Liberals Suffer Painful Defeat In South Australia State Election

South Australia's Liberal Premier Steven Marshall conceded defeat in the state election after early results showed that the Labour Party won enough seats to form a majority government. He is now headed to the House of Government to hand in resignation and is expected to be replaced by Labour leader Peter Malinauskas as soon as this morning.

• The Liberal Party took a heavy beating in the southern state, with several frontbenchers facing the prospect of losing their seats amid a widespread swing towards Labour. The outgoing Premier is locked in a tight race with Labour's Cressida O’Hanlon, who is currently edging ahead in Marshall's home constituency.
• Local media reported that Susan Close will be sworn in as Deputy Premier while Stephen Mullighan will take the help of state Treasury. Across the aisle, even if Steven Marshall keep his seat in the state legislature, he will step down as leader of the Liberal Party after nine years.
• Australia's Prime Minister Morrison dismissed comparisons between state and federal electoral campaigns but Liberals' defeat in South Australia adds to his concerns ahead of the federal election slated for May. The results of the latest state election corroborate evidence from polling data pointing to the erosion of confidence in the Liberal Party.