Labor has secured a commanding by-election victory, taking the seat previously held by former Minister and Liberal leader David Speirs at yesterday's poll. Premier Peter Malinauskas has warned against complacency and arrogance after his party poached a second opposition seat in less than eight months. While Liberal leader Vincent Tarzia concedes his party must do better in the run towards the next state election in 16 months’ time.
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00:00On the crest of a wave, smiles for the Premier and his newest MP catching up for coffee in
00:09Hallett Cove the morning after a resounding by-election win.
00:13I am very humbled, very honoured by the trust the people of Black have put in me.
00:20Alex is a good man, he's got a big heart, he's utterly connected to this community.
00:27The tight contest expected by many didn't materialise.
00:31The current vote count has Alex Dighton ahead by more than 10% on a two-party preferred
00:36basis over Liberal candidate Amanda Wilson.
00:40And unfortunately I wasn't successful tonight, but I go back to being the Mayor of Holfaas
00:45Bay.
00:46Just like the Dunstan by-election in March when former Premier Stephen Marshall quit,
00:50the Opposition has again lost a seat to the Government in a contest brought on by former
00:55leader David Spears' resignation.
00:58We accept with humility the results of last night.
01:01We're not here to make excuses, we're here to say that we have listened, we need to be
01:05better and we will be better.
01:07Vincent Tarzia also says his party was damaged by what transpired in the lead-up to the poll
01:12with Mr Spears appearing before court on Friday on drug charges.
01:17It's quite clear that the events of the last couple of months and what David's gone through,
01:21these are challenging times and the voters sent us a message, we accept that decision.
01:25The Premier with a message of his own for his party.
01:28To win a by-election like this is a rare privilege, it's unusual for a government, but it doesn't
01:33mean that everything's perfect.
01:36I mean, there is still so much more work to be done.
01:39Which starts straight away for Alex Dighton, who has just 16 months before he faces black
01:45voters again at the state election.