Radio National Breakfast 'No such thing as a safe seat' - Peter Malinauskas on Labor's landslide victory
Mar 22, 2026
Peter Malinauskas, Premier of South Australia and Labor leader re-elected in a landslide. He talks about keeping momentum and avoiding complacency despite big majorities. He reframes patriotic messaging as welcoming civic pride. He contrasts practical policy delivery with threat-driven politics and addresses shifts in suburbs and regions.
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Never Treat Seats As Safe
- Do avoid complacency because a big majority doesn't make seats safe.
- Peter Malinauskas warned colleagues repeatedly that modern politics punishes hubris and that "there are no such thing as safe seats."
A Different Kind Of Patriotism
- Patriotism can be reclaimed from populist framing and expressed through everyday civic kindness.
- Malinauskas framed Australian patriotism as civil conversation, welcoming strangers, and steady determination rather than flag-waving.
One Nation Ran Without State Policies
- One Nation's campaign in SA lacked concrete state policies and focused on anti-immigration messaging.
- Malinauskas noted they came without housing, education, or health plans, framing their appeal as chiefly oppositional.