Susan Close

Education and early career

Close completed her secondary education at Blackwood High School in 1984 before studying at Flinders University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in politics, French, Italian, and biology. She later obtained a doctorate in political science, completing a PhD with a thesis focused on the Australian Labor Party (ALP) covering the years 1983 to 1991. During her university studies, she was active in environmental causes and held the position of head of student services at the University of Adelaide.

Close's early career included work with Greenpeace, the Wilderness Society of South Australia, and the South Australian Conservation Council, where she contributed to the establishment of the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary and the International Bird Sanctuary in the Port River estuary. From 2003 to 2011, she was employed in the South Australian public service, primarily within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, where she held the position of executive director.

Political career

2012 Port Adelaide state by-election

Close received factional backing in August 2011 and began outreach in the Port Adelaide electorate prior to her official confirmation as the ALP candidate for the by-election following Kevin Foley's resignation on 20 October later that year. In the by-election held in February 2012, polling indicated increased support for Close, particularly among female voters, with 53 per cent of women compared with 42 per cent of men expressing support, up from Labor's previous 39 per cent female vote. On primary votes, Close led her nearest rival, Gary Johanson, by 48–23 per cent, aided in part by the absence of a Liberal Party candidate, which split the opposition vote.

In June 2013, Close introduced a bill in the parliament seeking to legalise same-sex marriage, arguing that the definition of marriage as a union between a man and a woman was discriminatory and drawing on her own family circumstances in support of the reform. The following month, she introduced the Same Sex Marriage Bill 2013 as a private member's bill. Labor MPs were granted a conscience vote, with Premier Jay Weatherill among the supporters, while Liberal MPs opposed the bill on constitutional grounds, maintaining that marriage was a federal matter. Close cited legal advice to argue that South Australia could legislate on the issue, but the bill was defeated in the House of Assembly without being put to a vote after Liberal MPs were not permitted a conscience vote. The defeat did not end parliamentary debate on the subject, as a similar bill was subsequently introduced in the Legislative Council by the Australian Greens' Tammy Franks.

Weatherill ministry (2014–2018)

On 26 March 2014, Close was appointed to the Weatherill ministry as Minister for Manufacturing, Innovation and Trade and Minister for the Public Sector, marking her first cabinet role following her earlier position as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Public Sector. Her appointment came as part of Weatherill's post-election reshuffle, which also introduced Stephen Mullighan and Zoe Bettison to cabinet and secured Geoff Brock's support to form a minority government. In May 2014, Weatherill announced the establishment of the Department of State Development, which consolidated several portfolios, including manufacturing, and Close became one of the ministers served by the new department. Later that year, after Martin Hamilton-Smith joined the ministry, Close's responsibilities shifted to include manufacturing, innovation and automotive transformation.

Close was appointed Minister for Education and Child Development following the resignation of Jennifer Rankine on 3 February 2015. In April, she announced that teachers registered with the Teachers Registration Board would no longer require separate police checks to volunteer in schools, addressing concerns about duplicative checks and associated fees while maintaining child safety standards. In July, Close apologised for delays in reviewing regional school bus access, noting that the policy had been in place since 1985 and requesting further consideration of the draft report.

Close was appointed Minister for Higher Education and Skills, taking over responsibilities from Gail Gago on 19 January 2016, and served as Acting Minister for Water and the River Murray from 19 to 24 January during Ian Hunter's absence. Later, from 28 December 2016 to 9 January 2017, Close held additional acting roles as Minister for Disabilities, Mental Health and Substance Abuse, and Minister for Health, the Arts, and Health Industries, covering for the absences of Leesa Vlahos and John Snelling.

