Fresh faces and new direction for SA Liberal Party

Tuesday 19 April 2022

The South Australian Liberal Party has this morning elected its new leadership team to guide the party forward and deliver a fresh vision for the future of the state.

David Speirs has been elected as the new Leader, while John Gardner has been elected Deputy Leader. Nicola Centofanti has been elected as the Leader in the Legislative Council and Jing Lee as Deputy Leader.

New leader of the Liberal Party and Opposition, David Speirs, was first elected to Parliament in 2014. He was appointed to Shadow Cabinet in 2017 and became Minister for Environment and Water in 2018 making him one of the youngest Cabinet Ministers in South Australian history.

During his time as Minister, Mr Speirs oversaw significant reform in his portfolio including a record expansion of area protected as national parks, opening reservoirs up for recreational access, leading South Australia to become the first state in the country to ban single-use plastics and Adelaide being recognised as the world’s second National Park City.

Mr Speirs thanked his colleagues for their support.

“It is an honour to be elected as the Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party and I look forward to immediately getting to work and developing a new vision for this great state,” he said.

“Our new leadership team is united, fresh and eager to reconnect with the suburbs, the regions and everyday South Australians.

“As the son of migrant family who has grown up in Adelaide’s southern suburbs, I understand the day-to-day challenges people face and I look forward to working hard to make our state an even better place to live, work and raise a family.

“I want to thank outgoing leader Steven Marshall who has served the Liberal Party for nearly a decade including the past four years as Premier.

“I have been lucky enough to serve under Steven, learn from him and most importantly call him a friend.

“He led the state through one of its most difficult periods during a global pandemic and helped keep South Australians safe while maintaining a strong economy and I think his government’s legacy will continue to grow over time.

“I firmly believe the Liberal Party can return to government in 2026 and I will make sure we hold Peter Malinauskas and the Labor Party to account over the next four years.”