Three Greek Australians have been elected in the new SA Labor Government after Peter Malinauskas’ monumental win against the outgoing South Australian government under Steven Marshall, who announced on Sunday he would step down as Liberal leader.

Labor has won 26 seats in South Australia’s 47-seat parliament giving Tom Koutsantonis and Andrea Michaels high chances of moving from shadow ministers into ministerial positions.

Newly elected Labor MP Olivia Savvas is state parliament’s youngest member who managed to take the northeastern seat of Newland from Liberal MP Richard Harvey, despite being pre-selected only weeks before last weekend’s election.

TOM KOUTSANTONIS

Anastasios (Tom) Koutsantonis is one the party’s eldest statesmen and one of the longest standing labour MPs in SA parliament.

“Every team needs a lion and in labor we have a loyal lion in the honorable Tom Koutsantonis,” said Premier Peter Malinauskas in his victory speech on election night paying tribute to the Greek Australian former SA Treasurer.

Having served in parliament for over 25 years, Koutsantonis is expected to move into a ministerial position tomorrow, most likely as Minister for Transport, Planning and Infrastructure, Mining and Energy and State Development, but this is yet to be announced.

“This is an amazing victory, but the hard work begins in earnest now. I am very grateful for the support of my local community of which many are members of the Greek community. I do feel a sense of responsibility to work very hard for our community and to fulfil our commitments to the people of our state,” Mr Koutsantonis told Neos Kosmos.

The former SA Treasurer has spent his entire life in Adelaide’s Western suburbs, attending Cowandilla and Netley primary schools before completing his secondary education at Adelaide High School.

After school, he studied at the University of Adelaide, driving a taxi and working as a shop assistant and business operator in his family’s small business to pay for his tuition.

Mr Koutsantonis’ interest in politics began when, as a 14-year-old, he joined the Labor Party and started volunteering in the office of former Labor Deputy Premier Jack Wright.

He went on to be elected Secretary of South Australian Young Labor and worked as a personal assistant to the Honourable Michael Atkinson MP, and as an Industrial Advocate for the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association.

Tom Koutsantonis was elected to the South Australian State Parliament on 11 October 1997, at the age of 26, and has been re-elected at every state election since that time. He is the Member for West Torrens in Adelaide’s inner Western suburbs.

The father of two became a Minister in the Labor State Government in 2009 and remained in Cabinet until the 2018 State election. Over this period, he served as Minister for Corrections, Youth and Volunteers, Gambling, Small Business, Transport, Planning and Infrastructure, Mining and Energy, State Development and as Treasurer, delivering four State Budgets as Treasurer.

After the 2018 election, he became the Leader of Opposition Business, and held the Shadow Portfolios of Mining and Energy, Transport and Infrastructure, Employment. He was also the Opposition’s Government Accountability spokesperson.

He is married to Anthea with who he has two daughters, Tia, 11, and Helena, 7.

ANDREA MICHAELS

Andrea Michaels is the State Member of Parliament for the seat of Enfield.

Andrea has been serving as Shadow Minister for Small and Family Business, Consumer and Business Affairs, Planning and Urban Development, and Housing.

Andrea’s family fled war-torn Cyprus in 1974, landing in South Australia in 1976 when she was just 11 months old. Andrea’s family arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

“It’s such an honour to have been re-elected and to now form government with Peter Malinauskas as our new Premier. I’m grateful to have received messages from the diaspora from as far away as Cyprus, the US and the UK,” Ms Michaels told Neos Kosmos.

Andrea is a proud mother of two boys, Sebastian and Charlie.

OLIVIA SAVVAS

Age is nothing but a number for Olivia Savvas, who is poised to become the youngest person in state parliament.

For the last three years, the 25-year-old who has studied Law and Politics at the University of Adelaide, has been a local Councillor in the City of Tea Tree Gully and has also worked in Financial Crime at a large bank.

She will now be joining another five women MPs in the South Australian parliament becoming the youngest member in the House of Assembly.

“It’s an incredible honour and privilege to have been elected to the South Australian Parliament, and to have been given the opportunity to serve my community here in the North East,” Ms Savvas told Neos Kosmos.

Ms Savvas, whose family originates from the island of Samos, said she had been involved with Labor since before becoming a councillor at the 2018 local government elections.

A first-term councillor on Tea Tree Gully Council, her rapid rise through the political ranks has astonished even her closest supporters.

Ms Savvas says she is determined to be an advocate for women and young people.

“When someone says to me ‘what experience do you have?’ I say well, I don’t have 20 plus years of corporate experience, but I do have 20 plus years of fight,” she said.

“And what you need in a Member of Parliament is a fighter and I’ve got that in droves.”

Ms Savvas won her seat with a 6.3 per cent swing.

No Greek Australian has been elected for the Senate.