On 22 March 2017, Close was in London on state government business and was approximately fifteen steps from the scene of the Westminster terror attack; she moved away upon hearing gunshots and noticing traffic congestion, with the building where her meeting was scheduled going into lockdown shortly afterwards. In August, following NAPLAN results showing South Australia as the lowest-performing mainland state in 16 of 20 categories, she announced a four-year, A$67.5 million investment to improve public primary school outcomes, targeting additional teachers and student support. In September, Close was appointed Acting Minister for Investment and Trade, Small Business, Defence Industries, and Veterans' Affairs from 9 to 20 September, covering for the absence of Hamilton-Smith. The following month, she announced $690 million in state funding to refurbish 91 public schools, prioritising those with the greatest need and ageing infrastructure.

Malinauskas shadow ministry (2018–2022)

Following the 2018 South Australian state election, on 22 March 2018, Close was designated Deputy Leader of the Opposition in Peter Malinauskas's shadow cabinet, with her appointment confirmed on 9 April. On the same day, she assumed the role of Deputy Leader of the South Australian Labor Party. Initially, she retained the education portfolio and was appointed Shadow Minister for Environment and Water, while Child Protection was assigned to another member. Over the course of the shadow ministry, she also held the portfolios of Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Shadow Minister for Industry and Higher Education. On 14 April, Close was elected ALP National Vice-President, serving alongside Wayne Swan as President and Mich‑Elle Myers as the other Vice-President, with her term commencing at the 49th National Conference in August.

Close continued to play a key role within the Labor Left faction, chairing a review in October 2019 to support internal renewal and policy engagement. On 1 September 2020, she relinquished the Education portfolio in a shadow cabinet reshuffle to focus on Climate Change, Industry, and Higher Education, while retaining Environment and Water. She subsequently supported proposals to strengthen South Australia's higher education sector, including a University Merger Commission to examine combining the state's three major universities in October 2020, and pre-election policies to expand preschool access to three-year-olds and establish a Royal Commission into early childhood education and care in October 2021.

Deputy Premier of South Australia (2022–2025)

Following the 2022 South Australian state election, Close was sworn into the Malinauskas ministry as Deputy Premier and Minister for Environment and Water on 21 March 2022, and subsequently as Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science and Minister for Defence and Space Industries on 24 March, with her Environment and Water portfolio renamed Minister for Climate, Environment and Water. On 31 May, she introduced and secured the passage of a motion in both houses of parliament declaring a climate emergency, committing to decarbonising the state economy and achieving net zero emissions. On 12 October, Close withdrew support for a socio-economic test under the Murray–Darling Basin Plan, citing recommendations from a Royal Commission, a decision criticised by the South Australian Liberals for its potential impact on regional communities. She also officially opened Lockheed Martin Australia's Adelaide City Office on 13 October and attended the COP27 summit in Egypt in November 2022.

In August 2023, Close was appointed national senior vice-president of the ALP, succeeding Mark Butler and taking part in the party's 49th national conference in Brisbane. On 9 December 2024, she announced the establishment of the Adelaide-based Responsible AI Research Centre, a collaboration between the South Australian Government, CSIRO, and the University of Adelaide aimed at advancing research into safe and accountable applications of artificial intelligence.

In 2025, Close was appointed Acting Premier of South Australia on three occasions during Malinauskas's absences, serving between 23 and 29 March, 22 and 24 April, and 6 and 13 September. On 18 September that year, she and Treasurer Stephen Mullighan announced their intention to retire from politics at the 2026 state election, with Close citing family responsibilities and a desire for greater personal freedom, while confirming her decision was unrelated to the state's algal bloom. Both committed to serving their terms until the election. Following their resignation from cabinet, Malinauskas conducted a reshuffle in which Kyam Maher was appointed Deputy Premier, and Lucy Hood took over Close's former environment portfolio, including oversight of the state's response to the algal bloom. On the same day, she relinquished her position as Deputy Leader of the South Australian Labor Party, with Maher succeeding her.

Personal life

Close was born to academic parents, a historian and a French scholar, who met at Oxford University before migrating to Australia to take up positions at Flinders University during its formative years. She has lived on the Lefevre Peninsula with her husband, Declan, and their two children.

References

References

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