Paul Starick: Premier Peter Malinauskas’s challenge for his frontbench | Analysis
Peter Malinauskas is a once-in-a-generation politician whose challenge will be lifting his frontbench to approach his now-proven skills, writes Paul Starick.
State Election
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Labor’s landslide election victory was testament to Premier Peter Malinauskas’s political skill but his ongoing challenge will be lifting his frontbench to approach his own now-proven credentials.
Like many state Cabinets, Labor’s frontbench has some strong performers but falls away at the lower echelons.
Apart from Mr Malinauskas, Treasurer Stephen Mullighan is one of the better credentialed holders of that portfolio in recent history, even if he does not have economics qualifications like former Liberal incumbents Rob Lucas and Stephen Baker. A former chief of staff to Labor treasurer Kevin Foley, Mr Mullighan headed Deloitte Access Economics’ Adelaide team from 2010 to 2013.
The same title was held by Health Minister Chris Picton for a year until 2014. He is a talented politician whose experience, like Mr Mullighan, is otherwise confined to senior advisory roles in state and federal Labor governments.
Apart from Deputy Premier and senior Left faction member Susan Close, some other members of the Malinauskas inner circle are long-term associates from his pre-parliament days in the shop assistants’ union.
These include the experienced, assertive and polarising Tom Koutsantonis, a former treasurer who now holds Infrastructure, Transport, Energy and Mining portfolios, and former federal MP Nick Champion.
Mr Champion, an affable man who became known for living outside his Taylor electorate, is a long-term associate of the new premier’s – they worked together on Kate Ellis’s successful 2004 campaign for the federal seat of Adelaide.
After almost 15 years in federal parliament, though, Mr Champion’s chief qualifications for his Trade and Investment portfolios would appear to be a stint as deputy chairman of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Independent Stuart MP Geoff Brock is a highly effective local campaigner – he ousted the former Liberal deputy premier – but his ability as a Cabinet minister has been questioned in the past. It could be said, perhaps unkindly for such a decent man, that his independence is questionable after joining a Labor Cabinet for the second time.
Emily Bourke held the Local Government portfolio in shadow cabinet but has become Assistant Minister to the Premier. It’s uncertain whether this is a demotion, or given her proximity to the Premier, a plum job.
Kyam Maher’s appointment as the first initiated Aboriginal person to become Aboriginal Affairs Minister is noteworthy, as is eight of the 17 frontbenchers being female.
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