27/03/2026
The election result.
I have enjoyed and am grateful for every minute I spent as the Member for Hartley.
It’s an enormous privilege to represent your local community. I’m grateful to the people of Hartley for the trust they placed in me, and to the many volunteers, community leaders and supporters who have walked this journey with me. Without them I could not have been a Leader, Minister or Speaker to serve the state. We have worked together with the community and helped in thousands of ways, from constituent matters to major infrastructure projects delivered.
I haven’t come from a political dynasty. I was a 27 year old, grandson of Italian migrants, who entered Parliament winning a marginal seat for the Liberal Party. We climbed a mountain to win in 2014. Defended the toughest of campaigns in 2018 against South Australia’s most successful Senator, a win that enabled us to form Government(4 years in the last 24), then held off another wave in 2022.
Hartley remains a marginal seat. Again, it has outperformed other campaigns. ‘Working class’ areas in Hartley, have a higher liberal party primary vote, while we have been decimated in traditional blue territory. This time while we’ve stayed on our feet, and fought to the final bell, we’ve lost on points, just.
Special thanks to my wife Charissa, who has been by my side since my preselection in 2012, our boys Leonardo and Raphael, our families, friends and supporters.
I’ve tried to serve with Values, Conviction, Decency and Grit. Looking forward to having a rest with family before pursuing our next moves. VT.
