Power 50: Readers’ rank of South Australia’s most influential people of 2022

The people have spoken on this year’s Power 50 list of influential South Australians. See the order in which readers have rated the list.

Flavia Tata Nardini, centre, and Justin James, right, were among the influential South Australians readers said should be higher on the list.

Readers have had their say on The Advertiser’s 2022 Power 50 list of influential South Australians, championing the return of Police Commissioner Grant Stevens to the top of the pile.

Mr Stevens came in at No. 1 on the 2021 list as he reigned SA as state co-ordinator in the midst of Covid’s stranglehold on everyday life.

He dropped to No. 25 on this year’s list as he returned to a more traditional Police Commissioner role but now has his hands full co-ordinating the response to River Murray floods.

By their votes, readers have installed him at the top of their 2022 list.

Police Commissioner Grant Stevens is leading the state’s response to River Murray flooding. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Naomi Jellicoe

This year’s list had the ability for readers online to rate whether they agreed with a person’s ranking or if they were overrated or underrated.

The reader voting revealed some interesting trends beyond an appreciation for the role Mr Stevens’ plays.

As of Thursday night, prominent women business leaders Flavia Tata Nardini (rated at No. 3 by the readers, compared with No. 15 on the Power List), Christine Zeitz (No. 6, compared with No. 43) and Jennifer Purdie (No. 7, compared with No. 47) were all ranked in the top 10 of the reader rated list.

At the other end of the scale, South Australians’ general dislike of Victorians was confirmed with CFMEU boss John Setka rated at No. 50 by the readers, compared with No. 5 on the Power List.

Ash the Ambo and the health unions, which were rated at No. 8 on the Power List, came in at No. 49.

Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong, who has just made the first official visit by an Australian politician to China since 2019 and was ranked at No. 1 on the Power List, was viewed as overrated by readers and landed at No. 47 on their list.

There was not a lot of love for CFMEU boss John Setka among readers. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Others to fall on the reader rated list included Adelaide Crows chairman John Olsen (No. 45, compared with No. 10) and Labor powerbroker and Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell (No. 43, compared with No. 4).

Readers really rated the influence of Ross Pelligra (No. 4, compared with No. 14), Amanda Rishworth (No 13, compared with No. 42), Justin James (No. 19, compared with No. 38), Sanjeev Gupta (No. 20, compared with No. 49) and Aaron Hickmann (No. 26, compared with No. 48).

Five of the positions on the reader rated list came in the same as the Power List, including Premier Peter Malinauskas at No. 2.

Several others landed within five positions of each other on each list.