South Australia — political history baseline
Last updated: 2026-05-30
Key eras
| Period | Government | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002–2018 | Labor (Rann → Weatherill) | Longest SA Labor government; health, mining, submarine build-up |
| 2018–2022 | Liberal (Marshall) | Moderate Liberal; pandemic; lost 2022 |
| 2022–present | Labor (Malinauskas) | Landslide; cost-of-living; March 2026 election pending |
Turning points
- 2002: Rann minority to majority after Ramsay by-election
- 2014: Weatherill retains with crossbench after 16% swing to Liberals in 2PP terms
- 2018: Marshall wins — first Liberal government since Olsen
- 2022: Malinauskas 27-seat majority — Dunstan, Gibson ultra-marginals
Factional context
- Labor: Right (Shop Distributive / AWU) vs Left (NUW, community)
- Liberal: Moderates vs hard right — see SA Liberal party