{"id":556933,"date":"2026-03-22T11:56:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/556933\/"},"modified":"2026-03-22T11:56:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T11:56:15","slug":"peter-malinauskas-reframes-australian-patriotism-to-win-second-term","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/556933\/","title":{"rendered":"Peter Malinauskas reframes Australian patriotism to win second term"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Rob<\/p>\n

March 22, 2026 \u2014 8:00pm<\/p>\n

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The only real question was scale. By the time the count settled, Peter Malinauskas had delivered something more than a win \u2013 he had entrenched himself as one of the most formidable political figures in the country.<\/p>\n

Four years after toppling a first-term Liberal government<\/a>, Malinauskas has returned with a result that edges towards the extraordinary. It\u2019s left his opposition diminished and his Labor government with a mandate that is both broad and deep.<\/p>\n

But his victory was not just built on policy or momentum. It was shaped by tone.<\/p>\n

\"\u201cAustralians\u2019\u201cAustralians\u2019 version of patriotism is a little different,\u201d says South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.Roy VanDerVegt<\/p>\n

As the wave of populist politics that has found traction across the Western world finally took hold at home<\/a>, Malinauskas chose not to meet it head-on with attack lines. He reframed the argument, appealing to a distinctly Australian idea of patriotism, grounded in inclusion rather than grievance.<\/p>\n

With Pauline Hanson\u2019s One Nation vote surging to more than 20 per cent<\/a> and several seats across both houses of parliament, Malinauskas felt it was left to him to \u201cturn the heat down\u201d and unite a fraying electorate.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Pauline<\/a><\/p>\n

Standing in line at a polling booth on election day, he found a story that would anchor that message: a Vietnamese-born voter, a former boat person, quietly expressing his appreciation for the democratic process. For Malinauskas, it captured something larger about the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sort of struck me as being a clear signal of what patriotism can look like,\u201d he said from the victory podium<\/a>.<\/p>\n

To make the point, he reached back to Henry Lawson and the bush tradition of quiet pride and generosity that sits in contrast to louder forms of nationalism abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Tis the duty of Australians in the bush and in the town to forever praise their country but to run no other down,\u201d he paraphrased.<\/p>\n

It was a deliberate contrast to the sharper politics seen in the United States and Britain: a reminder that Australian patriotism, at least in Malinauskas\u2019 telling, is less about grievance and more about decency.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralians\u2019 version of patriotism is a little different \u2026 less brash and boastful and more dogged and determined,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s to be seen what he chooses to do with the authority handed to him. But he has never been inclined to sit on it. Malinauskas has governed in broad strokes and at pace, rejecting the incrementalism that has long shaped South Australian politics.<\/p>\n

What sets him apart is not just the scale of his majority but the reach of his leadership. From Adelaide, Malinauskas has shown it is possible to shape national debates, weighing in on aged care, helping drive the conversation on social media restrictions, and stepping into federal policy fights when he judges South Australia has a stake.<\/p>\n

He took on the Adelaide Writers\u2019 Week decision<\/a> to give Palestinian-Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah a platform. It blew up the event and alienated a big part of his base. He has no regrets.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"SA<\/a><\/p>\n

At the same time, he has fused politics with promotion. The capture of major events \u2013 LIV Golf, the AFL\u2019s Gather Round and the return of the MotoGP \u2013 is not incidental; it is central to a broader project: recasting South Australia as confident, outward-looking and willing to compete.<\/p>\n

To Graham Cornes, the foundation coach of Adelaide\u2019s first AFL club and long-time commercial radio host, the explanation for Malinauskas\u2019 dominance ultimately comes back to something less tangible. He is, Cornes argues, one of those rare politicians whose personal appeal cuts through; someone whose character resonates regardless of party.<\/p>\n

The comparison Cornes reaches for is former SA premier Don Dunstan, still the state\u2019s benchmark for transformative leadership.<\/p>\n

\u201cOccasionally politicians with great charisma arrive and he just happens to be one of those,\u201d Cornes says. \u201cHis personality and, indeed, his character overrides his political leanings. It\u2019s very hard not to like him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cornes says the major events have been \u201ctremendous\u201d for South Australia\u2019s tourism but he\u2019s wary they might simply be sugar hits.<\/p>\n

The risks \u2013 overreach, missteps, complacency \u2013 remain. But they are, for now, secondary to the scale of the opportunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are other significant issues, like cost of living and health, you know, which, to be fair, he\u2019s addressing and trying to address. He hasn\u2019t been perfect, but he\u2019s earned himself another go through sheer effort, I think,\u201d Cornes says.<\/p>\n

For David Koch, former long-time breakfast TV host of Sunrise and Adelaide export, Malinauskas comes close to a model political build: disciplined, focused and instinctively connected.<\/p>\n

