James Agness
James Agness | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Light | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Piccolo |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Labor |
James Agness is an Australian politician, and has represented the district of Light in the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2026 state election. Agness is a member of the Australian Labor Party, and prior to his election was a state policy advisor and ministerial chief of staff to Joe Szakacs and Matt Champion.
Career
[edit ]Before standing for office, Agness was an advisor to Peter Malinauskas during his tenure as leader of the opposition, and was a ministerial advisor on the state level in the fields of road safety, correctional services, police, and health.[1] [2] Agness was later a chief of staff to two state ministers — trade and investment minister Joe Szakacs and planning minister Nick Champion.[1] [2] He held the latter role in June 2025 when he was announced as the Labor candidate for the district of Light at the 2026 state election.[2] [3] The incumbent MP for Light was Tony Piccolo, a Labor member who instead sought re-election in the seat of Ngadjuri.[2] [3]
At the 2026 election, the result in Light was not immediately known, with the seat too close to call between Agness and the One Nation candidate, Alex Banks.[4] [5] [6] Agness ultimately defeated Banks, becoming the new MP for Light.[7]
References
[edit ]- ^ a b "To the four – from senior advisers to Labor candidates". The Advertiser . 5 February 2026. p. 11.
- ^ a b c d Gilchrist, Charlie (12 June 2025). "Labor announces candidates for 2026 state election". InDaily . Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ a b "Labor unveils a new crop of wannabe MPs". The Advertiser . 12 June 2025. p. 10.
- ^ Basford Canales, Sarah (22 March 2026). "One Nation wins at least one SA seat as Liberals consider 'sobering lessons' from election defeat". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ Briggs, Casey (23 March 2026). "The SA election seats to watch as vote counting continues". ABC News . Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ "Pauline makes House history". The Advertiser . 24 March 2026. p. 11.
- ^ Briggs, Casey (24 March 2026). "Light - SA Election 2026". ABC News . Archived from the original on 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
| South Australian House of Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member for Light 2026–present |
Incumbent |