SA Election 2018: Port Adelaide Mayor Gary Johanson and Marion Mayor Kris Hanna confirmed as SA Best candidates

PROMINENT suburban mayors Gary Johanson and Kris Hanna will run for Nick Xenophon’s SA Best party at the state election, prompting Premier Jay Weatherill to take a swipe at his former Labor colleague Mr Hanna.

Nick Xenophon (centre) with his new candidates Gary Johanson and Kris Hanna at Parliament House. Picture: Calum Robertson

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PROMINENT suburban mayors Gary Johanson and Kris Hanna will run for SA Best at the state election, and have a high-profile Labor minister and Liberal frontbencher in their sights.

SA Best Leader Nick Xenophon held a press conference at noon to unveil the pair in what he says is a “real coup” for the new party.

Mr Johanson is the Mayor of Port Adelaide Enfield, and Mr Hanna wears the robes in Marion.

Premier Jay Weatherill took a swipe at Mr Hanna, a former Labor MP who has also belonged to the Greens and run as an independent, after the unveiling on Monday.

Premier Jay Weatherill visits Nyrstar in Port Pirie with Regional Development Minister Geoff Brock. Picture: Dylan Coker

“It’s a bit of a stretch to call Kris Hanna a Labor bloke,” Mr Weatherill said.

“He’s been in more parties than Kim Kardashian.”

Responding to Mr Weatherill, Mr Hanna said: “The whole point about SA Best is that we’re trying to rise above the gutter politics that Labor and Liberal habitually trawl in.”

“It’s about policy, it’s about doing the right thing for the people. It’s not about name-calling,” he said.

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Port Augusta Mayor Sam Johnson has already been revealed as an SA Best Upper House candidate.

Mr Johanson will contest Port Adelaide, held by Education and Child Development Minister Susan Close.

Mr Hanna will take on Liberal employment spokesman Corey Wingard in Gibson, a new seat created in Adelaide’s southwest after the 2016 redistribution.

Mr Xenophon said the pair were “very popular and hardworking mayors who know their communities, what the grassroots issues are and are all about getting tangible results”.

Port Adelaide mayor and SA Best Candidate Gary Johanson. Picture: Nicholas Wrankmore

Mr Johanson is a former Liberal Party member who has unsuccessfully run twice as an independent, once in a Port Adelaide by-election and in Lee at a statewide vote.

He said Port Adelaide had been “rusted on” Labor for decades but that had to change, citing the environmental health of Gulf St Vincent and government transparency as two of his major priorities.

“The people have paid the penalty for being loyal to the Labor Party — it’s cost them dearly in jobs, education and opportunity,” he said.

Mr Johanson said he became disenchanted with the Liberals and Labor has asked him to run for them in the past.

“Only SA Best has the ability to offer real change as opposed to the same old tired, rusted approach of the two-party system we currently have,” Mr Johanson said.

“Nick has assisted our community for years and has always found the time to listen to people here as well as business concerns I have raised with him. He is always pushing to get more for ASC and its workforce. You don’t see that from the others.”

Marion Mayor Kris Hanna is also standing as an SA Best candidate. Picture: Stephen Laffer

Mr Hanna is a former Labor MP who made an unsuccessful bid to return to Parliament as an independent.

He said his track record as mayor of Marion showed he would fight to reduce the cost burden on taxpayers, give ordinary people a voice and reduce the power of the Labor and Liberal factions.

“Nick and I are a natural fit,” Mr Hanna said.

“Not only have I always shared his views on pokies, we both have a long history of speaking up for people who have been let down by the system one way or another. I’m the shy version of Nick Xenophon.”

He said parking at Oaklands Crossing and advocating to save trees during an $174 million upgrade, would be among his priorities if elected in Gibson.

There are no extra carparks planned during the upgrade, which locals have called for decades.

Mr Hanna was also concerned “dozens of trees” along Crozier Tce would be earmarked for the axe as part of the upgrade, to be funded by the State and Federal Governments, with a $5 million contribution from Marion.

He said the streets next to Oaklands train station were already “very full Monday to Friday” with cars.

“(If elected), I’ll be able to talk directly to the (Transport and Infrastructure) minister to ensure it’s being done properly, including adequate parking, which is essential,” he said.

Mr Hanna said he would ask for a leave of absence at the council’s next meeting, scheduled for January 30.

He held the seat of Mitchell from 1997 until 2010. He was originally elected as a member of the Labor Party and later joined the Greens, before becoming an independent member in 2006.

Mr Xenophon has now announced 15 candidates, the overwhelming majority of which are in Liberal seats.

Twenty-four seats are needed for a party to form government outright.