Related Article\"Opposition<\/a><\/p>\n

Koch has described him as a \u201ctest-tube politician\u201d, the kind you would design if you could start from scratch, while acknowledging it is \u201calmost un-Australian\u201d to praise a politician so directly.<\/p>\n

That tension \u2013 between scepticism of politicians and recognition of effectiveness \u2013 runs through Malinauskas\u2019 appeal.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s challenged South Australians to think big,\u201d Koch says. \u201cHe gives people confidence and he leads with that himself to actually get things done.\u201d<\/p>\n

He has constructed a persona that feels accessible without being loose, controlled without appearing distant. He can work a corporate room, then slip easily into the stands at a football match. The balance is deliberate.<\/p>\n

Beneath it sits a harder edge. Those who have watched him closely point to a capacity for relentless persuasion \u2013 working every conversation, every opportunity, until an outcome shifts. His push to secure Gather Round for South Australia is often cited as a case in point: persistence, timing and a clear objective, executed with precision.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s genuine,\u201d Koch says. \u201cEven if it\u2019s not popular, he backs his beliefs. People respond to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is also part of a broader effort to change how the state sees itself. Malinauskas has challenged what some describe as a historically insular mindset.<\/p>\n

There is a willingness, too, to step outside party lines when required. Malinauskas has not hesitated to break with federal Labor or take positions that cut across national settings if he believes the state stands to lose \u2013 a readiness that has helped elevate his profile well beyond Adelaide.<\/p>\n

To Stephen Smith, the former high commissioner to the United Kingdom who worked with Malinauskas during the early days of AUKUS, that confidence is grounded in method rather than instinct alone.<\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s assessment is of a leader who is intellectually curious, strategically focused and attentive to the national interest as well as his own state\u2019s priorities.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe popularity of Malinauskas has inevitably sparked talk of whether he would move to federal politics at some point.Alex Ellinghausen<\/p>\n

In early discussions on the submarine program, Malinauskas sought first to understand the broader strategic rationale before advancing South Australia\u2019s case \u2013 an approach Smith suggests is unusual among premiers. He listens, processes and then argues his position clearly, whether dealing with local stakeholders or international counterparts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s very impressive, whether he\u2019s on the stump, whether he\u2019s dealing with the UK secretary of state for defence, or whether he\u2019s dealing with the local mayor from Barrow,\u201d Smith says. \u201cHe has a very good bedside manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those qualities have fed persistent speculation about a move to Canberra. Within Labor ranks he is widely regarded as capable of stepping into a senior national role.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether at some stage he decides to make that leap, time will tell,\u201d Smith, a former foreign minister, says. \u201cHe may not. I think family, local community and South Australia, just doing everyday ordinary and humble things, are very important to his make-up and to him.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, his focus is on a second term that is unlikely to be smaller than the first. Malinauskas is expected to push for an overhaul of the GST distribution system \u2013 a long-running frustration for smaller states \u2013 and to intensify his advocacy for South Australia\u2019s nickel industry as a cornerstone of the global energy transition.<\/p>\n

Nickel, increasingly critical to electric vehicle batteries and high-performance alloys, offers the state a strategic opportunity. Malinauskas has framed it not just as a resource play but as part of a broader industrial strategy linking mining, manufacturing and future-facing industries.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think when we take stock, when he finally does depart, he will rank with the best of the Labor leaders,\u201d says University of Adelaide\u2019s emeritus professor of politics Clement Macintyre.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it was easier in the 1970s to be the charismatic Don Dunstan than it is in the 2020s. I think voters are a lot more cynical now, there\u2019s less faith and trust in politicians. So what he has achieved is impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Related Article\"One<\/a><\/p>\n

Alexander Downer, part of South Australia\u2019s Liberal establishment, says Malinauskas has been a safe pair of hands as premier.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is calm and good-natured, including in the teeth of attack from his political opponents,\u201d he says. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t have the Keating or Trump style of savaging his opponents with personal abuse. That works well with the public.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even Hanson found time for praise while warning that her tribe will hold him accountable over the next four years.<\/p>\n

\u201cGuess what, mate?\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m leaving you some landmines \u2026 so I suggest, don\u2019t step on them because they will explode.\u201d<\/p>\n

But in a country where it is often said to be almost un-Australian to praise politicians, Malinauskas has achieved something uncommon: sustained momentum, a reservoir of authority and a level of reluctant admiration that extends well beyond his own side of politics.<\/p>\n

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\"RobRob Harris<\/a> is the national correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age based in Canberra. He is a former Europe correspondent.Connect via email<\/a>.From our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"March 22, 2026 \u2014 8:00pm Save You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":556934,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":{"0":"post-556933","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-australia","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556933","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=556933"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/556933\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/556934"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=556933"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=556933"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=556933"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}