Ryan Harrison resigns as Unley Labor secretary, saying its not a party he can serve with ‘integrity’

An SA Labor official and candidate who quit the party in spectacular fashion claims he was denied preselection based on gender and reveals his plans for the future.

Ryan Harrison, former Unley Labor candidate and sub-branch secretary, with Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: Facebook

A prominent Unley community figure has resigned from the local SA Labor sub-branch claiming he was denied preselection based on his gender and announced he will establish a new political party to contest the next state election.

Ryan Harrison served as the secretary and previously president of the Unley Labor sub-branch, following in the footsteps of his father Mark Harrison, who was also a member of the party and ran in the 1970 state election for the seat of Torrens.

Ryan Harrison handing out flyers for federal Labor's Claire Clutterham during this year’s federal election campaign. Picture: Facebook

Ryan Harrison was the Labor candidate in Unley at the 2022 state election. Picture: Facebook

Late on Tuesday evening, Mr Harrison broke the news to his Facebook followers that he, effective immediately, had resigned from his role as secretary and from the Labor Party as a whole, sharing a letter he’d addressed to state Labor secretary Aemon Bourke.

“This is no longer the Labor Party I believed in when I first became sub-branch president two decades ago,” the letter read.

“Nor is it the party my father stood for when he contested the seat of Torrens in 1970, the same year Don Dunstan won his second term as premier.

“It is no longer a party I can serve with integrity.”

Mr Harrison doubled down on Thursday, telling 7News his gender was the reason he was not preselected to run in the Unley seat – which he previously contested in 2022 – at next year’s state election.

“The only reason I’ve had explained to me is that I’m the wrong sex, and that they wanted a female candidate in the seat,” he said.

“I just think the merits of my candidacy and what we accomplished at the last state election, would afford me the opportunity to run again.”

Mr Harrison will now contest the 2026 election as an independent with plans to launch a new party For Unley.

Premier Peter Malinauskas said Mr Harrison was a preselection candidate for the seat of Unley “only a couple of weeks ago” and was “desperate” to be a Labor MP.

He said that Mr Harrison withdrew his candidacy, “presumably” because “he thought he was going to lose the ballot to a better candidate”.

Mr Malinauskas said Mr Harrison “worked hard” and would be understandably “disappointed” that he was not preselected for the seat of Unley.

Ryan Harrison has resigned from the SA Labor Party effective immediately. Picture: Facebook

Mr Harrison – whose family has lived in the Parkside and Unley area since the 1940s – achieved an 8.8 per cent primary vote swing against veteran incumbent Unley Liberal MP David Pisoni at the last state election, bringing the seat into a marginal 2.2 per cent Liberal hold and within reach of Labor at next year’s state election.

In his letter, Mr Harrison said he remained “grateful” to the members of the Unley sub-branch who “recognised and supported my work”.

“I am especially thankful for the trust placed in me when I was preselected unopposed for the seat of Unley, at a time when the Liberal margin stood at 11.5 per cent,” he said.

“That made possible the 8.8 per cent primary swing achieved in 2022, the largest in the seat’s history.”

Mr Harrison secured 7852 first-preference votes in the 2022 state election, but was unable to secure the seat, which also recorded a strong uplift in first-preference votes for Greens candidate Georgie Hart.