Susan Close

Susan Elizabeth Close is an Australian public servant and environmental advocate who entered politics and served as Deputy Premier of South Australia in the Malinauskas ministry from 2022 to 2025.

Close studied politics, languages, and biology at Flinders University, completing a PhD on the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and was active in environmental causes before working with conservation organisations and later serving as an executive director in the South Australian Department of Environment and Natural Resources from 2003 to 2011.

Close entered parliament at the 2012 Port Adelaide state by-election following Kevin Foley's resignation, benefiting from strong polling and the absence of a Liberal candidate. In her first term, she pursued social reform, introducing a same-sex marriage bill in 2013, and the following year joined Jay Weatherill's ministry, where she held multiple portfolios, including manufacturing, innovation, education, and higher education. She also oversaw policy changes in schools, announced major funding for infrastructure and teaching, and represented the state in London during the 2017 Westminster terror attack.

After Labor's 2018 election loss, Close became Deputy Leader of the Opposition and held shadow portfolios in education, environment, climate change, and higher education. She returned to government in 2022 as Deputy Premier under Peter Malinauskas, serving in portfolios related to climate, industry, science, and defence. She declared a climate emergency, represented South Australia at COP27, and launched initiatives such as the Responsible AI Research Centre in 2024. In 2025, she was Acting Premier on several occasions before announcing her retirement.