ELECTED members have taken to the floor in state parliament for the first time since the March 19 election.
The 55th parliament opened on Tuesday, May 3, with Member for Narungga Fraser Ellis occupying his place as an independent on the crossbench.
Fellow independent Dan Cregan was reinstalled as the Speaker in the Lower House, backed by the new government and Premier Peter Malinauskas.  
Former Deputy Premier Vickie Chapman was in attendance despite announcing she would quit politics following the Liberal Party’s defeat by Labor at the election.
Mr Ellis, who was first elected in 2018, said it was humbling to have returned for a second term.
“I give my word to all in the electorate I will spend the entire four years working to ensure we get our fair share,” he said.
“While it is a tremendous honour to be sworn in, and a happy day, now the real work starts in earnest and I look forward to repaying the trust that the electorate has shown in me.
“My immediate priorities are in health care and roads.
“Ensuring we finally secure a proactive solution to the shortage of medical professionals in regional SA and that our health facilities are properly funded is essential, as is ensuring we continue to fix those roads in such desperate need.”
Mr Ellis said it was a productive first week back.
“On my first day back in the chamber I moved three motions, one in relation to the serious shortage of doctors and other medical staff our region is experiencing, another highlighting the need for investment in slip lanes turning lanes into townships off our busy highways, and another requesting an immediate upgrade to the Buckland Park intersection on Highway One,” he said.
“(This will) remove the inappropriate traffic lights installed there which undermine the good work by successive governments in improving traffic flow along the north-south corridor.”