The Honourable
David Speirs
MP
44th Leader of the Opposition in South Australia
Assumed office
19 April 2022 (2022-04-19)
PremierPeter Malinauskas
DeputyJohn Gardner
Preceded byPeter Malinauskas
Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party
Assumed office
19 April 2022 (2022-04-19)
DeputyJohn Gardner
Preceded bySteven Marshall
Minister for Environment and Water
In office
22 March 2018 (2018-03-22) – 21 March 2022 (2022-03-21)
PremierSteven Marshall
Preceded byIan Hunter (as Minister for Sustainability, Environment and Conservation and as Minister for Water and the River Murray)
Succeeded bySusan Close (as Minister for Climate, Environment and Water)
Member of the South Australian House of Assembly
for Black
Assumed office
17 March 2018
Preceded byNew seat
Member of the South Australian House of Assembly
for Bright
In office
15 March 2014 – 17 March 2018
Preceded byChloë Fox
Succeeded byDistrict abolished
Personal details
Born
David James Speirs

(1984-12-15) December 15, 1984
Galloway, Scotland, United Kingdom
Political partyLiberal Party of Australia (SA)
EducationStranraer Academy
Alma materUniversity of Adelaide

David James Speirs (born 15 December 1984) is a Scottish-born Australian politician currently serving as Leader of the Opposition in South Australia and Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party since April 2022. He has been a member of the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2014 state election, representing Bright from 2014 to 2018 and Black (the successor to the former) since 2018. Speirs served as the Minister for Environment and Water in the Marshall Ministry between March 2018 and March 2022.[1][2]

Background and early career

Speirs was born in Galloway, Scotland, where he was schooled at Kirkcolm Primary School and Stranraer Academy.[3] He emigrated to Australia with his parents and two younger brothers at the age of 17 in 2002.

In 2008 he graduated from the University of Adelaide with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours). He was elected as a councillor and deputy mayor for the Marion City Council, serving between 2010 and 2014. He worked in senior and principal policy development positions within the state Cabinet Office, in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet, between 2008 and 2014.

Speirs was a national director of the Duke of Edinburgh's Award in Australia between 2010 and 2014.[4] In 2012, Speirs was named Young Community Leader of the Year in the Channel 9 Young Achievers Awards.[5]

Parliamentary career

Speirs entered the South Australian Parliament in March 2014, defeating Chloë Fox, Labor's Minister for Transport Services.[6]

In October 2014, Speirs was appointed to the Parliament's Economic and Finance Committee[7] following the resignation of Iain Evans. In January 2016 he was elevated to Steven Marshall's Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Cabinet Secretary.[8] In January 2017, Speirs ascended to the front bench as Shadow Minister for the Environment.[9]

In October 2015, Speirs launched 'Beach for All', a crowd-funded project in partnership with Seacliff Surf Life Saving Club to make Seacliff Beach South Australia's first wheelchair accessible beach. The Beach for All access mat was launched on Australia Day 2016.[10]

In March 2018, following the election of the Marshall Government at the South Australian Election, Speirs was sworn in as Minister for Environment and Water.[11]

During his time as Minister, Speirs oversaw significant reform in the portfolio such as the opening up of South Australia's reservoirs for recreational access,[12] the establishment of Green Adelaide[13] and regional landscape boards,[14] significant reduction of water bills[15] and an increase in the land protected as national parks including the creation of Glenthorne National Park[16] in Adelaide's southern suburbs and Australia's biggest national park at the Simpson Desert.[17]

In March 2021, legislation introduced by Speirs meant South Australia became the first state in Australia to ban single-use plastics.[18] The first items to be banned were single-use plastic straws, cutlery and drink stirrers with other items such as polystyrene containers phased out in March 2022.[18]

In November 2021, Speirs contested the deputy party leader and Deputy Premier ballot, but lost to Dan van Holst Pellekaan.[19]

After outgoing Premier Steven Marshall resigned as leader of the Liberal Party, Speirs was elected leader on 19 April 2022, becoming South Australia's 44th Opposition Leader.[20]

Political views

Speirs has been described as socially conservative.

Speirs supports nuclear energy, a position that has been backed by South Australian uranium miners.[21] He opposes the state and federal Indigenous Voice to Parliament proposals, but supports constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians.[22][23][24]

Personal life

Speirs is an active lifesaver at the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club and has a strong interest in health and fitness.[25]

He is a founding member of the Hallett Cove-based environmental group, Friends of the Lower Field River;[26] a land care group established by Hallett Cove residents in 2006 to protect and care for the lower portion of the Field River and its environs.[26]

Speirs has completed the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award and has completed all three levels.[27]

Speirs also reportedly owns 13 properties at 39 years of age in the midst of a housing crisis that is pricing Australians out of their own country[28]

See also

References

  1. ↑ MacLennan, Leah (22 March 2018). "SA election: Who's who in the new South Australian Liberal Government?". ABC News. Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "The South Australian Government Gazette, 22 March 2018, No. 20, Supplementary Gazette" (PDF). Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  3. ↑ Speirs, David. "Maiden speech". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  4. ↑ "Speaking out at APEC Voices of the Future". Duke of Edinburgh Australia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Channel 9 Young Achievers Awards". South Australia: Previous winners. Awards Australia.
  6. ↑ ""State Election Votes 2014". Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Parliament's Economic and Finance Committee" Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  8. ↑ ""Marshall Liberal Team". "Tackling South Australia's economic crisis". Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "Marshall Liberal Team". "Leading a focused government". Retrieved 25 January 2017.
  10. ↑ ""David Speirs Beach for All Speech". Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Here's the team steering SA's first Liberal Government in 16 years". ABC News. 22 March 2018. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  12. ↑ "10 South Australian reservoir reserves that are now open to the public". Good Living. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "$5 Million Boost to Green Adelaide's CBD". Greenroofs.com. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  14. ↑ Miller, Catherine (25 June 2020). "Landscape changes for natural resource management". Stock Journal. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  15. ↑ "'Tsunami of savings': SA households to save $200 on water bills". ABC News. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  16. ↑ "glenthorn national park abc news - Search". www.bing.com. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  17. ↑ "SA announces 'grand initiative' to create Australia's largest national park". ABC News. 26 November 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  18. 1 2 "South Australia becomes first state to ban single-use plastics". PlanetArk. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  19. ↑ "SA Mining and Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan is officially SA's new Deputy Premier". ABC News. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
  20. ↑ "Former environment minister David Speirs elected SA Liberal leader". ABC News. 19 April 2022. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  21. ↑ https://smallcaps.com.au/south-australian-uranium-miners-welcome-opposition-leaders-nuclear-energy-support/
  22. ↑ https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/opposition-leader-david-speirs-says-sa-liberal-party-will-not-back-federal-voice-to-parliament/news-story/ad23dcee83bedcc5de4a12f765854140?amp
  23. ↑ https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8287133/sa-liberals-to-oppose-voice-ahead-of-referendum/
  24. ↑ https://nit.com.au/28-07-2023/6981/south-australian-liberal-party-opposes-national-voice-to-parliament
  25. ↑ ""David Speirs". Members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  26. 1 2 "News". Friends of the Lower Field River. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  27. ↑ "David Speirs". dukeofed.com.au.
  28. ↑ "David Speirs". adelaidenow.com.au.
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