Ex union boss Peter Malinauskas elected SA’s opposition leader, with Susan Close as deputy

PETER Malinauskas will be SA’s new opposition leader with former Education Minister Susan Close voted in as the Labor Party’s new deputy leader this morning.

Former South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill looks on as former Minister for Health Peter Malinauskas. Picture: Mark Brake

• First interview: “I won’t lead a destructive-style opposition”

PETER Malinauskas will be South Australia’s new opposition leader after being elected to lead the state’s Labor Party this morning.

The former minister and union boss will be joined by former education minister Susan Close, who has been elected deputy opposition leader.

The state Labor caucus met for the first time after the party’s election loss on Monday with Mr Malinauskas elected to replace former premier Jay Weatherill.

Ms Close’s naming as his deputy signals a major reworking of Labor’s frontbench.

Mr Malinauskas only entered parliament in 2015, filling a casual vacancy in the upper house.

The 37-year-old was previously the state secretary for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association (SDA), the union that wields considerable power in Labor’s dominant right faction.

He entered the cabinet in a 2016 reshuffle, taking on the police and emergency services portfolios before taking on the much more challenging role of health minister when Jack Snelling stood down in 2017.

The rest of Labor’s front bench team will be announced later on Monday with portfolios to be decided in the coming days.

MORE TO COME.

– with AAP