South Australia election: Former Labor Minister Grace Portolesi expected to contest seat of Hartley

FORMER Labor minister Grace Portolesi has shed light on the moment she decided to re-enter politics — saying Nick Xenophon’s shock decision to quit the Senate to run for the SA Parliament was “a turning point” for her.

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FORMER Labor minister Grace Portolesi is re-entering politics to prevent the next election becoming a “circus” revolving around potential kingmaker Nick Xenophon.

Ms Portolesi has nominated to contest her old eastern suburbs seat of Hartley and is expected to be rubber-stamped as Labor’s candidate at a meeting of the party’s state executive today.

Speaking exclusively to The Advertiser, Ms Portolesi said she had been considering running again since she lost the 2014 election but Mr Xenophon’s shock announcement that he would quit federal Parliament and contest Hartley had “crystallised” her mind.

“The moment he announced his candidacy (last month) it got taken to another level. It was a turning point,” she said.

Former minister Grace Portolesi on Monday. She has decided to return to state politics, and nominate for the seat of Hartley — running against Nick Xenophon. Picture: Tait Schmaal

Nick Xenophon is quitting the Senate, to run for SA’s Parliament. Picture: AAP/Mike Burton

The Liberal MP for Hartley, Vincent Tarzia, with his fiancee Charissa Duffy. Picture: Calum Robertson

“I don’t want this next election turning into a circus for the community. I just felt that I had to be in there.

“It really crystallised for me in my mind that this is something that I have to do.”

Ms Portolesi, 49, was first elected in Hartley in 2006 and held the seat until March 2014, when she lost to Liberal first-termer Vincent Tarzia.

Ironically, Mr Xenophon endorsed Ms Portolesi at the time, saying she was “an outstanding local member in getting things done”.

Her 2014 loss followed a tumultuous period in which she, as Education Minister, faced public and media scrutiny over the Government’s handling of sexual abuse cases in schools.

Ms Portolesi was shunted to the Employment portfolio in a reshuffle in early 2013.

The Debelle Royal Commission into sexual abuse in SA schools eventually found the Education Department did not brief Ms Portolesi on a 2010 rape case when she took over the portfolio in late 2011, and continued to provide her with inaccurate or misleading information as other cases arose.

Premier Jay Weatherill and former Labor minister Grace Portolesi at Payneham in 2013.

It took an emotional toll but Ms Portolesi said it had “made me a stronger person”.

“Opportunities for personal growth come from having time to reflect on things that happen in the past. Has it put me off (politics)? Absolutely not,” she said.

However, the mother of one — daughter Allegra, 13 — will not be pushing for another ministerial appointment should she, and Labor, win the March election. “There’s only two ‘M’ roles I’m interested in — that’s Mummy and Member for Hartley,” she said.

Ms Portolesi was “confident” about Labor’s chances of retaining Government after almost 16 years in office and would give beating Mr Xenophon and Mr Tarzia “a red-hot go”.

An exclusive Advertiser -Galaxy poll taken shortly after Mr Xenophon announced his candidacy last month showed Mr Tarzia leading on primary votes, with 38 per cent support from the poll of 516 voters in the electorate. Mr Xenophon was nipping at his heels (35 per cent), leaving Labor, without a named candidate, a distant third (17 per cent).

The poll was taken before Mr Xenophon’s former partner Jenny Low last week claimed he had been “manipulative and controlling” during their secret seven-year relationship — comments which he strongly rejected. Ms Low is now running as a candidate for the Advance SA Party, a splinter group set up by former Xenophon allies.

Who is Grace Portolesi

Elected to eastern suburbs seat of Hartley in March, 2006

Appointed Aboriginal Affairs, Youth, Volunteers and Multicultural Affairs Minister in March, 2010

Promoted to Education and Child Development Minister in October, 2011. Took over the portfolio from now Premier Jay Weatherill.

Demoted by Mr Weatherill to Employment portfolio in January, 2013 reshuffle

Lost March, 2014 election to Liberal Vincent Tarzia

First woman appointed to head the SA Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission in September, 2014

Yesterday nominated to contest Hartley again at the March, 2018 election