Premier Peter Malinauskas reveals independent Kavel MP Dan Cregan will continue as Speaker

The Premier has unveiled his choice for the $352,056-a-year Speaker’s job ahead of parliament resuming on Tuesday – and it’s a familiar and rather controversial face.

Independent Dan Cregan will be reinstalled as Speaker despite Labor backbenchers coveting the $352,056-a-year job after a landslide election win.

Resisting pressure to appoint one of his own, Premier Peter Malinauskas has spearheaded the move to continue with an independent Speaker after a Labor-backed putsch created the role last October.

It is understood Mr Cregan, who last year jocularly declared he would accept a can of baked beans as payment for the role, will take the salary but contribute two scholarships to government schools in his electorate.

However, it is also understood he will continue to eschew the taxpayer-funded car and driver that comes with the Speakership, preferring to drive his 2010 50th anniversary Ford Falcon, nicknamed Foster.

The former Liberal turned independent MP for the Adelaide Hills seat of Kavel is expected to be confirmed in the role by majority Labor support in a vote when parliament resumes on Tuesday for the first time after Labor’s March 19 state election victory.

Speaker Dan Cregan and the-then Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas in parliamentary question time on November 18 last year. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Mr Malinauskas told The Advertiser Mr Cregan had “proved himself to be a very good Speaker” and, having last year sought to “enshrine the principle” of an independent in the position, he was keen to continue now Labor was in government.

“I and my Labor team will support Mr Cregan continuing in that role when parliament resumes for the new term on Tuesday,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“ … Despite the fact Labor has a clear majority in the House of Assembly, I want to lead a government which engages constructively with independents, for their communities and for the state.

“That’s why I have an independent in my Cabinet in Geoff Brock and I am supporting an independent as Speaker.”

Ex-Liberal Dan Cregan becomes Speaker after legislation requiring independent MPs for the job passes lower house in October last year. Picture: SA parliament

Mr Cregan said he strongly believed in the principle of an independent Speakership and the changes made to South Australia’s constitution last year that required one.

He said the move had been a significant change and adopted the long-observed principle of the United Kingdom parliament.

“I guess it might be like a football game – in the past you had a member of one club sitting in the rooms with that club before the game, hearing all the tactics and player changes, running out onto the field with that club and saying they’re going to umpire the game impartially. I don’t think it worked,” he said.

“If the Assembly is comfortable with me continuing to have a go at it, then I’m happy to. But it’s a secret ballot of members – the only secret ballot in parliament – as it should be.”

The midnight coup on October 14 to oust Liberal Speaker Josh Teague and install Mr Cregan came just four days after The Advertiser revealed Mr Cregan would contest his blue-ribbon seat, centred on Mt Barker, as an independent.

Backed by Labor and two other former Liberal crossbenchers, Mr Cregan was elected then by 23 votes to 21, with three informals.

The putsch followed the earlier passage through parliament‘s lower house of a Bill for an independent Speaker.