New SA Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia denies undermining predecessor

Vincent Tarzia has voted to refresh and refocus the embattled party after replacing David Speirs following his shock resignation.

Vincent Tarzia has been elected as the new South Australian Liberal leader in a ballot vote. Picture: Ben Clark/NewsWire

Vincent Tarzia has denied undermining his predecessor after being elected as the new leader of South Australia’s embattled Liberal Party following David Speirs’s shock resignation.

The former police minister defeated rival Josh Teague in a party room ballot by 18 votes to four on Monday.

The new opposition leader insisted he “absolutely did not undermine” his predecessor as he vowed to refresh and refocus his party.

Mr Speirs fell on his sword on Thursday after growing speculation about his desire to take on the popular Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas in the 2026 election.

He had privately admitted leading the party was a poisoned chalice and faced criticism when he chose not to attend the state budget so he could head to a family wedding in Scotland.

A day after his resignation, Mr Speirs threatened to quit the party if unnamed colleagues were “rewarded” in the leadership ballot.

But Mr Tarzia, who has represented Hartley in eastern Adelaide for 10 years, insisted he was not involved in any plot to topple his predecessor.

“I consider David Speirs a friend, a supporter, confidant. David Speirs is a warrior for the Liberal Party,” he said after his victory.

But Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis stoked the fire by accusing the new leader of “treachery” against Mr Speirs.

Setting the stage for a “bold” new attack on Labor, Mr Tarzia vowed to provide a platform for victory in 2026, focusing on hospitals, housing and debt.

“You are going to start seeing some fights between Labor and Liberal. There are going to be clear lines in the sands, some battlelines.”

After his defeat, Mr Teague said he backed Mr Tarzia and hoped Mr Speirs will fight the next election as part of their “family” amid speculation he may contest as an independent candidate.