New Labor government seizes control of both houses of parliament after Terry Stephens elected upper house president

Labor has effectively taken control of both houses of parliament – after an unprecedented move in the upper house. But one MP has blasted the move.

The new Labor government has effectively seized control of both houses of parliament by installing a Liberal as president of the Legislative Council in a historic coup.

Terry Stephens was appointed to the position after a vote of upper house members during the first sitting of the new parliament on Tuesday.

Liberal MP Terry Stephens in 2018. Picture: AAP / Morgan Sette

He was elected unopposed following a nomination by Greens MLC Tammy Franks.

SA-Best MLC Connie Bonaros nominated government members Ian Hunter, Tung Ngo, Russell Wortley, Irene Pnevmatikos and Reggie Martin for the position. However, none accepted the nomination and Mr Stephens was escorted to the president’s chair.

His installation leaves Labor with nine votes on the floor of the house and means the party needs only the support of the Greens or SA-Best – not both – to pass legislation.

Such control of the upper house is unprecedented in the modern era. Even after the Liberals’ 1993 landslide win after the State Bank collapse, the party did not have control of both houses of parliament.

The outcome will diminish the power of the crossbench, which includes Ms Franks fellow Greens MLC Robert Simms, Ms Bonaros and fellow SA-Best MLC Frank Pangallo, and new One Nation MLC Sarah Game.

Mr Stephens had served as upper house president during 2020 but resigned in the wake of the country members’ travel expenses scandal.

In previous parliaments, a member of the government has been nominated to serve as president.

Ms Franks was quick to rule out any deal between the Greens and the government and said the preservation of all nine Labor votes would make the upper house more productive and cohesive.

“The Malinauskas Labor government has an agenda that the Greens would like to see implemented,” she said.

“There’s five parties in the upper house so there will always be democracy.”

Ms Bonaros said straying from convention undermined “democracy, accountability and transparency – everything the upper house stands for”.

“It beggars belief the Liberals would act as foolishly as they did – putting their own vested internal interests ahead of democracy,” she said.

“Given their numbers, it absolutely astounds me they would even contemplate removing one of their crucial votes from the chamber – let alone action it!”

Ms Bonaros, who made clear she has “nothing against Terry Stephens”, said the outcome was a sign that factional divisions within the Liberal Party “continue to rage”.

An Opposition spokesman said the nomination of Terry Stephens was not opposed and “we believe he is a fair and appropriate president”.

“We nominated him for president just two years ago and we maintain our confidence in him,” the spokesman said.

“The government had no suitable representatives for the distinguished role and we’re glad Labor agrees.”