South Australia’s election campaign is officially under way after Premier Peter Malinauskas and Deputy Premier formally received the writs from Government House, signalling the 28-day countdown to the 21 March state election.
This morning, the Deputy Premier and I went to Government House for the writs to be issued for the 21 March State Election.
This officially marks the start of the 28-day election campaign.
And we’re taking to the election a comprehensive plan to build upon the state’s… pic.twitter.com/HGaOLfFNr6
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) February 20, 2026
“This morning, the Deputy Premier and I went to Government House for the writs to be issued for the 21 March State Election. This officially marks the start of the 28-day election campaign,” Malinauskas said.
“We’re taking to the election a comprehensive plan to build upon the state’s considerable economic momentum and deliver a more prosperous South Australia for all.”
The Premier posted on social media that his team was “ready to continue our work” and highlighted the government’s achievements over the past four years, saying they aimed to build on that momentum to create a more prosperous state.
“Now we’re ready to build upon the momentum to deliver a more prosperous state.”
This is our united team.
We are ready to continue our work.
And we’ve had a busy four years delivering for South Australians.
Now we’re ready to build upon the momentum to deliver a more prosperous state. pic.twitter.com/L75rWwcO6y
— Peter Malinauskas (@PMalinauskasMP) February 21, 2026
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also endorsed the South Australian government’s record, tweeting his pride in shared initiatives, including strengthened Medicare, fully funded schools, continuous naval shipbuilding, support for local manufacturing, and new housing projects.
“We’ve achieved a lot, and together we can keep building South Australia’s future.”
Good luck, @PMalinauskasMP
I’m proud of what we’ve delivered together for South Australians.
Strengthening Medicare, making sure schools will be fully funded, continuous naval shipbuilding, backing local manufacturing, and building more homes.
We’ve achieved a lot, and… pic.twitter.com/YlHb0FtSU2
— Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) February 21, 2026
While Labor campaigns on its track record, the opposition faces an uphill battle. Two recent polls show the Liberal Party at historic lows.
A Newspoll in The Australian found just 14 per cent of voters planned to back the Liberals, far behind One Nation on 24 per cent and Labor on 44 per cent. Political analyst Kevin Bonham warned that if the poll results hold, the Liberals could struggle to win even a single seat.
A YouGov poll in The Advertiser painted a similar picture, putting the Liberals on 20 per cent support, trailing One Nation at 22 per cent and Labor at 37 per cent.
The election promises to be a stern test for the Liberals as Labor seeks to consolidate its hold on the state, building on what it describes as a period of steady economic and social progress.
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