Vincent Tarzia replaces David Speirs as SA Liberal leader

South Australia's Liberal party has voted in a new leader. Vincent Tarzia replaces David Speirs -- who quit the role last week.

Transcript

00:00Well, he's been in Parliament since 2014, and he's also been the former Speaker and

00:07Police Minister under the Marshall Government, and he's now been voted leader of the South

00:11Australian Liberal Party after David Spears.

00:14The former leader quit late last week, saying that he's just had a gutful and doesn't have

00:19the energy moving forward.

00:21So, Mr Tarsier won today with 18 votes to the former Attorney-General Josh Teague's

00:26four votes, after the Deputy John Gardiner announced this morning that he wouldn't be

00:32going for the leadership.

00:34Now, Mr Tarsier says that he's already looking ahead to the future.

00:40I'm willing to fight day and night, each and every day, with a strong team behind me, to

00:47hold the Government to account, to put forward an alternative policy platform, to make sure

00:54that we earn the trust of South Australians, to win those hearts and those minds in the

01:01seats right across the state.

01:06We've heard as well this morning from MPs like Adrian Pederick, who says that he will

01:10be a great leader, and also from Tim Whetstone, who says that this is a good decision that

01:15will bring unity to the party.

01:17Now, Mr Spears had previously held the role since 2022, when this change of leadership

01:22has come after months of speculation, and also after a by-election loss earlier this

01:27year.

01:28Now, David Spears has also threatened to move to the crossbench if people that he believed

01:33undermined his leadership were rewarded.

01:35Now, Mr Tarsier says that he would like to see Mr Spears stay in the Liberal Party, and

01:40that he is looking forward to working with him.