Deputy Premier of South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Deputy Premier of South Australia
Flag of South Australia
South Australian Coat of Arms
Incumbent Susan Close since 21 March 2022
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Parliament Cabinet Executive Council
Reports to	Premier of South Australia
Nominator	Premier of South Australia
Appointer	Governor of South Australia on the advice of the premier
Term length	At the Governor's pleasure
Formation	26 March 1968
First holder	Des Corcoran

The Deputy Premier of South Australia is a very important role in the Government of South Australia. This person is the second-highest leader after the Premier. The Deputy Premier is part of the Cabinet, which is a group of senior ministers who help run the state. The Governor officially appoints the Deputy Premier, but they do so based on the Premier's choice.

Since 2022, the current Deputy Premier is Susan Close. She is a member of the South Australian Labor Party.

History of the Deputy Premier Role

The job of Deputy Premier was officially created in March 1968. The very first person to hold this position was Des Corcoran. He was also the deputy leader of the Labor party at the time. Before 1968, people sometimes unofficially used the term "deputy premier" for the second-most important minister, who was often the Treasurer.

In both the Labor and Liberal governments, the Deputy Premier is usually the deputy leader of the ruling political party.

Some Deputy Premiers have even gone on to become the Premier themselves. These include Des Corcoran and Rob Kerin. Rob Kerin became Premier in 2001 after the previous Premier, John Olsen, resigned. Interestingly, Dean Brown did the opposite. He became Deputy Premier to Rob Kerin, even though he had been Premier five years earlier.

The person who served as Deputy Premier for the longest time in South Australia is Kevin Foley. He held the position from March 2002 to February 2011.

What Does the Deputy Premier Do?

The main job of the Deputy Premier is to act for the Premier when the Premier is away. This could be if the Premier is travelling overseas or is on leave. The Deputy Premier always has other important jobs too, called "portfolios." This means they are in charge of a specific area, like education or health. No one has ever been Deputy Premier without also having another portfolio.

If the Premier were to become unable to do their job, for example, if they resigned or became unwell, the Governor would usually appoint the Deputy Premier as the new Premier. If the ruling party hadn't yet chosen a new leader, this appointment might be temporary. If a different leader is then chosen by the party, that person would become the Premier.

List of Deputy Premiers of South Australia

Living Former Deputy Premiers