Former premier Steven Marshall will resign from state parliament on Tuesday morning

Former premier Steven Marshall will officially quit politics today - and has thrown down a challenge to voters. So when is the by-election?

Former premier Steven Marshall has handed in his resignation from politics on Tuesday morning, sparking likely early to mid-March by-election in the state’s most marginal seat.

The by-election date in the inner-eastern Adelaide seat of Dunstan is set by Speaker Dan Cregan, who told parliament at 11am that he would detail this at 4pm on Thursday.

Mr Cregan, who defected from the Liberals to become an independent late in Mr Marshall’s government, said he would consult with the state electoral commissioner before then.

Labor has criticised Mr Marshall for announcing on January 24 he would retire from politics but leaving open his formal resignation date and, therefore, clouding by-election timing.

Former premier Steven Marshall (left) at a January 24 press conference to announce he will quit politics, alongside Liberal leader David Speirs. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

As the Sunday Mail revealed, Mr Marshall’s resignation on Tuesday would trigger an expected four-week campaign and position a polling day in early to mid-March.

The Liberals have calculated the timing to coincide with the two-year anniversary of Malinauskas-led Labor deposing Mr Marshall’s government with a central promise to fix ambulance ramping.

“This by-election will be a great opportunity for the people of Dunstan to cast their judgement on the first two years of the Malinauskas government,” Mr Marshall said.

“They were elected saying that they would fix ramping and they’ve done anything but fix that ramping. Ramping is now at record levels.

“This is the people of Dunstan’s opportunity to send a very strong message that that’s simply not good enough.”

Former premier Steven Marshall outside his Dunstan electorate office. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Mr Marshall, 56, said he had no immediate plans post-politics, other than to “take a break for a couple of months”, but also had no intention to move, declaring: “Certainly the people of Norwood will see me around the local area.”

The by-election will be a contest between three women: Liberal Dr Anna Finizio, Labor’s Cressida O’Hanlon and the Greens Katie McCusker.

Mr Marshall, who has remained in parliament until the Liberals believed they were best-placed to hold Dunstan, will be the first SA premier to leave politics without a taxpayer-funded pension.

He was elected in 2010, after parliamentary superannuation changes triggered in 2004 by the-then federal Labor leader Mark Latham, and was premier from 2018-22. Mr Marshall won Dunstan by just 260 votes, or 0.5 per cent, at the 2022 state election.

Premier Peter Malinauskas, speaking on Saturday at a playground opening in Dunstan, said Mr Marshall, as a former premier, deserved “the ability to be able to resign with dignity and grace”.

On Tuesday morning Mr Marshall reflected on his time serving the people of South Australia in a live interview on Fiveaa.

“Who knew a kid from Ethelton primary could grow up to become a premier and a liberal premier at that,” he joked.

While he conceded he may have made mistakes in the past, Mr Marshall said he was most proud of leading the people of South Australia during the “difficult period of Covid”.

“It’s been an incredible privilege to lead the people of South Australia, especially during the tough period of Covid,” he said.

“I think you can really only ever look at your success or failure down the track, not immediately.

“We’ve left it (South Australia) in a significantly improved situation to what we inherited - and I think it’s time to move on.”

Mr Marshall told Fiveaa he would look into cyber, the digital space and the arts as future endeavours.

“The opportunities in South Australia are just enormous,” he said.

“I’ve got to go back to work because I think I’m the first premier in the history of the state to not get a pension.

“But I leave this job with a smile on my face and I look forward to the future.

“To the people of South Australia, a massive thank you - it’s been an honour and a privilege.”

Fiveaa host Will Goodings reiterated that Mr Marshall deserved a ‘dignified exit’, saying his only weakness as a politician had been the “ugliness” of politics.

“It didn’t come naturally to him - he wanted to be a salesman,” the radio host said.

Although the soon-to-be ex-member of Dunstan joked about being addressed as ‘feather duster’ in future instead of ‘Premier’, Mr Marshall said he was looking forward to becoming just another Norwood local.

Originally published as Former premier Steven Marshall will resign from state parliament on Tuesday morning