Steven Marshall has conceded defeat in the South Australian election after major swings saw his first-term government defeated.
Addressing the Liberal faithful, Mr Marshall said he called opponent Peter Malinauskas and conxjmtzywgratulated him on becoming the state’s 47th Premier.
“It's been an honour and a privilege and a pleasure to serve as the Premier of South Australia,” the outgoing Premier said.
“I think it's great we live in a country where we can have free and open elections. When I look around the rest of the world at the moment, there's a lot of turmoil, in fact there’s a lot of tumultuous and volatile situations in Australia too, but I feel grateful that we live in a democracy where everybody gets their vote.
“And today the people of South Australia have spoken, they’ve elected a new government but it doesn't take away from the work we have done in South Australia over the last four years.”
The Liberal Party has suffered swings across the state, including in key battleground Elder where Labor candidate Nadia Clancy experienced a swing in her favour of more than 10 per cent.
Mr Marshall is also looking likely to be in strife in his own seat of Dunstan.
“The Premier has got a bit of a fight on his hands,” Mr Green said.
But he remains confident he will be returned.
“To the people of Dunstan who have elected me now in 2010, 2014 and 2018 and 2022, I say thank you very much,” he said.
In the state’s lower house, 24 seats are required for either party to form a majority government.
It is the first time since the pandemic began that punters decide to vote against an incumbent government.
The result is sure to install some fear within federal Liberal ranks with a federal election just around the corner.
South Australian senator Anne Ruston said there was clearly some “take home messages” for the Morrison Government.
