South Australia’s political system operates on a Westminster parliamentary model with a bicameral state parliament sitting in Adelaide. The legislative branch consists of a 47-seat House of Assembly (lower house) and a 22-seat Legislative Council (upper house). Elections are held every four years, and voting is compulsory for adult citizens.
The Executive
The state government is responsible for major service delivery, including health, education, transport, and policing. The government is currently formed by the Australian Labor Party, led by Premier Peter Malinauskas. The Premier and cabinet ministers are drawn from the parliament and are responsible for advising the Governor of South Australia, who represents the monarch.
Local Government
Local government in Adelaide is highly fragmented compared to some other Australian capitals. The metropolitan area is divided into 19 distinct local councils. The City of Adelaide council specifically governs only the central business district and North Adelaide, managing local services, waste, and urban planning within that constrained footprint, while the state government controls major infrastructure and systemic policy across the broader metropolitan area.
Electoral System
Elections for the House of Assembly use full preferential voting in single-member districts, while the Legislative Council is elected using a proportional representation single transferable vote system with the entire state acting as a single electorate. This proportional system often results in minor parties or independents holding the balance of power in the upper house.