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ABC News
8 hours ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Liberals turn to Frank Pangallo in bid to recapture 'blue ribbon' seat of Waite
Photographs capture triumphs but then turn them into ironies — a point proved by the above snapshot taken in the aftermath of the 2018 South Australian state election. It shows SA Best founder Nick Xenophon and the party's successful upper house candidates Frank Pangallo and Connie Bonaros on the steps of SA parliament, where they had gathered to bask in the glow of electoral glory. Did it occur to them that this particular instant might become a hostage to fortune, and acquire a considerably different hue as the years elapsed? "A photograph is only a fragment, and with the passage of time its moorings come unstuck," wrote American essayist Susan Sontag. In the case of the SA Best trio, the process of disbandment lasted somewhat longer than a mere moment, but it was relentless nonetheless. Mr Xenophon — whose bid to enter parliament as the member for Hartley, in Adelaide's eastern suburbs, had been thwarted by Liberal incumbent Vincent Tarzia — was the first to walk away, telling The Advertiser in late 2018 that his resignation from the party he created had been "very amicable". Five years later, two turned into one — Mr Pangallo left SA Best in 2023, citing differences with Ms Bonaros, who has retained the party's branding. But in a twist of fate, Mr Pangallo has now sworn allegiance not only to the Liberal Party, but to the same man that Mr Xenophon failed to unseat in 2018. "I've got a lot of confidence in Vincent," Mr Pangallo said on Sunday of Mr Tarzia, who is now the Liberal leader. "I have known Vincent a long time and … he's dynamic, he's a family man. He holds all the values that I hold." Mr Tarzia was equally effusive in his praise of Mr Pangallo, who was this week revealed as the Liberal candidate for the seat of Waite, and will contest it at the 2026 state election. "Frank has got great strengths," Mr Tarzia said. "He knows how to get results." Mr Pangallo's arrival in the Liberal fold was hardly unexpected. It had, in fact, been anticipated for weeks, with Channel Seven — where Mr Pangallo worked as a journalist for more than 20 years — reporting in July that he was "considering joining the Liberals". His original path into parliament went via Today Tonight, where he gained a reputation for reporting on (among other things) crimes and cold cases. The seven-day search for the missing Beaumont children that was conducted at a former Adelaide factory site earlier this year, but failed to unearth any remains, was organised — at least in part — by Mr Pangallo. The rationale for the excavation was a hunch which he had promoted and pursued during his time at Channel Seven, but which was not vindicated by the subsequent search. "Unfortunately, we haven't turned anything up," Mr Pangallo said in March. "There is a tinge of disappointment in my voice … but at the same time I am gratified and satisfied that we gave this one hell of shot." While broadsheet enthusiasts don't always approve of the tabloid style, it would be difficult to deny (notwithstanding the outcome of the Beaumont dig) its popular appeal. On Sunday, Mr Pangallo was eager to emphasise the continuities between the worlds of prime-time current affairs and parliamentary advocacy. Styling himself as "the watchdog", and wearing a custom-made political T-shirt emblazoned with the image of a vigilant canine with its ears pricked up, Mr Pangallo quipped that he would be let "off the leash" in the lead-up to the 2026 poll. "My beliefs are grassroots — working for people and helping people. That's what I've done all my career," he said. "You can talk to any of my former colleagues in journalism and they'll tell you that." That approach may have its audience, but political analyst Rob Manwaring questioned whether it would be of benefit to the state opposition. "That watchdog role particularly resonates well for non-major parties," the Flinders University associate professor told the ABC on Sunday. "However, to say that you're going to be a watchdog within the Liberal Party actually undermines the message that they're a serious party to run office. "It says that, for the next term, they see themselves as performing a watchdog function rather than actually offering a new platform, an alternative platform to the Malinauskas government. "For me, it's probably the wrong framing." The electorate of Waite is currently represented by Catherine Hutchesson, who secured a swing of more than 11 per cent towards the ALP, in the two-party