New South Australia Labor state government cabinet expected to be mixture of old and new

While Labor’s new ministry won’t be announced for several days, one thing is certain. It will be a mixture of the old and the new.

There will be a mixture of old and new faces when Labor forms its new state cabinet following its landslide victory.

While final appointments will not be made by leader Peter Malinauskas until a caucus meeting in coming days, the existing shadow ministry is expected to be largely maintained.

If this happens, Susan Close would become Deputy Premier and Minister for Industry and Higher Education while Kyam Maher would become Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Affairs and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

The Treasury portfolio would go to Stephen Mullighan while former treasurer Tom Koutsantonis would become Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Minister for Mines and Energy.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas (centre) chairs a meeting of Labor’s shadow cabinet at Parliament House in April 2018. Picture: Kelly Barnes / AAP

Under existing responsibilities, health would go to Chris Picton while Zoe Bettison would keep trade, tourism, investment and multicultural affairs.

Katrine Hildyard has been looking after several portfolios, including child protection, women and the prevention of domestic violence and family violence, recreation, sport, racing and the arts.

Hildyard, Close, Koutsantonis, Picton, Bettison, Maher, Mullighan and Malinauskas were in cabinet when Labor lost the last state election under former premier Jay Weatherill in 2018.

New faces in cabinet could include police, road safety, emergency services and corrections shadow minister Lee Odenwalder, human services spokeswoman Nat Cook and Clare Scriven, who looks after primary industries, rural development and forestry.

Northeastern Labor MP Blair Boyer could be another new face if he retains his existing portfolios of education, training and skills and veteran affairs.

Then there is former lawyer Andrea Michaels, who led the Opposition charge against Liberal attorney-general Vickie Chapman over an alleged conflict of interest involving a deep sea port on Kangaroo Island.

Ms Michaels is the shadow minister for planning and urban development, small and family business and consumer and business affairs.

Legislative Council member Emily Bourke is another possible entry. She has held the local government and City of Adelaide portfolios.

Labor politicians Chris Picton (left), Katrine Hildyard, Tom Koutsantonis and Susan Close at a meeting of shadow cabinet in April 2018

Another cabinet contender could be Leon Bignell, the sport and racing minister in the previous Labor government.

His return could follow his highly successful campaign to keep the southern seat of Mawson, producing one of the election’s biggest swings – from a margin of 0.7 per cent to 13.7 per cent.

Unlike the previous Labor government, Mr Malinauskas will not have to rely on independents within his cabinet like Geoff Brock and Martin Hamilton-Smith to hold power.

As for his portfolios, Mr Malinauskas was the shadow minister for defence, space industries and jobs before his crushing defeat of Liberal opponent Steven Marshall.

First-term Labor MPs rarely gain entry straight into cabinet, with rival factions demanding they serve time on the backbench first.