South Australia's new Liberal leader David Speirs has left open the possibility of MPs facing corruption charges returning to the Liberal Party, while Labor is calling upon ousted premier Steven Marshall to declare his political future following Vickie Chapman's resignation.
Ms Chapman yesterday revealed she would leave politics, forcing a by-election in her eastern suburbs seat of Bragg shortly after last month's state election and ahead of this month's federal election.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said any other Liberal MPs planning to resign should do so now.
"There's been a fair degree of speculation there's going to be a by-election from Steven Marshall resigning from the parliament," Mr Malinauskas said.
"If that is going to happen, it has to happen at the same time. We can't see a drip feed of by-elections adding evermore inconvenience and expense to the people of our state."
Mr Marshall has so far ruled out resigning, saying he intends to stay on the backbench as the MP for Dunstan.
"Steven's made it very clear that he is keen to serve the people in Dunstan for the longer term," said Mr Speirs, who was yesterday chosen by Liberal colleagues as the state's new Opposition Leader.
"He's made various statements on that, and Steven has provided incredible support to me over the last couple of weeks as I've considered whether to run or not and his work in the transition is critical to my leadership going forward."
Joint by-elections in Cheltenham and Enfield in 2019 prompted by the resignations of former premier Jay Weatherill and his deputy John Rau cost $770,000.
"Relative to the cost of running a general election across the whole state, it is cheap – of course, it's only because Vickie Chapman's decided to go that we need that by-election," political analyst Clem Macintyre told ABC Radio Adelaide this morning.
"But before Labor get too noisy, we should point out that Jay Weatherill left the parliament when he went out of office, and Mike Rann and Kevin Foley did the same thing. So, it happens on both sides of politics."
While Bragg is considered a safe seat, the Liberals had an 8.8 per cent swing against them at the March election.
Labor's candidate at the most recent poll — retired legal academic Rick Sarre — said he was putting his name forward to run again.
"I'm now very confident that, having another go, we only need another 7 per cent or 8 per cent to win that seat," Professor Sarre said.
"Bragg is winnable on a by-election, no question about that."
Professor Macintyre said causing an upset in Bragg would still be a big task, notwithstanding likely voter disaffection.
"A by-election so soon after the state election will see certainly a degree of voter apathy – remember, the voters of Bragg have got a state election, then a federal election and then a by-election," Professor Macintyre said.
"If Labor win Bragg, the world as we know it is turning upside down."
Outside her home this morning, Ms Chapman made no further comment on her decision to leave politics.
Speirs offers olive branch to independents
With the SA Liberals currently occupying only 16 of the 47 seats in the lower house, the new Opposition Leader faces an uphill battle to win the 24 seats needed to form government.
Mr Speirs said he is open to bringing Liberals-turned-independents Dan Cregan, Fraser Ellis and Troy Bell back into the party fold.
"I will certainly be extending the hand of friendship and the hand of collegiality to these people and already have done — I already have had conversations with all three of them since the election and will continue to do so. "
Mr Cregan quit the Liberal Party last year, blaming a lack of attention on the needs of his Adelaide Hills electorate.
Mr Bell and Mr Ellis both left the party while facing criminal charges over separate investigations by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC).
Mr Bell is facing two separate sets of charges, one relating to alleged misuse of public funds prior to his time in parliament, the other relating to alleged misuse of parliamentary allowances.
Mr Ellis's charges relate to alleged misuse of his parliamentary allowance.
Both men have protested their innocence, and are due to face trial later this year.
"I haven't made them any offers, I don't plan to do that in the short-term but I would love to see those guys feel that they could come back to the party in due course if that could be possible," Mr Speirs said.
"There are a couple of issues where court cases and charges are being worked through for two of those guys but hopefully that can be worked through."
Mr Speirs's office would not be drawn on whether the leader would extend invitations to either Mr Bell or Mr Ellis before their trials.
If convicted, both men would face potential expulsion from parliament.