preferred vote, at the 2022 election. The first-term MP is the only candidate to have won the seat for Labor since it was created in the early 1990s — its three other victorious MPs were all elected as Liberals. But to describe Waite as traditionally "blue ribbon" would be to risk telling only part of the story. While Martin Hamilton-Smith, who held it from 1997 to 2018, and Sam Duluk, who then held it until 2022, both entered parliament as Liberals, they left it as independents. If elected, Mr Pangallo would, in a sense, buck that trend — he would hold the seat not as a Liberal-turned-independent, but as an independent-turned-Liberal. "It is unusual for an independent to join a major party," Dr Manwaring said of Mr Pangallo's move. "Generally speaking, people are in a major party and then become independents — and in fact, that's been a real trajectory with the Liberal Party." Government frontbencher Tom Koutsantonis seized on Mr Pangallo's candidacy as evidence of a "massive identity crisis" within Liberal ranks. "It's the type of move of a person who's coming to the end of their political career, who's just rolling the dice. It's not about Waite," he said. "No-one knows what they believe in and what they're going to do, and today's an example of that." News cameras at the announcement of Mr Pangallo's candidacy on Sunday captured a mood of confidence — at some points, Mr Pangallo and Mr Tarzia smiled, and at others they wore looks of determination and defiance. In seven months' time, these pictures will not have changed by a single pixel — but they may possess a completely different meaning in the aftermath of the March election. Outcomes alone will determine whether we look back on Mr Pangallo's move to the Liberals as a gamble that didn't pay off or an inspired piece of party politics.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Independent MP and former journalist Frank Pangallo to run as Liberal candidate for Waite
Independent upper house MP Frank Pangallo has launched his move to the Liberal Party by declaring he "will be a watchdog" who will be let "off the leash" ahead of the 2026 South Australian state election. Mr Pangallo was today unveiled by Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia as the party's candidate for the lower house seat of Waite, which is held by Labor's Catherine Hutchesson. The widely-tipped move had been on the cards for weeks, and has come seven years after Mr Pangallo was elected as a Member of the Legislative Council as part of Nick Xenophon's SA Best, which he left in 2023. Speaking in the seat of Waite this morning while wearing a blue T-shirt bearing the image of a large dog and the words "The Watchdog", the former Today Tonight journalist acknowledged that unseating an incumbent in the seat would be the "biggest challenge of my career". "I've lived in this community for 30 years and I know the challenges that they are facing in this community," Mr Pangallo said. "South Australia needs a watchdog in parliament and that's what I intend to do." Mr Pangallo said he wanted to "rattle cages", including that of the government. "They think they're coasting home to another election — nup, you're not. It's not going to be as easy as you think," he said. "There's going to be resistance." Labor has hit back at Mr Pangallo and the Liberals, describing the move as "desperate" and Mr Pangallo as a "long-time critic of the Liberal Party".
ABC News
01-07-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
As the 2026 state election nears, who will run for the SA Liberal Party?
It's only 37 weeks until South Australians head to the polls. While plenty of voters are not paying attention at this stage, the major parties are preparing for political combat – preselecting candidates, devising campaign strategies and doorknocking in key seats. But cooking up an election winning campaign is a much easier task for the Labor Party right now. The Malinauskas Government's stock continues to rise despite major questions over whether it has met its key election promises. And two by-election victories last year have given Labor a commanding 28 Lower House seats compared to the Liberal Party's 13. The government is already looking for more, with Premier Peter Malinauskas last month announcing candidates for four Liberal-held seats – Morphett, Colton, Heysen and Unley – on top of existing targets Morialta and Ngadjuri (formerly Frome). Meanwhile, the state Liberals have just watched their federal counterparts get voted out of metropolitan Adelaide, leaving them with just two MPs in Canberra. Compounding matters was a YouGov poll published last week showing