Deputy Premier of South Australia
| Deputy Premier of South Australia | |
|---|---|
|
Coat of arms of South Australia | |
|
Incumbent John Rau | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Governor of South Australia |
| Term length | At the Governor's pleasure |
| Formation | 26 March 1968 |
| First holder | Des Corcoran |
The Deputy Premier of South Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of South Australia. The Deputy Premiership is a ministerial portfolio, and the Deputy Premier is appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Premier.
The current Deputy Premier is the Australian Labor Party's John Rau. He is also a minister, holding the position of Attorney-General.
History
The office of Deputy Premier was created in March 1968, for Des Corcoran, the deputy leader of the Australian Labor Party. Prior to that time the term was sometimes used unofficially for the second-highest ranking minister in the government, usually the Treasurer.
In both Labor and Liberal governments, the Deputy Premier is usually the party's deputy leader.
Two Deputy Premiers have subsequently become Premier in their own right: Des Corcoran and Rob Kerin. This last happened in 2001, when Rob Kerin became premier after John Olsen's resignation. Dean Brown did the reverse, becoming Deputy Premier to Rob Kerin, 5 years after his own premiership ended at the hands of John Olsen.
South Australia's longest-serving Deputy Premier is Kevin Foley, who served in the position from March 2002 to February 2011.
Duties
The duties of the Deputy Premier are to act on behalf of the Premier in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The Deputy Premier has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio (It would be technically possible for a minister to hold only the portfolio of Deputy Premier, but this has never happened).
If the Premier were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Governor would normally appoint the Deputy Premier as Premier. If the governing or majority party had not yet elected a new leader, that appointment would be on an interim basis. Should a different leader emerge, that person would then be appointed Premier.
List of Deputy Premiers of South Australia
| # | Name | Took Office | Left Office | Party | Premier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Corcoran | 26 March 1968 | 16 April 1968 | Labor | Don Dunstan |
| 2 | Des Corcoran | 2 July 1970 | 15 March 1979 | Labor | Don Dunstan |
| 3 | Hugh Hudson | 15 March 1979 | 2 September 1979 | Labor | Des Corcoran |
| 4 | Roger Goldsworthy | 18 September 1979 | 10 November 1982 | Liberal | Dr David Tonkin |
| 5 | Jack Wright | 10 November 1982 | 16 July 1985 | Labor | John Bannon |
| 6 | Don Hopgood | 16 July 1985 | 4 September 1992 | Labor | John Bannon |
| 7 | Frank Blevins | 4 September 1992 | 14 December 1993 | Labor | Lynn Arnold |
| 8 | Stephen Baker | 14 December 1993 | 28 November 1996 | Liberal | Dean Brown |
| 9 | Graham Ingerson | 28 November 1996 | 7 July 1998 | Liberal | John Olsen |
| 10 | Rob Kerin | 7 July 1998 | 22 October 2001 | Liberal | John Olsen |
| 11 | Dean Brown | 22 October 2001 | 5 March 2002 | Liberal | Rob Kerin |
| 12 | Kevin Foley | 5 March 2002 | 6 February 2011 | Labor | Mike Rann |
| 13 | John Rau | 7 February 2011 | Present | Labor | Mike Rann Jay Weatherill |
Living former Deputy Premiers
| Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Baker | 1993–1994 | 30 May 1946 |
| Graham Ingerson | 1996–1998 | 27 August 1941 |
| Rob Kerin | 1998–2001 | 4 January 1954 |
| Dean Brown | 2001–2002 | 5 April 1943 |
| Kevin Foley | 2002–2011 | 25 September 1960 |
References
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