South Australia vote count underway

Addressing a crowd of supporters on Saturday night, Mr Bernardi said he was “smiling because today, an earthquake has rattled the foundations of uni-party politics in South Australia”.

“And I promise you there is more to come,” he said to cheers and applause.

“Friends, we’re here and quite rightly, we should be very proud of what we achieved.

“We don’t know the ultimate result as yet because (of) the electoral system and the quirks of our voting and preferences will flow through later in the week.

“But I can assure you, One Nation will have the strongest voice in the South Australian parliament that it has ever had before.”

Malinauskas declares victory

Premier Peter Malinauskas has declared victory as vote counting indicates a Labor landslide of historic proportions.

Taking to the stage at Labor’s election HQ to chants of “four more years”, Mr Malinauskas said he was “humbled”.

“More than anything else, tonight, I’m overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude,” he told party faithful.

“A gratitude to so many people who have provided this government the opportunity to be able to continue to serve. To be able to continue our work of making sure that the momentum in South Australia delivers for the people who deserves it most, and those are the people of South Australia.”

Liberals have ‘lessons’

Conceding the election, Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn told supporters at party headquarters that “lessons must be learned”.

“It’s a tough night for the Liberals. There’s absolutely no doubt about it that things are tough and lessons must be learned,” she said.

“There are a lot of things that we need to reflect on. But now is not the time for that.

“Now is the time to celebrate the Liberal cause because and to give hope for the future because there is still hope for the Liberal future here in South Australia.”

Hanson’s ‘landmines’

While Ms Hurn congratulated Mr Malinauskas on his win, Senator Hanson had a warning for him.

“I am leaving tomorrow to go to Canberra to continue my duties,” she told a crowd of One Nation volunteers.

“But guess what, mate. I’m leaving you some landmines. They’re called One Nation members of parliament.

“So I suggest you don’t step on them because they will explode. And that’s what we’re here for – to ensure you get good representation, good government with a good opposition, which you have not had in this state for a long time.”

Pauline Hanson ‘vindicated’

Early results about 8pm local time saw the populist party’s primary vote spike to 24 per cent, well ahead of the Liberal Party.

Though Labor will comfortably return to power.

Speaking with Sky News from One Nation’s official election night function, Senator Hanson shared her growing optimism at claiming seats in the upper and lower house for the party.

“I think in a lot of ways, I feel vindicated for my being in this game for 30 years, that I’ve been fighting for this – to give people back their voice,” she said.

“And I just feel, I just feel different. I’m excited but … I’ve been in this position before and then it all just falls apart with preferences and the rest of it.

“I feel in so many ways, to see the potential, the hope that we’re getting at the moment, that it’s not just a dream, that this is happening”

Ms Hanson said her decades of effort had been noted by overjoyed supporters on Saturday night.

“They’re so excited, and they can see the change. And I’ve been getting hugs and kisses and people thanking me for hanging around, not giving up, but this is the start of it,” she declared.

“And I’m going to go after Farrer, and we’re going to look at the Victorian state elections. “People are crying out for One Nation down there.

“So it’s a movement that’s happening, but it’s not about Pauline Hanson, it’s about the people themselves.”

Labor returned to government

Shortly before 8pm local time, Sky News called the election for Labor, with no path to victory for the Liberal Party or a surging One Nation.

This means Premier Peter Malinauskas will return as Premier for a second term.

At the time, Sky had called the seats of West Torrens, Waite, Croydon, Florey, Lee and Elder for Labor.

Who will become the state’s next Opposition Leader remains in doubt though, with early counting about 8pm seeing One Nation’s primary vote spike to a nearly 24 per cent with the Liberals at 19 per cent.

Liberal concedes, ‘hits the sack’ before votes in

Former 7 news journalist and SA MLC Frank Pangallo has thrown in the towel on his bid for a lower house seat barely an hour after the polls closed.

In a statement to The Advertiser, he confirmed he had conceded defeat in the seat of Waite to Labor’s Catherine Hutchesson.

Shortly after 7pm local time, Mr Pangallo said he would be “hitting the sack”.

He commended Liberal leader Ashton Hurn for her efforts, lauding her as an “exceptional leader who just didn’t have enough time to steer the ship from the iceberg”.

Addressing the surprise decision on the 7 news panel, federal Senator for SA, Alex Antic, said he was a fan of Mr Pangallo – but it was a bit early to be headed for bed.

Speirs flops after drug conviction

Former Liberal leader David Speirs, who was convicted of drug supply less than a year ago, has failed to regain his seat.

Speirs ran as an independent in the seat of Black, and managed to pick up about 14 per cent of the primary vote.

The seat was retained by Labor’s Alex Dighton, who took over after Speirs’ resignation in 2024.

One Nation ‘not getting carried away’

Speaking to 7News, One Nation’s leader in South Australia said the party was pleased with the early results but were “not getting carried away quite yet”.

“It seems like it’s a reward for the effort for the volunteers and it does seem to reflect that there’s a mood for change,” Cory Bernardi said.

Bernardi said he was optimistic on the party’s chances in the upper house, but recognised preferences could create additional hurdles in the lower house.

He praised party leader Pauline Hanson, who he said had been indefatigable on the campaign trail, declaring her “one of the greatest political figures this country has ever seen”.

Regardless of the result, attendees at the official One Nation result party will be partying into the night, with an ABBA tribute band hired to keep the dance floor pumping.

One Nation sees early vote surge

Early counting from several South Australian seats show a hefty swing away from the Liberals and toward One Nation.

While the results are still too early to tell, they do tally with pollster predictions that the populist far right party could overtake the Liberals as state opposition.

In the rural seat of Hammond, One Nation’s primary vote was up 20 percentage points with the Liberals 21 points down.

Hundreds of One Nation volunteers donning party colours cheered as leader Pauline Hanson entered the Adelaide’s Kent Town Hotel to watch the results come in.

“I just want to say from the bottom of my heart for those voters that have given their confidence, their vote to One Nation this election,” she told reporters.

“Now it’s up to us, if we win seats, to prove to them their vote is not wasted and to start pushing back and getting good government for the people.”

Taking up the second floor of the historic pub, supporters clinked beers surrounded by floating orange balloons that read: “One Nation. Our Nation. Stronger as One.”

Media access has been restricted, with the ABC barred from the event and forced to report from the footpath outside.

The national broadcaster’s banning came after it published an investigation into One Nation candidate Aoi Baxter, who was charged with allegedly sexually touching a woman in the UK and has a warrant out for his arrest.

One Nation dumped him on Friday.

Counting underway

Polls in South Australia have shut and counting is underway as politicians, analysts and political junkies across the country wait to see if One Nation’s poll power will turn into votes.

Premier Peter Malinauskas is tipped to lead Labor to a thumping victory, with polls putting his personal approval rating as high as 63 per cent and his party’s core support at 40 per cent.

The state opposition, however, went into the vote with record-low primary support.

An election-eve Newspoll put the South Australian Liberals at just 16 per cent while One Nation was at 19 per cent.

A YouGov poll earlier in the week put them at 19 per cent to One Nation’s 22 per cent.

If those figures are reflected in the ballots, One Nation could overtake the Liberals to become the state opposition.

Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn only took her party’s top job in December.

She is the Liberal Party’s fourth leader since losing the last state election in 2022.

While her popularity has climbed in the polls in the 103 days she has led the Liberals, her approval rating has been eclipsed by Mr Malinauskas’.

More to come