‘Dark forces’: The Liberal Party in South Australia

The Liberal Party in South Australia has a generally poor electoral record. There has been a long history of factional and ideological divides within the party, which have bedevilled its electoral performance. In 2018, under the leadership of Steven Marshall, the Liberals took office after 16 long years in opposition. Under Marshall’s leadership, the party successfully introduced a number of significant social policy reforms, notably the decriminalisation of abortion and the introduction of assisted dying legislation. Yet, the Marshall leadership was unable to successfully navigate three competing ideological and factional traditions in the party: The moderate liberals, the neoliberal free-market faction, and, notably, the rurally based conservative faction. During his time in office, the party experienced ongoing party ructions and infighting, along with notable defections. Premier Marshall proved unable to navigate these competing factional battles, and his government succumbed to defeat after just one term in office. The South Australian case is instructive as it highlights the ongoing existential identity crisis of moderate liberalism.