Susan Close

Susan Elizabeth Close (born 12 November 1967) is an Australian politician, serving as deputy leader of the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party following the 2018 state election.

Dr Susan Close MP
Minister for Education and Child Development
In office 3 February 2015 – 17 March 2018
Preceded by	Jennifer Rankine
Succeeded by	Steven Marshall (Acting) John Gardner (Education)
Member of the South Australian Parliament for Port Adelaide
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 February 2012
Preceded by	Kevin Foley
Personal details
Born	12 November 1967 Glenelg, South Australia, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party (SA)
Spouse(s)	Declan
Children	Son born in 2002, daughter born in 2004
Residence	Semaphore
Alma mater	Flinders University
Website	Parliamentary website

First elected to the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Port Adelaide at the 2012 by-election, she held Cabinet portfolios in the Weatherill Ministry from 2014 to 2018.

Background

Close earned a PhD in political science at Flinders University where she had studied French, Italian and biology as well as politics in her BA. She graduated from Blackwood High School in 1984 in French, German, Modern History, Classics, and Biology.

Her parents were academics at Flinders University (father in History, mother in French) and her only sibling, brother Stephen, works in international development and aid. Her parents met at Oxford University and migrated to Australia to work at Flinders University in its early days.

She was active in the environment movement during her university years, including roles with Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society SA and the SA Conservation Council. She participated in the establishment of both the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and International Bird Sanctuary in the Port River estuary.

She worked as a public servant from 2003 to 2011, largely in the environment department. She previously was the head of student services at the University of Adelaide.

Close has two children with her partner Declan.

Parliament

Close retained the South Australian House of Assembly seat of Port Adelaide for Labor at the 2012 by-election with a 42.3 percent primary and a 52.9 percent two-candidate-preferred vote.[1][2] The by-election was held after the resignation of the previous Labor incumbent Kevin Foley.[3] She was re-elected with two-party-preferred votes above 60 percent at the 2014 election[1] and the 2018 election.[4][5]

Close has chaired two parliamentary committees: Sustainable Farming Practices, and Dogs and Cats as Companion Animals. She has also been a member of two other parliamentary committees: Port Augusta Power Stations, and Aboriginal Lands.[6] She introduced a private members bill for equal marriage in 2013 but was unsuccessful.[7]

Close entered the Weatherill Ministry in March 2014, initially as the Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade and the Minister for the Public Sector. After Martin Hamilton-Smith joined the cabinet she served as the Minister for Automotive Transformation and the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation. She was the Minister for Education and Child Development from 2015 to 2018, and the Minister for Higher Education and Skills from 2016 to 2018.[6]

Deputy Labor leadership

After the 2018 election, Peter Malinauskas became Leader of the Opposition and succeeded Jay Weatherill who had resigned as Labor leader, with Close as deputy, following a Labor caucus meeting on 9 April 2018.[8][9][10]

Close is the Labor spokesperson for Climate Change, Environment and Water, Higher Education and Industry. She holds adjunct professorships with both Flinders University in the College of Business, Government and Law, and the University of South Australia.

References

1. State election results: ECSA
2. 2012 Port Adelaide by-election result: ABC
3. 2012 Port Adelaide by-election guide: ABC
4. 2018 Port Adelaide election result: ABC
5. "Notional two-party preferred results". ECSA. Archived from the original on 4 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
6. Parliamentary Profile: Dr Susan Close SA Parliament website. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
7. Same-sex marriage bill voted down in South Australian Parliament: ABC 25 July 2013
8. "Peter Malinauskas sets the tone for SA Labor Opposition after meteoric rise". abc.net.au. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
9. "Malinauskas takes charge: 'We need to listen to SA'". indaily.com.au. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
10. "Ex union boss Peter Malinauskas elected SA's opposition leader, with Susan Close as deputy". adelaidenow.com.au. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.

External links

• Parliamentary Profile: SA Parliament website
• Parliamentary Profile: SA Labor website