Lacey | Port Pirie (1933–1946) | 22 April 1933 | 1 April 1938 | | Stepped down after splinter parties merged |
| 11 | Robert Richards | Wallaroo (1918–1949) | 1 April 1938 | 27 October 1949 | (1933) | Retired |
| 12 | Mick O'Halloran | Burra Burra (1918–1927) Frome (1938–1960) | 27 October 1949 | 22 September 1960 | | Died |
| 13 | Frank Walsh | Goodwood / Edwardstown (1941–1968) | 22 September 1960 Acting until 5 October 1960 | 1 June 1967 | 1965–1967 | Retired |
| 14 | Don Dunstan | Norwood (1953–1979) | 1 June 1967 | 15 February 1979 | 1967–1968; 1970–1979 | Resigned |
| 15 | Des Corcoran | Millicent / Coles / Hartley (1962–1982) | 15 February 1979 Acting until 15 March 1979 | 2 October 1979 | 1979 | Resigned after 1979 election loss |
| 16 | John Bannon | Ross Smith (1977–1993) | 2 October 1979 | 4 September 1992 | 1982–1992 | Resigned |
| 17 | Dr Lynn Arnold | Salisbury / Ramsay / Taylor (1979–1994) | 4 September 1992 | 20 September 1994 | 1992–1993 | Resigned |
| 18 | Mike Rann | Briggs / Ramsay (1985–2012) | 20 September 1994 | 21 October 2011 | 2002–2011 | Lost party room challenge to Weatherill |
| 19 | Jay Weatherill | Cheltenham (2002–2018) | 21 October 2011 | 9 April 2018 | 2011–2018 | Resigned after 2018 election loss |
| 20 | Peter Malinauskas | Leg. Council (2015–2018) Croydon (since 2018) | 9 April 2018 | | 2022– | |

## List of deputy parliamentary leaders

| Party deputy leader | Assumed office | Left office | Deputy Premier |
| John Fitzgerald | 21 April 1933 | 22 June 1934 | |
| Robert Richards | 22 June 1934 | 1 April 1938 | |
| Andrew Lacey | 1 April 1938 | 4 September 1946 | |
| Mick O'Halloran | 4 September 1946 | 27 October 1949 | |
| Frank Walsh | 27 October 1949 | 5 October 1960 | |
| Cyril Hutchens | 5 October 1960 | 1 June 1967 | |
| Des Corcoran | 1 June 1967 | 15 March 1979 | 1967–1968; 1970–1979 |
| Hugh Hudson | 15 March 1979 | 2 October 1979 | 1979 |
| Jack Wright | 2 October 1979 | 16 July 1985 | 1982–1985 |
| Dr. Don Hopgood | 26 July 1985 | 4 September 1992 | 1985–1992 |
| Frank Blevins | 4 September 1992 | 14 December 1993 | 1992–1993 |
| Mike Rann | 14 December 1993 | 20 September 1994 | |
| Ralph Clarke | 20 September 1994 | 31 December 1996 | |
| Annette Hurley | 1 January 1997 | Feb 2002 | |
| Kevin Foley | Feb 2002 | 7 February 2011 | 2002–2011 |
| John Rau | 7 February 2011 | 9 April 2018 | 2011–2018 |
| Susan Close | 9 April 2018 | | 2022– |

## Current federal parliamentarians
### House of Representatives

* Matt Burnell – Spence MP since 2022
* Mark Butler – Hindmarsh MP since 2019, previously Port Adelaide MP from 2007 to 2019.
* Steve Georganas – Adelaide MP since 2019, previously Hindmarsh MP from 2004 to 2013 and again from 2016 to 2019.
* Louise Miller-Frost – Boothby MP since 2022
* Amanda Rishworth – Kingston MP since 2007
* Tony Zappia – Makin MP since 2007

### Senate

* Don Farrell – since 2016
* Karen Grogan – since 2021
* Marielle Smith – since 2019
* Penny Wong – since 2002

