South Australia state election: Labor wins after big swing against Liberals under Steven Marshall

Labor has surged to victory in the South Australian state election with a 41-year-old father of three known for showing off his ripped physique on social media set to become the new premier. 

Peter Malinauskas, who was previously the state’s health minister in 2017, will take over from Liberal leader Steven Marshall who is at risk of losing his own seat after a massive swing away from the government in Saturday poll.

The crushing victory is a major set back for Scott Morrison ahead of the federal election expected to be come in May, with polling mirroring South Australia predicting the Coalition will be given the boot by voters.   

Labor’s victory was secured by an early swing across marginal seats in metropolitan Adelaide. 

Premier Steven Marshall is at risk of losing his own seat of Dunstan as Labor steamroll the Liberals

With close to 10 per cent of the statewide vote counted, Labor’s primary vote is up close to eight per cent in the metropolitan area and slightly less on a statewide basis.

The party appears to be attracting many voters who supported Nick Xenophon’s SA-BEST party at the last election.

If that trend is confirmed, it could deliver government to the ALP in its own right.

Labor was leading in the key marginals of King, Newland, Adelaide and Elder, the four seats considered most likely to fall if the opposition was to win.

According to early figures, statewide Labor had 38.3 per cent of the primary vote, to 36.6 for the governing Liberals.

The Electoral Commission had Labor leading in 23 of the 47 seats in the parliament, with the Liberals ahead in 10 and independents leading in three.

Key independents Dan Cregan in the Adelaide Hills, Geoff Brock, who shifted to the seat of Stuart in the mid-north, and Troy Bell in Mt Gambier were on track to be re-elected.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas (pictured with his wife Annabel) is on track to become Premier

Peter Malinauskas fronts the cameras as he places his vote in the ballot box

Early figures also had Premier Steven Marshall in trouble in his own seat of Dunstan though he was still just ahead.

Former deputy premier Vickie Chapman said the figures in Dunstan were too early to be meaningful.

‘There’s always attention on leaders’ seats,’ she said on ABC TV.

While Mr Marshall’s Labor opponent Cressida O’Hanlon said while the count was looking good it was just a start.

Labor’s Tom Koutsantonis said the statewide results so far were remarkable.