South Australia’s new Premier has revealed which MPs have been selected to take on ministerial roles, saying there was one particular detail he was “very proud of”.
Peter Malinauskas was quick to point out that his Cabinet comprised of as close to 50 per cent gender equal representatives, with eight of the 17 appointments.
Of the 15 ministers sworn in on Thursday morning, six were women but the total appointments included two females who will now act as the Premier’s and Deputy Premier’s assistant ministers.
“(The Cabinet) is very diverse. It is progressive and it is modern … That is something I’m very proud of,” the premier said.
“It’s one of the greatest representations of females at the senior government level we’ve seen in the history of South Australia and it’s obviously a very substantial increase from the (former) Marshall Liberal government.
“I’m so glad we’ve got oodles of talent within the government to choose from.”
Mr Malinauskas said he was also proud to have Claire Scriven on his Cabinet who was the first ever female minister from the Limestone Coast.
He said the area — located in the state’s south east near the Victorian border — had no representation under Steven Marshall’s ministry and needed to be rectifxjmtzywied because it was a “crucial” part of the state’s economy.
Mr Malinauskas also appointed Kyam Maher as Attorney-General, making him the first ever initiated Aboriginal man to hold that role in the state’s history.
“That is a big deal and I’m really proud that it’s the Labor Party that has delivered on that.
“I stand here with a united team with a vision for the future of our state, a policy and a plan and that work begins today. I’m incredibly excited about it.
“We will do everything we can over the four years ahead to serve our people and state incredibly well.”
The ministers were sworn in by SA Governor Frances Adamson at a ceremony at Government House with four ministers attending via video link.
It was revealed Nat Cook and Mr Maher were both Covid-19 positive while Katrine Hildyard and Andrea Michaels needed to isolate.
“I can't tell you how unfortunate it was that we didn’t have the entirety of our team here (in person) being sworn in. Each of those four individuals desperately wanted to be here,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“It’s very much a reflection of what’s going on in South Australia at the moment, particularly for parents of young children of school age.”
