Liberals talk up unity as Josh Teague takes deputy leadership
Opposition leader Vincent Tarzia says there were “no backroom deals” involved in Josh Teague’s promotion to Liberal deputy leader today, hailing the unopposed ballot as a sign of party unity after a tumultuous year.
Moderate-aligned Teague, the shadow attorney-general and member for the Adelaide Hills seat of Heysen, was elected unopposed as deputy leader by Lower House Liberal MPs on Wednesday morning.
Shadow energy minister Stephen Patterson, a conservative, is understood to have given the role serious consideration but chose not to run.
The Lower House is dominated by moderates and Patterson was widely expected to lose in a ballot. Asked about the ballot today, Patterson told InDaily: “We are a united team and this shows that.”
Teague, a lawyer and son of former long-serving moderate SA senator Baden Teague, entered parliament in 2018 and was quickly elevated to Speaker of the House in July 2020. He also briefly served as Minister for Planning and Local Government in the final months of the Marshall Government.
His elevation to deputy leader comes after twice running unsuccessfully for the leadership, most recently in August when he was defeated 18 votes to four by current leader Vincent Tarzia.
Asked how he could convince the public that the Liberal Party was united after running against Tarzia only four months ago, Teague said: “I think walking the walk beats talking the talk.”
“I think our leader Vincent Tarzia has demonstrated that he leads a united team, and this morning shows that emphatically,” he said.
“I’m proud of the confidence that my colleagues have placed in me – to be elected unopposed this morning with the support of my leader is the perfect start.
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“I have great respect for all of the colleagues, and I know that we can step forward together effectively.
“That’s the way we’ll be going about it every single day.”
Asked if the Liberal Party could win the 2026 state election, Teague said: “Absolutely.”
Teague’s promotion comes after former deputy leader John Gardner announced on Friday he would be stepping down from the role and leaving politics at the next election.
It also comes after former leader David Speirs resigned in August – saying he “had a gutful” of leaks and undermining – before resigning from parliament entirely in October to face drug charges.
The Liberal Party has also lost two seats to Labor at by-elections this year, including in Speirs’ former seat of Black where the party suffered a disastrous 12.6 per cent swing.
“It’s been quite a year – there’s no doubt about that,” Teague said.
New Liberal deputy leader Josh Teague speaking to the media today. Photo: Thomas Kelsall/InDaily
“The twists and turns that come with putting oneself forward to serve and to represent South Australians are inevitable.
“We’d like it all to be smooth; we’d like it all to be just no bumps along the way.
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“There’s no doubt that there’s been twists and turns this year… I hope that in those tests, through this year, we are forging ourselves into an even stronger team to effectively work for South Australians.”
Teague has held a raft of shadow portfolios in Opposition, including attorney-general, child protection and Aboriginal affairs.
Tarzia indicated today there will be a reshuffle of the shadow cabinet in January, with Gardner’s portfolios of education and the arts to be redistributed.
He said the deputy leadership ballot was “a great sign that we are a united team and disciplined team”.
“Everybody got behind one candidate,” he said.
“So there’s no deals, no backroom deals or anything like that. At the end of the day, the colleagues decided that Josh is the best person for the job.
“In all my time I’ve never seen one of these ballots like I did today where there is one candidate that is successfully elected unopposed.
“So I think that speaks volumes of where we are at the moment – we are disciplined, we are united, we are focused.”
Asked why Stephen Patterson bowed out, Tarzia said: “I think at the end of the day there were conversations that were had between various colleagues.”
“Those conversations are obviously private, they’re always respectful and very cordial,” he said.
“And don’t forget we only had the announcement with John… on Friday.”
Shadow health spokesperson Ashton Hurn, who is widely considered a future Liberal Party leader, also spoke to the media today and endorsed Teague’s election.
Asked why she didn’t run for the deputy leadership, Hurn said: “As you would appreciate, I’m out nearly every day prosecuting the challenges that we’ve got in the health system.”
“That is my focus, unequivocally,” she said.
“It’s going to be a big role as we’re heading towards the next election.
“I am not going to let any day go by where I’m letting the government off the hook for their promises, that is my focus as well as representing the great people of Schubert.
“I look forward to continuing to work with Vincent as leader. He’s got my unequivocal support, he’s got the unequivocal support of everyone else in the party room.”
