Hugh Schuitemaker, Murray Pioneer

Water buybacks will loom large on the second-term Albanese Government’s agenda, the re-elected Liberal Member for Barker has warned.

Tony Pasin was easily returned for a fifth stint in office on Saturday, despite suffering a 3 per cent two-party-preferred swing against him, and seeing his primary vote dip below 50 per cent.

Mr Pasin, whose downturn was much less severe than the overall 9 per cent swing against the Liberals in SA, predicted Labor’s stunning victory was bad news for regional Australia, including the Riverland.

“I’m particularly worried about a government that has been re-elected so strongly against a background where they’ve spent little-to-no energy focused on regional Australia or regional issues, particularly those that are afflicting the wine industry in the Riverland,” he said.

“I expect this government will now push on, at pace, with water buybacks, which I’ve always been concerned about, because of the fact they hollow out the economic activity in (Murray-Darling) Basin communities.”

“I’m focused on Australians (because) it’s never been harder to meet the cost-of-living challenges.”

Mr Pasin said while the election result cast doubt over the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass project, which includes the proposed Truro bypass, he was “incredibly grateful for being given the great privilege of serving another term as the Member for Barker”.

“I will not take this opportunity for granted,” he said.

“I will continue to be Barker’s voice in parliament and stand up for local communities without fear or favour as I have done now for over a decade.”

He said the Coalition’s election loss could be attributed to two main factors.

“At the end of the day this was a campaign where I think honesty ran a distant last,” he said.

“But from our own perspective, it would be disingenuous if we didn’t accept responsibility for a number of things we control. We had a lot of messages, but no clear message.

“Australians for 100 years have re-elected first-term governments… I didn’t get a sense on election day that people were angry with the Liberal Party, I think it’s one where they aren’t necessarily convinced Australia is on the right track, but they were disappointed by the offering the Liberal Party presented.

“That’s their prerogative… what we have to do now as a Liberal Party is reflect on the outcome, and work hard to be an effective and strong opposition.”

While attention now turns to the Coalition’s decimated ranks, and who forms the shadow cabinet, Mr Pasin declined to be drawn into any predictions for his own immediate future.

“I currently serve in the shadow executive, and I would love to be given the opportunity to serve in the shadow cabinet,” he said.

“But that’s not my choice, that’s the choice for other people and we’ll wait and see how all these things land.”

Mr Pasin said he was “humbled” by the Barker results, but was naturally disappointed for the national result.

“I had close to 400 volunteers on the ground on election day, and I’m incredibly grateful to them…

“From a national perspective it was a very difficult night, and a very bad result.

“South Australia saw swings of around 9 per cent against the Liberal Party.

“To have pushed against the wind locally with a 3 per cent two party preferred swing against me I think is, in the circumstances, a very good result.

“But it doesn’t make up for how disappointed I am for our national campaign, and how hurt I am that many of my good friends and colleagues – some of whom are exceptional members of parliament that work very hard and care about their communities – have been defeated.”

Meanwhile the Riverland-based Barker candidates had mixed results on Saturday.

Renmark woman and One Nation candidate Jenny Troeth secured a 1.47 per cent swing for her party and had 8.05 per cent of the vote, just edging out Greens’ contender Major Sumner, who received 7.9 per cent of the vote and a 0.55 per cent swing.

Winkie man Ian Penno received 1.38 per cent of the vote, while fellow independent candidate Rosa Hillam – who ran for the Greens in 2022 – received 1.73 per cent of the vote.

This article appeared in Murray Pioneer, 7 May 2025.