SA Deputy Premier Susan Close and Treasurer Stephen Mullighan SHOCK Exit: Pair Will Quit Politics, Abandoning Their Seats in 2026 State Election
- Two of South Australia’s most senior politicians have announced their resignation, sending shockwaves through the Labor Party
- Deputy Premier Susan Close and Treasurer Stephen Mullighan will not contest the March 2026 state election, citing personal reasons
- Premier Peter Malinauskas describes the pair as “good friends” and admits his “persuasive powers failed”
South Australia’s political landscape has been left reeling after two of its most senior politicians, Deputy Premier Susan Close and Treasurer Stephen Mullighan, announced their shock exit from politics.
In an emotional press conference, Premier Peter Malinauskas revealed that both ministers had come to him separately a few weeks ago with the news. “I’m really sad to see them go,” he said, describing the pair as “good friends” and “incredible support” to him over the years.
Susan Close, who holds several portfolios including Climate, Environment and Water, was elected in 2012 to the seat of Port Adelaide. She has been considering whether to end her political career at the upcoming or the following state election, but finally decided it was time to go. “Life is really short,” she said, citing the alarm bell of her mother’s dementia diagnosis four years ago. “I decided it’s this election and I decided it because I feel that probably I’ve given more than I have yet to give in this role.”
Stephen Mullighan, who won the seat of Lee in 2014, cited family reasons for his decision to quit politics. “I didn’t feel I had another four years of committing this much time and effort to these roles to the exclusion of the time that I can show at home as a husband and as a father,” he said, his voice filled with emotion. He has lost both his parents and his wife Antonia lost her father, and he wants to be more present for his children while they’re still young.
Premier Malinauskas has announced that new ministers will be sworn in in the coming days. The shock resignations of two of his most senior colleagues may have significant implications for the Labor Party’s chances in the 2026 state election.