South Australia's new Labor government has axed four senior bureaucrats appointed by the former Liberal government as incoming Premier Peter Malinauskas marks his own stamp on the public service.
Department of the Premier and Cabinet chief executive Nick Reade and health boss Chris McGowan headline the list of sackings, along with Department for Infrastructure and Transport chief Tony Braxton-Smith and Trade and Investment chief executive Leonie Muldoon.
The early contract terminations will cost taxpayers $1.89 million — a similar figure to what the former Marshall government spent sacking four Labor appointees when it came to office in 2018.
Mr Malinauskas said the changes made been made "with a great degree of consideration and thought over the last two weeks".
"And delivering on that policy agenda is going to take substantial work; it's going to take serious experience when it comes to public policy delivery.
"And the changes I announce today are done with that top of mind.
"It is top of mind that I want serious leaders with enthusiasm and fresh vision when it comes to public policy delivery but also a degree of experience and able to deliver complex public policy delivery."
Senior Queensland bureaucrat Damien Walker will take over as the new Premier's department chief.
Mr Walker, a former South Australian bureaucrat, who led Queensland's delivery of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, is currently director-general of Queensland's Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning.
"Damien has a record of policy delivery and serious leadership of serious government agencies in a big jurisdiction on the east coast and I want Damien to bring that experience back to his home state of South Australia," the Premier said.
His appointment will see a broader overhaul in the public service's top ranks, with the under treasurer David Reynolds taking over the Department for Trade and Investment, and Department for Education chief executive Rick Persse becoming the new under treasurer.
The current chief executive of the SACE Board, Professor Martin Westwell, will take over leadership of the education department, while a senior transport executive, Jon Whelan, will take over leadership of that department.
SA Health's deputy chief executive, Lynne Cowan, will take the reins of the department on a temporary basis while the government conducts a nationwide search for Dr McGowan's replacement.
Dr McGowan's card appeared marked earlier this week when both the Premier and Health Minister Chris Picton declined to endorse him.
The health bureaucrat had appeared alongside the Premier at a press conference where he was asked to explain his decision not to publicly announce changes to elective surgery made days before the state election.
Dr McGowan and Mr Braxton-Smith have both previously been the subject of terse exchanges with Labor MPs during parliamentary committee hearings.
Mr Reade was recruited to lead the Premier's Department in 2020 from BankSA, where as chief executive he led a campaign against the former Weatherilll Labor government's bank tax.
