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Portrait of Peter Malinauskas

Peter Malinauskas

Australian Labor Party · South Australia · South Australian House of Assembly · Croydon (SA) · incumbent

Peter Bryden Malinauskas was born on 14 August 1980 in Adelaide to parents of Hungarian and Lithuanian descent. He attended Mercedes College and studied commerce at the University of Adelaide, having worked at a Woolworths supermarket for seven years from age 15 as a trolley boy, checkout operator and night filler. He later became an influential union official, serving from 2008 to 2015 as Secretary of the South Australian/Northern Territory branch of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association. [source]

Sourced positions

A verified position is the member's own stated view or vote, supported by the listed sources. This page records public statements and conduct only — see methodology.

Faith & religion verified

Malinauskas identifies as Catholic; he comes from a Catholic family, was educated at the Catholic Mercedes College, and has publicly described his Catholic faith as important to him.

Abortion & reproductive policy verified

Voted in favour of Family First MLC Sarah Game's bill to restrict access to late-term abortions when it was debated in the House of Assembly on 18 June 2026; the bill was defeated in the lower house 36 votes to 9.

Gender & LGBTQ+ policy verified

As Premier, Malinauskas leads the Labor government that passed the Conversion Practices Prohibition Act 2024. Reflecting on 50 years since SA decriminalised homosexuality, he said 'we have come a long way, the march of progress is on the side of decency of love,' and tasked Ian Hunter with chairing the commemorative committee.

Freedom of speech verified

Voted to agree to the Legislative Council's amendment deleting 'or recklessly' from the new obstruction offence in the Summary Offences (Obstruction of Public Places) Amendment Bill 2023, which amended the obstruction offence in the Summary Offences Act 1953, narrowing it to intentional conduct (House of Assembly, in committee, 31 May 2023; Ayes 23, Noes 11). This division was on the Council's amendment, not on the bill's passage.

Drugs & law and order verified

As Premier, Malinauskas led the Labor government's 2025 knife crime package, reported as among the toughest knife laws in the country: expanded police wanding-search powers at shopping centres, public transport and licensed venues, a ban on knife sales to minors, secure-storage requirements for certain knives in stores, and extended public knife-carry bans to childcare centres, universities and TAFE campuses. He said that 'while there are legitimate reasons to own a knife, recent events both locally and interstate have highlighted the need for us to crack down on potential knife crime.'

First Nations & treaty verified

As Premier, his government legislated and implemented South Australia's First Nations Voice to Parliament (First Nations Voice Act 2023), the nation's first, and pledged to restart treaty talks. He also supported the 2023 federal Indigenous Voice referendum during his premiership.

Record last updated 2026-08-13.