Star Liberal candidate Dr Anna Finizio applied for a job with Labor, leaked documents show

The Liberal candidate fighting a by-election battle for the state’s most marginal seat applied to work as an adviser to a senior Labor politician while her party was in government.

The star Liberal candidate fighting a bitter by-election battle for the state’s most marginal seat applied to work as an adviser to a senior Labor politician while her party was in government, leaked documents show.

Anna Finizio, 37, is vying for the eastern suburbs seat of Dunstan against Labor’s candidate Cressida O’Hanlon, 51, in a March 23 poll triggered by the resignation of former premier Steven Marshall, 56.

But in new information that calls her campaign into serious question, Dr Finizio, a lawyer, applied to work for then-shadow Attorney-General Kyam Maher when Labor was in opposition four years ago.

Anna Finizio and David Speirs leave the Altavilla Club on Thursday afternoon. Picture: Keryn Stevens

A leaked email, resume and cover letter show Dr Finizio, then of Grange, in Adelaide’s west, made an approach to the Upper House Labor MP in January 2020 while working for the Law Society.

“My expertise, skills and experience would be of great value to you as an adviser,” she wrote in the cover letter addressed to Mr Maher, who is now the state’s top legal officer.

Confronted over the disclosure, the Liberals were on Thursday night defiant and attempted to liken Dr Finizio’s application to the experience of Opposition Leader David Speirs working in the public service under a Labor government.

The leaked email from Dr Anna Finizio. Picture: Supplied

Senior Liberal Party officials are understood to have vetted Dr Finizio’s background as part of the preselection process but Mr Speirs did not answer questions about whether the application was ever flagged.

The revelation is another damaging blow for their candidate, after explosive documents made public earlier this week showed Dr Finizio was the director of failed family business Formway Group that owed more than $22m.

Despite an eight-year involvement, she argued she was merely a director “on paper” and claimed to have “had no involvement” in the company’s operations.

Calls for Dr Finizio to be disendorsed over her involvement have been compounded by the revelation of her Labor job application.

Her “expression of interest” was made eight months before she joined the Marshall Liberal government as an adviser to then-Police Minister Vincent Tarzia in September 2020. She was later an adviser to former Health Minister Stephen Wade during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is understood Dr Finizio was never interviewed for a position in Mr Maher’s office, and has never been a member of the Labor Party.

Anna Finizio. Picture: Keryn Stevens

In response to The Advertiser’s inquiries, Manager of Government Business Tom Koutsantonis said a “clear pattern” was emerging with Dr Finizio.

“Once again, Ms Finizio’s actions raise serious questions about her authenticity,” he said.

“Has she told David Speirs and Steven Marshall that she applied to work for the Malinauskas Labor opposition when Steven Marshall was Premier and the Liberals were in government? Is she actually committed to the Liberal cause, or just her own?”

Mr Koutsantonis said Dr Finizio cannot continue as a candidate, and called for her to be disendorsed.

“Surely, if David Speirs and local Liberals in Dunstan knew about this, Ms Finizio would never have been endorsed as a candidate – let alone in an important by-election,” he said.

“And surely now that they do know, her candidacy is untenable – if it wasn’t already.

“Ms Finizio deserves to be dumped as the Liberal candidate for Dunstan before nominations close at midday on Friday.”

Dr Finizio, who ran as the Liberal candidate for Hindmarsh at the 2022 federal election, refused to speak with The Advertiser when she was approached at a luncheon at the Altavilla Club in the Dunstan electorate on Thursday.

Mr Marshall, Mr Speirs and Liberal frontbenchers John Gardner and Vincent Tarzia also attended, as well as Ms O’Hanlon.

In a statement supplied later in the day, she said “as a passionate advocate for quality public policy, I’ve always searched for ways to contribute to positive outcomes for the community”.

“I applied for the position in the hopes of doing just that, building on my work as a policy lawyer for the Law Society of SA,” she said.

“Once again the Labor Party has shown that it’s more interested in politics than delivering positive results.

“I’m proud to be running to represent my community in this by-election.

“If this is the way Labor treats people who want to contribute to making a positive difference, then it’s all the more reason why we need a person of integrity to represent the people of Dunstan. I’m proud of my career and how it has led me to this incredible opportunity.”

Mr Speirs rebuffed calls for Dr Finizio to be disendorsed and accused Labor of playing politics in their quest to snatch the seat, which the Liberals held by 0.5 per cent at the 2022 state election.

“For several years prior to my election to parliament, I worked in a policy advisory role in the Premier’s Department under Premiers Rann and Weatherill,” he said.

Mr Speirs rebuffed calls for Dr Finizio to be disendorsed and accused Labor of playing politics in their quest to snatch the seat. Picture: Emma Brasier

“This is a normal pathway for people with an interest in public policy and politics and Tom Koutsantonis’ muckraking has once again completely missed the mark.

“He and Labor should concentrate on fixing ramping rather than making up nonsense about Liberals.”

The Liberals have raised questions in parliament over Ms O’Hanlon’s integrity over an email she received from her husband about access to decision makers – but Labor has dismissed claims of wrongdoing.