Peter Malinauskas coy on Labor leadership as factions jostle for power

RISING star Peter Malinauskas remains coy about whether he’ll seek the Labor leadership, as speculation mounts that a major factional stoush is brewing after 20 years of peace.

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RISING star Peter Malinauskas remains coy about whether he’ll seek the Labor leadership, as speculation mounts that a major factional stoush is brewing after 20 years of peace.

Mr Malinauskas is widely expected to take on the party leadership, but would not be drawn on speculation, telling The Advertiser only: “I congratulate (Premier) Steven Marshall and his team”.

Labor sources on Monday speculated that the party’s powerful Right faction would try to seize the top two opposition positions after former premier Jay Weatherill announced he would step down.

Right faction powerbroker Tom Koutsantonis has been speculated as a potential deputy opposition leader if he misses out on the top job.

Labor MP Peter Malinauskas with former premier Jay Weatherill during the election campaign. Picture: AAP / David Mariuz

Stephen Mullighan, another Right faction member, has also been raised as a potential deputy leader.

The Left faction will vociferously oppose any Right faction play for both leadership roles, which has the potential to spark all-out war inside the party. The move is yet to be formally discussed inside the ALP.

Frontbencher Susan Close has been earmarked for the deputy leadership by her Left faction.

Mr Koutsantonis, who is considered Mr Malinauskas’ main rival for the leadership, told Sky News that every Labor leader elected since Don Dunstan’s resignation in the 1970s had gone on to become premier.

“We take the position very very seriously. We’ll get together, there’s plenty of time,” he said.

“The focus is on the Government, people have only stopped voting 40 hours ago. Let’s just wait and see what the results are, there’s no rush. We’ll get together in a collegiate way and choose the best person, whoever he or she is.”

Mr Koutsantonis did not respond to The Advertiser’s calls.

The former treasurer had been considered more likely to become leader if Labor had been obliterated at Saturday’s election, while Mr Malinauskas is the most likely choice if the party believes it has a serious chance of winning back power in four years time.