Daniel Wills: State Parliament sits for the first time since the Liberals’ win, testing both new Premier and Labor leader

SO far, Premier Steven Marshall has had an easy ride. But that could be about to change — the new State Parliament opens on Thursday and his rookie government will be stress-tested for the first time since the historic election win.

PREMIER Steven Marshall’s honeymoon may be over on Thursday, as a new-look Parliament sits for the first time since the election and a fresh Government is pressure-tested.

It has been a breeze for Mr Marshall’s team since their drought-breaking election win almost seven weeks ago.

SA Premier Steven Marshall . Picture: AAP / Kelly Barnes

Pushed forward by a confidence and swagger that comes with victory, and lacking an organised Opposition for much of the time, fledgling ministers have been left to go about their business with little distraction or contradiction.

On Thursday they get their first experience on the receiving end of Question Time.

The adjustment for both sides will be wrenching. Former treasurer Tom Koutsantonis is the only Labor MP with any experience in opposition.

Aside from Rob Lucas, none of Mr Marshall’s team had seen the inside of a Cabinet room until a few weeks ago, and will soon learn the stakes and political risk rise exponentially with power and office.

Governor Hieu Van Le will lead the major set piece of the day, delivering a traditional address on behalf of his government and laying out its plans.

Expect much of it to be in line with what voters heard during the campaign, with an agenda focused on growing the economy through business expansion as well as a new transparency drive.

It will take months before we learn how much of the promise becomes law.

The Government has willing Upper House crossbench partners on opening up hearings of the Independent Commission Against Corruption and shield laws to protect journalists’ sources.

Labor has also given qualified backing to a major element of the Government’s economic reform and job creation agenda, which will eliminate payroll tax for small business.

But two of its high-profile promises face a rough ride, with plans for extended shop trading hours and council rate capping still short of the numbers needed.

There, SA Best’s two new Upper House MPs look to be critical and will likely remain so for the next eight years.

But Thursday will set a tone for Lower House combat that will run to the next election.

Not only is this Mr Marshall’s first Question Time in the hot seat, it marks Labor leader Peter Malinauskas’s debut in the bearpit after his shift from the Upper House.

Labor is better positioned than any Liberal opposition for a decade. Fresh out of government, it has contacts in departments and intimate knowledge of how the bureaucracy works.

Some will have better knowledge of portfolios than their opposite ministers do, offering an early opportunity to pick off those finding their feet.

And it’s almost always how ministers respond to the unexpected that decides their fate.

Mr Marshall told The Advertiser he “can’t wait” to start the sparring in Question Time.

Right now, he must be feeling like this business of running a state is easy. But it’s how governments and leaders meet adversity that in the end mostly defines them.