the SA Liberals could suffer a similar fate. The shocking, but not surprising, survey had the Malinauskas government on a 67 to 33 per cent two-party-preferred lead. If replicated on election day, that would leave the Liberals with just two seats in state parliament. With that sort of doom and gloom on the horizon, who would want to run for the Liberal Party right now? Frank Pangallo, apparently. Channel 7 reported on Monday that Mr Pangallo – a former Today Tonight journalist who was elected to the upper house in 2018 under Nick Xenophon's SA-Best ticket – was poised to join the Liberal Party for a tilt at the Adelaide Hills seat of Waite. Mr Pangallo told the ABC on Tuesday that he was yet to decide his next move and still has 'several options' in front of him, while Liberal Party state director Alex Hyde said the party is 'open to those who share our centre-right values'. With his term in the upper house expiring in 2026, it's unsurprising that Mr Pangallo would be seeking a political lifeboat – SA-Best garnered just one per cent of the statewide vote in 2022, below even the Animal Justice and Legalise Cannabis parties. Mr Pangallo left SA-Best in 2023 to stand as an independent, citing differences with party colleague Connie Bonaros. "I have so much more I want to achieve and get done," he said on Tuesday. "As such, I am considering a range of options that will give me the best opportunity to continue to serve all South Australians." But it is questionable whether Waite is where Mr Pangallo will find a political safe haven. First-term Labor MP Catherine Hutchesson holds the seat on a margin of around four per cent – not easy to overturn even when the political wind is behind you. One person who knows a lot about Waite – and switching parties – is Martin Hamilton-Smith. The one-time Liberal leader represented the seat from 1997 to 2018 and shocked the South Australian political world with his defection to the Weatherill government in 2014. Asked about Mr Pangallo's mooted switch to the lower house, Mr Hamilton-Smith said the electorate would be after a 'strong local community member' who would 'bring new life into the party'. 'So, it'll be interesting if the Liberal Party choose to run an existing politician in a seat like Waite,' he said. 'And also, transfers from the upper house to the lower house are notoriously difficult. Mr Hamilton-Smith is also no stranger to the challenge of preselecting candidates. He said ahead of the 2010 election, he interviewed 10 people to run for the Liberal Party – all of whom turned him down. Speaking about Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia, Mr Hamilton-Smith said: 'I don't envy his job." 'It'd be very tough at the moment trying to find candidates that are fresh, new, talented, capable, strong community advocates,' he said. 'You're asking people to give up their jobs and dedicate three to six months to campaigning, put themselves out there in the Liberal guernsey [and] do a lot of hard work with little prospect of winning.' Liberal insiders can, however, point to a number of candidates it has locked in for marginal seats next year. The party has preselected candidates for several seats it has lost to Labor over the last three years, including Dunstan, Gibson, King, Davenport, Newland, Adelaide and Elder. It's also selected replacements for David Pisoni in Unley and John Gardner in Morialta – two seats that are now high on Labor's target list given the absence of an incumbent. But the Liberals were hit with a curveball last month when frontbencher Matt Cowdrey announced he would not be running for re-election in 2026. That has thrown open a Liberal preselection contest for his coastal seat of Colton, potentially making it more vulnerable to Labor. The Liberal Party is also yet to preselect a candidate for former leader David Speirs's seat of Black after last year's disastrous by-election loss. While attention turned to Waite this week, another seat will loom large over the coming months. Labor insiders say their next preselection cab off the rank is the Opposition leader's seat of Hartley. Mr Tarzia holds the north-eastern suburbs electorate on a margin of around 3.6 per cent and is considered by both sides of parliament to be a strong local member. Ironically, he held onto the seat in 2018 in the face of a challenge from Mr Pangallo's former leader, Nick Xenophon. While defeating the Opposition leader will be no easy feat, one Labor source said there would be 'tactical value' in keeping the leader occupied with his own electorate rather than the Liberal Party's campaign. The political chess match has 37 weeks left to run.
