Eight Greek Australians to contest upcoming election in South Australia

South Australia’s election campaign is well underway revealing very different approaches from the two major parties who are trying to influence this year’s result as South Australians head to the polls on March 19, 2022.

This is the first time Peter Malinauskas, who became Labor Leader and Leader of the Opposition after the 2018 state election, will attempt to take the top job from SA’s Premier, Steven Marshall.

This year’s election will elect members to the 55th Parliament of South Australia.

All seats in the House of Assembly or lower house, whose current members were elected at the 2018 election, and half the seats in the Legislative Council or upper house, last filled at the 2014 election, will become vacant.

Eight Greek Australians are amongst those contesting state elections.

HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY CANDIDATES

TOM KOUTSANTONIS

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.

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.

Koutsantonis 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.

He 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.

Koutsantonis delivered four State Budgets as Treasurer.

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

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

PAUL ALEXANDRIDES

SA Labor has preselected Paul Alexandrides as their candidate to contest the seat of Colton.

Growing up in West Beach, the father of two is a small business owner and has strong ties to the community, attending West Beach Primary and Henley High schools.

Paul is the son of Greek Cypriot migrants. Together with his wife Stella he started his own business in 2009, a refrigerated transport logistics business, which he is still running today.

OLIVIA SAVVAS

Olivia Savvas grew up in the North East where she still lives.

She is a local councillor and is stepping up for the North East contesting the seat of Newland on behalf of the SA Labor party.

ANDREA MICHAELS

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

Andrea is the 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.

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

TOM ANTONIO

Former Whyalla Acting Mayor Tom Antonio joined the SA Best Party back in 2018 and is running for the seat of Giles.

JOHN ALEXANDER PHOTAKIS

Member of the Greens SA, John Alexander Photakis from Oakden, is running for the seat of Torrens.

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

STEPHEN PALLARAS

The former director of Public Prosecutions has decided to launch his own political party, named Real Change SA.

Drawing on his legal background, the Greek Australian QC, who served as the state’s top prosecutor from 2005 until 2012, will run as an independent candidate in the SA Legislative Council.

Having qualified in Melbourne, in 1974, the son of Evagelia and Alexandros Pallaras, was South Australia’s second Director of Public Prosecutions.

He was admitted to practice as a barrister in the High Court of Australia and in Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia as well as Hong Kong.

During his career he has prosecuted and defended at both the national and international level in many high-profile cases particularly in murder, corruption, fraud, drug and sex related cases.

He has successfully prosecuted cases of international fraud and international drug trafficking.
In 2000, he was appointed as Queen’s Counsel and in 2005 became the Director of Public Prosecutions for South Australia.

In 2010, Mr Pallaras was appointed as an Adjunct Professor to the School of Law, University of South Australia. He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

In 2012, he was appointed as a Justice of the High Court and Court of Appeal in the Solomon Islands.

IAN MARKOS

Greek Australian businessman Ian Markos has been named the lead SA-BEST candidate at the state election, with the party declaring it will look to secure the balance of power in the Upper House.

If successful the former chief executive of the Master Builders Association SA, would join current MLCs Greek Australian Connie Bonaros and Frank Pangallo, who say a third seat would mean SA-BEST is likely to have the balance of power in the Legislative Council.

Early voting centres across the state open on March 7 and will operate until March 18.

Eligible voters who wish to apply for a postal vote have until March 17 to do so.

Between March 17 and election day, anyone with COVID-19, or required to isolate as a close contact, can pick up a voting pack at selected sites and also vote by post.

Neoskosmos.com