Peter Malinauskas facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Malinauskas
MP
|
|
|---|---|
.png)
Malinauskas in 2018
|
|
| 47th Premier of South Australia | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2022 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II Charles III |
| Governor | Frances Adamson |
| Deputy | Susan Close |
| Preceded by | Steven Marshall |
| Leader of the South Australian Labor Party | |
| Assumed office 9 April 2018 |
|
| Deputy | Susan Close |
| Preceded by | Jay Weatherill |
| Leader of the Opposition in South Australia | |
| In office 9 April 2018 – 21 March 2022 |
|
| Premier | Steven Marshall |
| Deputy | Susan Close |
| Preceded by | Steven Marshall |
| Succeeded by | David Speirs |
| Minister for Health | |
| In office 18 September 2017 – 18 March 2018 |
|
| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Jack Snelling |
| Succeeded by | Stephen Wade |
| Minister for Police, Emergency and Correctional Services | |
| In office 19 January 2016 – 18 September 2017 |
|
| Premier | Jay Weatherill |
| Preceded by | Tony Piccolo |
| Succeeded by | Chris Picton |
| Member of the South Australian Parliament for Croydon |
|
| Assumed office 17 March 2018 |
|
| Preceded by | Michael Atkinson |
| Member of the South Australian Legislative Council |
|
| In office 1 December 2015 – 17 March 2018 |
|
| Preceded by | Bernard Finnigan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Bryden Malinauskas
14 August 1980 Adelaide, South Australia |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party (SA) |
| Spouse | Annabel West |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | University of Adelaide (BCom) |
Peter Bryden Malinauskas (born 14 August 1980) is an Australian politician. He is currently the 47th Premier of South Australia, a role he has held since 2022. He is also the leader of the Labor Party in South Australia.
Since 2018, Malinauskas has been a member of the South Australian House of Assembly for the area of Croydon. Before that, he was a member of the South Australian Legislative Council from 2015 to 2018. From 2018 until he became Premier in 2022, he was the Leader of the Opposition.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter Malinauskas was born in South Australia on 14 August 1980. His family has roots in Hungary, Lithuania, and Ireland. His Hungarian grandmother survived World War II and later moved to Australia. She married his Lithuanian grandfather, and they opened a fish and chip shop in Adelaide.
Peter grew up in Colonel Light Gardens. He went to Mercedes College, a Catholic school. At school, he was good at sports like Australian rules football and cricket. He also did well in his studies. He was part of the student council and became the school captain in his final year. His principal remembered him as a "future leader" and a "popular lad" with a "magnetic personality."
Working with Unions
From the age of 15, Peter worked at Woolworths for seven years. He started by collecting trolleys and later worked at the checkout. During this time, he also earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Adelaide.
He became involved with the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), a major union for retail workers. From 2008 to 2015, he was the Secretary for the South Australian/Northern Territory branch of the SDA. This made him an important figure in the Labor Party.
Political Beliefs
Peter Malinauskas believes in giving everyone a "fair go." He has said he is passionate about education because he thinks that good schooling for everyone gives them a chance to succeed.
He has also spoken about nuclear power. In 2014, he said he was in favour of it as a way to produce energy without carbon emissions. He believes it could help with climate change. He wanted a discussion based on science to see if a nuclear industry would work in South Australia.
Parliamentary Journey
Peter Malinauskas first entered the Parliament of South Australia in December 2015. He became a member of the South Australian Legislative Council, which is like an upper house of parliament.
Later, he decided to run for a seat in the South Australian House of Assembly, the main house of parliament. He was chosen to represent the area of Croydon. He won this seat in the 2018 state election.
Leader of the Opposition (2018–2022)
After the 2018 election, the Labor Party lost power. Peter Malinauskas was chosen by his party to be their new leader on 9 April 2018. This meant he became the Leader of the Opposition. His deputy was Susan Close.
In January 2022, Peter Malinauskas was diagnosed with COVID-19 and isolated at home. His family also caught the virus but later recovered.
Premier of South Australia (2022–present)
In March 2022, Peter Malinauskas led the Labor Party to victory in the state election. A key focus of his campaign was improving healthcare. He officially became the Premier of South Australia on 21 March 2022.
In May 2022, his government ended the state of emergency in South Australia that had been in place for the COVID-19 pandemic in South Australia. This state of emergency had lasted for 793 days.
Soon after becoming Premier, Malinauskas promised to create a First Nations Voice to Parliament in South Australia. This would give Aboriginal people a direct way to advise the government. He also wanted to restart discussions about treaties and invest more in areas important to Aboriginal South Australians. The first Commissioner for First Nations Voice, Dale Agius, was appointed in July 2022. Elections for the state-based Voice took place in March 2024.
In April 2024, Peter Malinauskas stepped in to protect the historic Crown & Anchor pub in Adelaide. This pub is famous for live music. A developer planned to change it, but Malinauskas made sure the building was temporarily heritage-listed to protect it.
He also intervened in April 2024 to review changes planned for the South Australian Museum. These changes included cutting research jobs. He said his government and the previous one had both cut the museum's budget.
His government has introduced several new plans. These include:
- Making a compulsory civics subject in schools to teach students about government and citizenship.
- Opening more pharmacies that are open 24/7.
- Working to reduce ambulance waiting times by adding more hospital beds and building new ambulance stations.
In September 2024, the Malinauskas government proposed a new law called the Children (Social Media Safety) Bill 2024. This bill aims to ban children under 14 from using social media and require parental permission for 14 and 15-year-olds.
In November 2024, a new law was passed called the Electoral (Accountability and Integrity) Amendment Act 2024. This law bans political donations and sets limits on how much money parties and candidates can spend during elections. It is the first law of its kind in the world.
Ban from Russia
After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Peter Malinauskas was included on a list of 121 Australians banned from entering Russia. This might have been because of his Lithuanian background. He later joked that he was "grateful" to be on the list. His government has also stopped investing in Russian assets and has sent aid to Ukraine.
Personal Life
Peter Malinauskas is married to Annabel West, who is a lawyer in Adelaide. They have four children: two daughters and two sons.
See also
- 2026 South Australian state election
- 2022 South Australian state election
- Malinauskas ministry
- Shadow ministry of Peter Malinauskas