ABC News
01-07-2025
- Business
- ABC News
South Australia Premier Peter Malinauskas' under fire over awarding of golf course redesign contract to Greg Norman
South Australia now hosts major events like the AFL's popular Gather Round thanks to its sports-loving premier, but his move to establish LIV Golf within Adelaide's heritage-listed parklands has critics piling onto Peter Malinauskas. It is the manner in which he has taken control of the council-managed North Adelaide Golf Course that has raised eyebrows about how he is using his power. Mr Malinauskas and his state Labor government hold a large majority and awarded the contract for the course redesign to Greg Norman Golf Course Design, without going to tender. Australian golfing great Norman is also a LIV Golf Board member and became an outcast in the sport when he helped launch the Saudi-backed tour. The government says the contract was awarded through direct engagement and Mr Norman's company has specialist skills and a reputation to deliver. However critics like crossbench MP Frank Pangallo told 7.30 the City Council had been "shafted". "I'm supportive of LIV Golf but the way the premier has gone about this is quite arrogant and I think it indicates the hubris of this government," he said. Mr Pangallo said the Malinauskas government enjoyed sky-high public popularity which effectively allowed it to do as it pleased. The next election will be in March 2026. "This government needs to be held to account. They really do and unfortunately, they're not. They'll be going into an election campaign full of themselves," Mr Pangallo told 7.30. "They seem to be flying at the moment. It doesn't last. "In the end there are more serious issues that are going to start hurting and biting, you know, cost of living pressures, housing affordability. The SA government however has pledged $1.7 billion over five years from 2024-25 to address increased levels of demand in the public health system. State Urban Development Minister Nick Champion said the government legislated to take control from the City Council because it couldn't afford any delays in redeveloping the course for LIV. "We're taking a golf course and it's becoming an even better golf course," Mr Champion told 7.30. "They're the ones making this an issue of controversy and then they say, 'oh, well, you, you should get back to basics'. We do want to get back to basics. "Let's have a debate about ramping. Let's have a debate about housing and we're quite confident that we've taken the action necessary." The government announced its golf course takeover while the City Council's Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith, a former state Labor minister, was overseas on business. Upon her return she said that council had been working with the government to bring LIV Golf closer to the Adelaide CBD. The council has managed and invested in the North Adelaide Golf Course for more than 100 years. "Our investment is being removed and ... this is not a particularly collaborative way to do business," she told 7.30. "We haven't in any way obstructed, we haven't produced red tape. We haven't found barriers. LIV Golf is funded by the Saudi Government's Sovereign Wealth Fund, which has been criticised over many years for "sportswashing" as a way to turn attention away from the country's record of human rights abuses. Mr Champion labelled critics "knockers" who were focused on process, while the government was concentrating on outcomes for the "great event". "These people who make these criticisms want to snowdome Adelaide and they want to keep it for a very, very privileged few," he said. "They want to keep it nice and quiet and we'll all be bored out of their mind if we go to their agenda. The city golf course will be redeveloped to accommodate LIV Golf at a cost of at least $45 million and outside of the event it will remain a public golf course. When 7.30 visited the course, golfers were full of praise for Mr Malinauskas. "He's a very good premier and he does very good things in all aspects of making decisions," one told 7.30. Another golfer said having a "world-class golf course" near accommodation and restaurants in the city would be exciting. But concerns about the redevelopment remain. The government won't say how much Greg Norman's golf course design business will be paid. Mr Pangallo said the fee should be made public. "Don't hide behind cabinet in confidence and commercial confidentiality and all that." Mr Champion said he was unsure when the fee to Mr Norman's business would be announced. "Ultimately all of these figures tend to come out as part of the projects. But as to when it will be disclosed, I'm not sure," he told 7.30 It's not yet known how many new buildings will be constructed on the parklands course and how many trees will be cut down. Mr Champion claimed that "for every tree that we remove, we'll be planting three more". While the city course is due to host LIV Golf events from 2028, the event is only guaranteed in Adelaide until 2031. Mr Pangallo was worried golf club members would pay the price long-term. "It's about $40 on the weekend (to play currently). On a PGA standard golf course … it could cost between $150 and $200," he said. The government believes the redevelopment will pay dividends. This year's LIV Golf event, held at the suburban course, delivered the state an $81 million windfall. "It will be even bigger and even better in the city and it's helping us to attract other events, like the women's golf as well," Mr Champion told 7.30. "So, this will bring life and activity and investment to our parklands." Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
ABC News
03-06-2025
- General
- ABC News
New child protection laws pass South Australian parliament
The South Australian government has passed new child protection laws after securing enough support from the state's crossbench. Greens MLC Robert Simms and independent MLC Frank Pangallo on Tuesday signalled their support for the government's Children and Young People (Safety and Support) Bill, which proposes several reforms to the state's child protection and family support systems. The bill passed with amendments in the upper house on Tuesday night, which secured the passage of the legislation through parliament. Child Protection Minister Katrine Hildyard said the legislation "elevates the voices of children in decisions about their lives" and "puts maximum effort into reunifying children with their families where that's safe and right". "It enshrines the safety principle which ensures the safety of the child must always be the priority in determining whether or not to remove a child or young person from their family," she told the ABC on Wednesday morning. "It empowers Aboriginal families to lead decision-making about their children." Mr Simms said the Greens have secured some amendments that "strengthen the reunification principle" and the importance of keeping families together where possible. The bill has previously faced criticisms from stakeholders in the sector, including from SA's Guardian for Children and Young People, Shona Reid, who said the reforms do not comply with United Nations conventions.
