The next state election will be the 2022 South Australian state election, which will be held on 19 March. Currently, the Liberal Party holds power in the state.
Who is Steven Marshall?
Steven Marshall is the current Premier of South Australia and represents the Liberal Party. He first entered politics in 2010, representing the seat of Norwood (now Dunstan). By 2011, he was moved to the frontbench, where he took on an array of shadow portfolios. By 2013, Marshall became Leader of the Liberal Party, and was Leader of the Opposition up until 2018, when he was elected as Premier.
Marshall is part of the moderate-right (centre-right) faction of the Liberal Party.
How popular is he within South Australia currently?
A Sunday Mail-YouGov poll in March this year found Marshall had a strong approval rating of 60 percent.
Marshall’s popularity increased as a result of the South Australian response to COVID-19 last year. In 2020, The Australian reported that a poll early in 2020 showed Labor leading the Liberals 53-47. However, later in the year, a second post-COVID poll conducted in September 2020, showed a reversal with the Liberal Party ahead 53-47.
What happens if a federal election is called within the same month?
As we know, we are expecting a federal election to be called by Prime Minister Scott Morrison either later this year, or sometime in the first half of next year. If the federal election is called within the same month, South Australia’s Constitution Act will allow the state to move the election up to 21 days.
