Liberal Party to elect new leader Monday as Ashton Hurn confirms she will stand for the role

Liberal insiders will get ready to vote in a new leader on Monday, having lost two leaders within the last 12 months.

Liberal shadow health minister Ashton Hurn is expected to be the next leader of the party, after Vincent Tarzia’s shock resignation on Friday. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The widely anticipated next Liberal leader, Ashton Hurn, has formally declared her hand for the party’s top job.

Ms Hurn is all-but certain to be installed unopposed as Vincent Tarzia’s successor at a Liberal party room meeting on Monday morning.

In a text message to The Advertiser on Sunday afternoon, she said she would put herself forward after being convinced by fellow Liberals.

“Having been encouraged by my colleagues over the weekend, I have decided to put myself forward as a candidate to lead the Liberal Party to the next state election,” Ms Hurn said.

“I’ll respect the party room process and address the media after the meeting.”

The state Liberal Party will meet to elect a new leader following Vincent Tarzia’s shock resignation on Friday.

Ms Hurn, who is currently shadow health minister, is expected to run unopposed, with party powerbrokers saying the role is “Hurn’s if she wants it”.

No other party members have publicly declared their intent to run for the top job at Monday’s party room meeting, with deputy Josh Teague ruling himself out of a third tilt at the role on Friday.

If she does become leader on Monday Ms Hurn, from a prominent family in the Barossa Valley that includes brother Shannon, a 300-game AFL player for West Coast, will enter the job as a relative unknown to the South Australian public.

Recent polling showed that Ms Hurn is unknown to almost half of the electorate, and has only a 10 per cent approval rating.

Ms Hurn, who has held the shadow health portfolio since 2022, has been the face of the Liberal’s recent policy announcements around bonuses for nurses and midwives to encourage health workers to stay in the profession.

Former Leader of the Opposition Vincent Tarzia and Ashton Hurn at a press conference in November, just days before Mr Tarzia stepped down.

Many Liberals have remained tight-lipped ahead of the contest, but recent addition to the party Frank Pangallo indicated to ABC radio on Saturday that he would contest the deputy leadership “if he could”.

Under current Liberal Party rules, both the leader and deputy leader must be members of the House of Assembly, while Mr Pangallo currently sits in the Legislative Council.

When asked by The Advertiser about the upcoming leadership contest, Mr Pangallo backed Ms Hurn.

“If Ashton decides to run tomorrow, she has my 100 per cent support,” Mr Pangallo said.

“She’s smart, she’s articulate, she’s handled her portfolio really well.

“I think that is the direction that the Liberal Party need to go.”

While it is unlikely Mr Pangallo will emerge as deputy leader after Monday’s meeting, the prospect brought some amusement to Premier Peter Malinauskas, who had to compose himself after being questioned on the subject.

“There’s clearly a number of people interested in positions of leadership in the Liberal Party,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“That’s for the Liberal Party to decide.”

“I’m working on what I can do as Premier of the state to advance the interests of South Australia and all of the people that live within it.”

Current deputy Josh Teague has not stepped down from his role, but party insiders believe a spill on Monday is a possibility.

Mr Pangallo sounded the warning bell ahead of a predicted Liberal Party wipe-out at the next election.

“Someone needs to be there as a strong viable opposition,” he said.

“Does South Australia really want a Peter Malinauskas dictatorship?”

Originally published as Liberal Party to elect new leader Monday as Ashton Hurn confirms she will stand for the role