South Australian Liberals elect Vincent

Tarzia as new leader

September 2024 Vincent Tarzia (left in the photo) has been elected by his SA Liberal colleagues to the party leadership, following the resignation of David Speirs. At an internal Liberal vote held last week, Mr Tarzia defeated Josh Teague for the party’s top job, by 18 votes to four, after deputy leader John Gardner announced he would not contest. South Australia’s newly elected Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia has described his rise to the party’s top job as an opportunity to “refresh” and “refocus”, but insisted he “absolutely did not undermine” predecessor David Speirs. Mr Speirs threatened to quit the party should certain unnamed parliamentary colleagues be “rewarded” in last week’s leadership spill. But Mr Tarzia was today adamant he had “not at all” engaged in machinations to undermine Mr Speirs’s leadership. “I absolutely did not undermine David, and I consider David a friend, and I want to work with David in the Liberal Party”, he said. Mr Tarzia used his first media conference as leader to lay down his priorities, saying it was the “greatest privilege of my professional life” to take on the job. He said he wanted to extend an “olive branch” to the Ambulance Employees Association to work to fix ramping”. “I want to reach out to the ambulance union. Mr Tarzia did not shy away from talking up the party’s chances of success at the next state election. “I’m going to work hard every day with a strong team behind me to take up the fight to Labor and to make sure that the Liberal Party wins the state election in 2026,” he said. Member for Chaffey Tim Whetstone applauded the outcome of today’s ballot, saying it was a “good decision”. “Vincent’s put his hand up, he was given overwhelming support, and we move on,” he said. Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said Mr Tarzia has taken South Australians for granted by declaring he would win the next election without releasing any policies so far.

Greek Tribune Adelaide, South Australia