## Historic party officials

* Elizabeth Rose Hanretty

## Electoral performance
### House of Assembly

| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Status |
| 1893 | John McPherson | 16,458 | 18.8 | 10 / 54 | 10 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1896 | John McPherson | 39,107 | 24.3 | 12 / 54 | 2 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1899 | Lee Batchelor | 40,756 | 25.4 | 11 / 54 | 1 | 3rd | Crossbench |
| 1902 | Thomas Price | 48,515 | 19.9 | 5 / 42 | 6 | 3rd | Opposition |
| 1905 | Thomas Price | 148,550 | 41.3 | 15 / 42 | 10 | 1st | Minority |
| 1906 | Thomas Price | 143,577 | 44.8 | 20 / 42 | 5 | 1st | Minority |
| 1910 | John Verran | 197,935 | 49.1 | 22 / 42 | 2 | 1st | Majority |
| 1912 | John Verran | 253,163 | 46.7 | 16 / 40 | 6 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1915 | Crawford Vaughan | 153,034 | 45.9 | 26 / 46 | 10 | 1st | Majority |
| 1918 | Andrew Kirkpatrick | 145,093 | 44.7 | 17 / 46 | 9 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1921 | John Gunn | 179,308 | 44.6 | 16 / 46 | 1 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1924 | John Gunn | 192,256 | 48.4 | 27 / 46 | 11 | 1st | Majority |
| 1927 | Lionel Hill | 243,450 | 47.9 | 16 / 46 | 11 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1930 | Lionel Hill | 102,194 | 48.6 | 30 / 46 | 14 | 1st | Majority |
| 1933 | Edgar Dawes | 48,273 | 27.8 | 6 / 46 | 24 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1938 | Andrew Lacey | 57,124 | 26.1 | 9 / 39 | 3 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1941 | Robert Richards | 56,062 | 33.3 | 11 / 39 | 2 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1944 | Robert Richards | 105,298 | 42.5 | 16 / 39 | 5 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1947 | Robert Richards | 133,959 | 48.6 | 13 / 39 | 3 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1950 | Mick O'Halloran | 134,952 | 48.1 | 12 / 39 | 1 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1953 | Mick O'Halloran | 166,517 | 50.9 | 14 / 39 | 2 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1956 | Mick O'Halloran | 129,853 | 47.4 | 15 / 39 | 1 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1959 | Mick O'Halloran | 191,933 | 49.3 | 17 / 39 | 2 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1962 | Frank Walsh | 219,790 | 53.9 | 19 / 39 | 2 | 1st | Opposition |
| 1965 | Frank Walsh | 274,432 | 55.0 | 21 / 39 | 2 | 1st | Majority |
| 1968 | Don Dunstan | 292,445 | 51.9 | 19 / 39 | 2 | 1st | Opposition |
| 1970 | Don Dunstan | 305,478 | 51.6 | 27 / 47 | 8 | 1st | Majority |
| 1973 | Don Dunstan | 324,135 | 51.5 | 26 / 47 | 1 | 1st | Majority |
| 1975 | Don Dunstan | 321,481 | 46.3 | 23 / 47 | 3 | 1st | Majority |
| 1977 | Don Dunstan | 383,831 | 51.6 | 27 / 47 | 4 | 1st | Majority |
| 1979 | Des Corcoran | 300,277 | 40.8 | 20 / 47 | 7 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1982 | John Bannon | 353,999 | 6.3 | 24 / 47 | 5 | 1st | Majority |
| 1985 | John Bannon | 393,652 | 48.2 | 27 / 47 | 3 | 1st | Majority |
| 1989 | John Bannon | 346,268 | 40.1 | 22 / 47 | 5 | 2nd | Minority |
| 1993 | Lynn Arnold | 277,038 | 30.4 | 10 / 47 | 12 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 1997 | Mike Rann | 312,929 | 35.2 | 21 / 47 | 11 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 2002 | Mike Rann | 344,559 | 36.4 | 23 / 47 | 2 | 1st | Minority |
| 2006 | Mike Rann | 424,715 | 45.2 | 28 / 47 | 5 | 1st | Majority |
| 2010 | Mike Rann | 367,480 | 37.5 | 26 / 47 | 2 | 1st | Majority |
| 2014 | Jay Weatherill | 364,420 | 35.8 | 23 / 47 | 3 | 1st | Minority (2014) |
| 2014 | Jay Weatherill | 364,420 | 35.8 | 23 / 47 | 3 | 1st | Majority (2014–2017) |
| 2014 | Jay Weatherill | 364,420 | 35.8 | 23 / 47 | 3 | 1st | Minority (2017–2018) |
| 2018 | Jay Weatherill | 343,896 | 32.8 | 19 / 47 | 4 | 2nd | Opposition |
| 2022 | Peter Malinauskas | 436,134 | 40.0 | 27 / 47 | 8 | 1st | Majority |