Bitter Dunstan by-election to spark urgent reforms of ‘frustrating’ voting laws after Labor’s historic win

Premier Peter Malinauskas has claimed victory this morning in the Dunstan by-election, issuing a strict reminder to his troops about avoiding arrogance.

Premier Peter Malinauskas is moving to recast his re-election campaign beyond ambulance ramping to the state economy and issuing a blunt warning about arrogance as he claims a historic victory in Dunstan by-election.

At a press conference in Norwood on Thursday morning, Mr Malinauskas said snaring Dunstan had brought “yet another degree of stability to our government” but insisted there was “much more work to be done” to tackle “challenges in our community”.

In a veiled reference to the Liberals declaring the by-election a referendum on ambulance ramping, Mr Malinauskas said the result showed voters wanted government to focus on “a broad agenda to take the state forward”, rather than “one singular issue”.

Premier Peter Malinauskas and Labor candidate for Dunstan Cressida O'Hanlon after winning the Dunstan by-election in Norwood. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Asked by The Advertiser about the by-election’s lessons for his 2026 re-election campaign, Mr Malinauskas said health was “a central focus”, both now and ahead of Labor’s 2022 victory.

“But it never was and it never can be a singular focus, because then we’re jettisoning effort in areas of future endeavour, like education. That’s not good for anybody,” he said.

“So I guess from my perspective, the one thing we take out of the by-election, which is more than anything else, is that the state is going in the right direction. Things are being achieved, but we’ve got to keep that effort going.

“ … There are big opportunities coming our way and we’ve got to grab them. We’ve got to grab those big economic opportunities and make sure it translates to a better life for young people.

“But at the same time, we do need to address the challenges we know that exist in health and housing, in particular.”

Former Premier and Dunstan MP Steven Marshall has coffee in Norwood on Thursday morning with Liberal candidate Anna Finizio after she conceded the Dunstan by-election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Kelly Barnes

Asked by The Advertiser if his government’s 28-14 seat majority meant he was concerned about arrogance creeping into his troops, Mr Malinauskas bluntly replied: “That is something that won’t be tolerated.

“I think in politics, you’ve got a degree of confidence about your ability to take on the challenges that are before you but I won’t be tolerating for one moment anyone that sort of allows themselves to get too far ahead of themselves. There’s still a lot of work to do.

“ The test for us as a team isn’t the size of majority in the parliament or a particular vote outcome. The test is whether or not we’re getting things done, whether or not we’re delivering for the state.

“And we have got a lot done and we’ve got a lot more that we want to do.”
Mr Malinauskas appeared alongside successful ALP candidate Cressida O’Hanlon, following Opposition Leader David Speirs’ concession late on Wednesday in the hard-fought contest.

Labor’s historic Dunstan by-election win will trigger urgent reforms of “frustrating” electoral laws.

Liberal candidate Anna Finizio, 37, on Wednesday night conceded the knife-edge defeat to Ms O’Hanlon, 51, after one of the most bitter campaigns for the state’s most marginal electorate.

Businesswoman Ms O’Hanlon, a mother-of-four, created political history after becoming the first government-backed candidate to win an Opposition held seat in a by-election in more than 116 years.

Opposition treasury spokesman Matt Cowdrey said the Liberals were “united behind David Speirs” and confident they were “on the right trajectory” as “over the next two years as we start to present our alternative plan and vision for South Australia”.

“What we’re here to do is put forward a solid Opposition in South Australia and present ourselves as an alternative government in two years time,” he said.

Anna Finizio comforts David Speirs on election night. Picture: Brett Hartwig

The Electoral Commission, which has come under fire over what party chiefs say was a “frustrating” count – including stopping work at 4pm on Tuesday halfway through a check of a day of ballots – will confirm the result next week.

But the Liberals conceded the crushing loss of a less than one per cent margin and fewer than 400 votes.

Attorney-General Kyam Maher said the government will “be progressing electoral reform legislation in this term”.

“Allowing pre-poll votes to be counted before close of polling is something we are looking to progress,” he said.

Cressida O'Hanlon with husband James with Premier Peter Malinauskas and his wife Annabel on election night. Picture: Brett Hartwig

Opposition Leader David Speirs, whose leadership has come under intense scrutiny, said he “shares the frustration … with how long it took to get an accurate result”.

He urged bipartisan support “to get this simple reform done quickly so that this issue never happens again”.

An ESCA spokeswoman said the count had been “on schedule”. Dr Finizio, a lawyer and former political adviser who secured more primary support, congratulated Ms O’Hanlon, who worked for Labor backbench MP Reggie Martin, late on Wednesday.

In a gracious concession statement, Dr Finizio, who secured 49.2 per cent of the vote, paid a “heartfelt thanks to the people of Dunstan”.

Neither Ms O'Hanlon nor the Premier commented on Wednesday night. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“Every minute at your doorstep, inside your small business and out with you in the community was a privilege. While this was not the outcome we had hoped for, I want to thank all my supporters and our volunteers for their incredible efforts during this campaign.”

Mr Speirs, who has refused to quit his leadership, also rang Premier Peter Malinauskas to concede. “Dr Finizio comfortably won the primary vote but unfortunately the preference flow has ultimately seen us fall short by a few hundred votes,” he said.

Neither Ms O’Hanlon, who like lawyer Dr Finizio was embroiled in controversies during the bitter six week campaign, nor Mr Malinauskas spoke.

Labor’s lead is 345 votes but senior officials believe that will tighten to 300 votes.

Ms O’Hanlon, who has denied links to her husband, James’ business Citadel Secure, lost to Mr Marshall by 260 votes in 2022 but has since enjoyed an unprecedented surge of Greens preferences.

Labor now has 28 lower house seats to the Opposition’s 14. A majority 24 electorates is needed to form government.