Joseph Karl Szakacs (/sɒkˈɑːrtʃ/; born 1982) is an Australian politician and trade unionist. He is a Labor Party member of the South Australian Legislative Assembly, representing the electoral district of Cheltenham since the 2019 Cheltenham by-election.
Joe Szakacs MP | |
|---|---|
| Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 24 March 2022 | |
| Premier | Peter Malinauskas |
| Preceded by | Vincent Tarzia |
| Member of the South Australian Parliament for Cheltenham | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 9 February 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Jay Weatherill |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1982 (age 39–40) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Political party | Australian Labor Party (SA) |
| Alma mater | Flinders University |
| Occupation | Trade union secretary |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Szakacs has served as the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services in the Malinauskas ministry since March 2022.
Szakacs was born in Adelaide to a Hungarian father and Australian mother. He attended St Michael's College, Adelaide. In his teens, Szakacs was a competitive swimmer, holding the state 50m freestyle title and representing Australia at the 2002–03 FINA Swimming World Cup. He won swimming scholarships to the South Australian Institute of Sport and the University of Missouri, then returned to Australia to study law at Flinders University.[1]
Introduced to the trade union movement by his father, a waterside worker in Port Adelaide, Szakacs worked as a volunteer lawyer at the Young Workers Legal Service, then as an industrial officer with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and later the United Firefighters Union South Australia.[2] In October 2013, he was elected as state secretary of SA Unions.
Szakacs was elected to the South Australian House of Assembly in the by-election for the seat of Cheltenham on 9 February 2019, replacing former premier Jay Weatherill.[3]
After Labor won the 2022 state election, Szakacs was appointed as the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services in the Malinauskas ministry.
| Parliament of South Australia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Jay Weatherill |
Member for Cheltenham 2019–present |
Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Vincent Tarzia |
Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services 2022–present |
Incumbent |
Current members of the Cabinet of South Australia | |
|---|---|
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Current Members of the South Australian House of Assembly | |
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| Labor (27) |
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| Liberal (16) |
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| Independents (4) |
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