Kyam Maher

Kyam Joseph Maher is an Australian politician and lawyer who has been Attorney-General of South Australia and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council since March 2022. He was appointed to a casual vacancy in the South Australian Legislative Council for the South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party on 17 October 2012. He previously served in the Cabinet of South Australia between 2015 and 2018 and was the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council between 2016 and 2018.

The Honourable
Kyam Maher
MLC
51st Attorney-General of South Australia
Assumed office
24 March 2022
PremierPeter Malinauskas
Preceded byVickie Chapman
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
(2022–present)
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation
(2015–2018)
Assumed office
24 March 2022
PremierPeter Malinauskas
Preceded bySteven Marshall (separated from position of Premier)
In office
3 February 2015 – 18 March 2018 (2018-03-18)
PremierJay Weatherill
Preceded byIan Hunter
Succeeded bySteven Marshall (as Premier of South Australia)
Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector
Assumed office
24 March 2022
PremierPeter Malinauskas
Preceded byNew position
Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
Assumed office
24 March 2022
PremierPeter Malinauskas
Preceded byRob Lucas
In office
18 January 2016 – 18 March 2018
PremierJay Weatherill
Preceded byGail Gago
Succeeded byRob Lucas
Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation
In office
3 February 2015 – 18 March 2018 (2018-03-18)
PremierJay Weatherill
Preceded bySusan Close
Succeeded byDavid Pisoni (as Minister for Industry and Skills)
Minister for Automotive Transformation
In office
3 February 2015 – 18 March 2018 (2018-03-18)
PremierJay Weatherill
Preceded bySusan Close
Succeeded byDavid Pisoni (as Minister for Industry and Skills)
Member of the South Australian Legislative Council
Assumed office
17 October 2012
Preceded byBob Sneath
Personal details
Born
Kyam Joseph Maher

Littlehampton, South Australia
Political partyAustralian Labor Party (SA)
SpouseCarmel Maher
Alma materUniversity of Adelaide
OccupationLawyer

Background

Maher is of Aboriginal Tasmanian descent.[1] He grew up in Mount Gambier and attended Grant High School there. He does not consider that he experienced the disadvantage and racism that is common for many Aboriginal people in Australia. He left Mount Gambier to study law and economics at the University of Adelaide.[2]

Maher was a lawyer and political staffer before becoming South Australian state secretary of the Australian Labor Party.[3] In 2006, Maher was an inaugural committee member of the Progressive Labour Education Association Inc (PLEA), a joint-venture training organisation operated by the ALP Socialist Left faction and aligned unions United Voice (then the Liquor Hospitality and Miscellaneous Union) and the Australian Services Union.[4]

Political career

Maher was appointed to the South Australian Legislative Council in 2012 to replace outgoing MLC Bob Sneath. Maher was re-elected from fourth position on the Labor ticket at the 2014 election.[5]

In February 2015 he was appointed to cabinet and, between 2015 and the 2018 state election, Maher served as minister in the Labor Weatherill Ministry in a range of portfolios including manufacturing and innovation, automotive transformation, Aboriginal affairs and reconciliation;[6] and employment and science and information economy.[7] Maher was the first Aboriginal South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.[8]

On 18 January 2016 Maher was appointed as the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council in the Weatherill government.[9]

After Labor won government at the 2022 state election, Maher was appointed Attorney-General in the Malinauskas ministry on 24 March, as well as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector.[10][11] He also became Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council for the second time. Maher was the first initiated Aboriginal man in the nation's history to be appointed in the Attorney-General position.[12]

References
  1. Smith, Douglas (25 March 2022). "Meet Kyam Maher, South Australia's first Aboriginal Attorney-General". NITV. Retrieved 19 January 2023.
  2. Dowdell, Andrew (13 May 2017). "Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Kyam Maher starting to reconnect with indigenous heritage". Sunday Mail. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  3. Harmsen, Nick (2 October 2012). "ALP secretary set for seat in Parliament". ABC News. ABC.
  4. "What is the Progressive Labour Education Association (PLEA)?". Progressive Left Unions and Sub-Branches (PLUS). Progressive Left Unions and Sub-Branches (PLUS). Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  5. 2014 SA Legislative Council results: Antony Green ABC
  6. "SA ministry reshuffle: Rau gets child protection task, Kyam Maher moved into Cabinet, Katrine Hildyard elevated". ABC News. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  7. Cabinet of South Australia: Premier.sa.gov.au Archived 21 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  8. "Kyam Maher, the first South Australian Aboriginal government minister for Aboriginal affairs during 2015-18". AdelaideAZ. Retrieved 5 February 2020.
  9. "Reshuffle, Peter Malinauskas and Leesa Vlahos join Jay Weatherill's Cabinet". The Advertiser. 18 January 2016.
  10. Richards, Stephanie (24 March 2022). "Brock's back: Independent among new faces in 'diverse' Labor cabinet". In Daily. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  11. Harmsen, Nick; Dayman, Isabel (24 March 2022). "New South Australian cabinet sworn in, with independent Geoff Brock making surprise comeback". ABC News. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  12. "New SA Premier names new cabinet with women and Independents coming out on top". 9News. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
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