Dan Cregan

The Honourable
Dan Cregan
MP
Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly
In office
13 October 2021 (2021-10-13) – 11 April 2024
Preceded byJosh Teague
Succeeded byLeon Bignell
Special Minister of State
In office
15 April 2024 (2024-04-15) – 29 January 2025
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byKyam Maher
Minister for Correctional Services
In office
15 April 2024 (2024-04-15) – 29 January 2025
Preceded byJoe Szakacs
Succeeded byEmily Bourke
Minister for Emergency Services
In office
15 April 2024 (2024-04-15) – 29 January 2025
Preceded byJoe Szakacs
Succeeded byEmily Bourke
Minister for Police
In office
15 April 2024 (2024-04-15) – 29 January 2025
Preceded byJoe Szakacs
Succeeded byStephen Mullighan
Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Kavel
Incumbent
Assumed office
17 March 2018
Preceded byMark Goldsworthy
Personal details
Born
Daniel Cregan
Political partyIndependent (since 2021)
Other political
affiliations		Liberal (until 2021)
Alma mater
Occupation

Daniel Cregan is an Australian lawyer and Independent politician who has served as Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly and as a Cabinet Minister.[1] He has represented Kavel in the House of Assembly since the 2018 South Australian state election.[2]

Early life

Cregan grew up in South Australia and Western Australia, attending the University of Adelaide, where he was active in student politics, including as a director of the Adelaide University Union and as president of the Adelaide University Law Students' Society. He also rowed for the Adelaide University Boat Club First VIII.[citation needed]

Cregan received a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust bursary to study law at Peterhouse, Cambridge.[citation needed]

Career

After graduating, Cregan was appointed judge's associate to John Doyle AC QC (Chief Justice of South Australia) and later served as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development in Jakarta.[3]

While a student at the University of Adelaide Cregan worked as a summer associate at Allens Linklaters, eventually joining the firm as a graduate lawyer and becoming a senior associate in the firm's disputes and investigations team.

Cregan also held a number of board appointments with the Australian Property Institute and as a director of a family company.

Parliamentary service

Following the election of Steven Marshall's government in March 2018, Cregan was made Chair of the South Australian Public Works Committee with oversight of major infrastructure projects.[2]

In October 2021, Cregan announced that he would re-contest his seat as an independent at the forthcoming 2022 South Australian state election saying the State Government had failed to plan for the needs of his rapidly growing regional community.[4]

Election as Speaker

On 12 October 2021, South Australia's Constitution Act was amended to adopt the United Kingdom practice of requiring an independent Speaker. Following passage of the constitutional changes, Cregan was elected Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly.[5]

After the 2022 South Australian state election, Cregan was nominated by the Government and Opposition to serve as independent Speaker in the 55th Parliament of South Australia.[6]

On 11 April 2024, Cregan resigned his commission as Speaker and was appointed a Cabinet Minister after Independent member Geoff Brock stepped down from cabinet due to ill health. [7]

On 28 January 2025, Cregan announced he would not seek re-election in the next election due by 2026.[8]

References

  1. ^ Dornin, Tim (29 April 2022). "Cregan set to continue as SA parly speaker". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Mr Dan Cregan". Members of the Parliament of South Australia. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  3. ^ Hawker Scholarship Archive, Online (18 January 2023). "Dan Cregan CAS Hawker Scholarship". CAS Hawker Scholarship Online. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  4. ^ Keane, Daniel (8 October 2021). "SA Liberal MP Dan Cregan defects to run as independent at March state election". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  5. ^ Lee, Stacey; Keane, Daniel (13 October 2021). "SA government rocked as Liberal defector Dan Cregan seizes speakership in late-night parliament sitting". ABC News. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
  6. ^ "Speaker, Election". Hansard Daily. Parliament of South Australia: House of Assembly. 3 May 2022. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2022. House of Assembly: Tuesday, May 03, 2022
  7. ^ Bermingham, Kathryn (11 April 2024). "Minister Geoff Brock resigns from cabinet for health reasons, triggering first reshuffle". The Advertiser. Archived from the original on 20 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  8. ^ "SA minister Dan Cregan leaves cabinet ahead of retirement from politics". ABC News. 28 January 2025. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
South Australian House of Assembly
Preceded by Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly
2021–2024 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member for Kavel
2018–present 		Incumbent