Dan Cregan
{{short description|Australian politician|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable
| name = Dan Cregan
| honorific_suffix = MP
| image = Hon Dan Cregan MP.jpg
| caption =
| office = 37th Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly
| term_start = {{start date|2021|10|13|df=y}}
| term_end = 11 April 2024
| predecessor = Josh Teague
| successor = Leon Bignell
| office3 = Minister for Correctional Services
| term_start3 = {{start date|2024|04|15|df=y}}
| term_end3 = 29 January 2025
| predecessor3 = Joe Szakacs
| successor3 = Emily Bourke
| office4 = Minister for Emergency Services
| term_start4 = {{start date|2024|04|15|df=y}}
| term_end4 = 29 January 2025
| predecessor4 = Joe Szakacs
| successor4 = Emily Bourke
| office5 = Minister for Police
| term_start5 = {{start date|2024|04|15|df=y}}
| term_end5 = 29 January 2025
| predecessor5 = Joe Szakacs
| successor5 = Stephen Mullighan
| office2 = Special Minister of State
| term_start2 = {{start date|2024|04|15|df=y}}
| term_end2 = 29 January 2025
| predecessor2 = Position established
| successor2 = Kyam Maher
| office6 = Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Kavel
| term_start6 = 17 March 2018
| term_end6 =
| predecessor6 = Mark Goldsworthy
| successor6 =
| birth_name = Daniel Cregan
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Independent (since 2021)
| otherparty = Liberal (until 2021)
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
}}
| spouse =
| relations =
| children =
| occupation = {{hlist|Lawyer|Politician}}
}}
Daniel Cregan is an Australian lawyer and Independent politician who has served as Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly and as a Cabinet Minister.{{cite web |last=Dornin |first=Tim |date=29 April 2022 |title=Cregan set to continue as SA parly speaker |url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7718434/cregan-set-to-continue-as-sa-parly-speaker/ |access-date=17 January 2023 |url-access=subscription |newspaper=The Canberra Times |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117070814/https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7718434/cregan-set-to-continue-as-sa-parly-speaker/ |url-status=live }}
Early life
Cregan grew up in South Australia and Western Australia, attending the University of Adelaide, where he was active in student politics, including as a director of the Adelaide University Union and as president of the Adelaide University Law Students' Society. He also rowed for the Adelaide University Boat Club First VIII. {{Cite web |last=Hawker Scholarship Archive |first=Online |date=18 January 2023 |title=Dan Cregan CAS Hawker Scholarship |url=https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/where-are-they-now/dan-cregan-2002/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |website=CAS Hawker Scholarship Online |archive-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922181641/https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/where-are-they-now/dan-cregan-2002/ |url-status=live }}
Cregan received a Cambridge Commonwealth Trust bursary to study law at Peterhouse, Cambridge. {{Cite web |last=Hawker Scholarship Archive |first=Online |date=18 January 2023 |title=Dan Cregan CAS Hawker Scholarship |url=https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/where-are-they-now/dan-cregan-2002/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |website=CAS Hawker Scholarship Online |archive-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922181641/https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/where-are-they-now/dan-cregan-2002/ |url-status=live }}
Career
After graduating, Cregan was appointed judge's associate to John Doyle AC QC (Chief Justice of South Australia) and later served as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development in Jakarta.{{Cite web |last=Hawker Scholarship Archive |first=Online |date=18 January 2023 |title=Dan Cregan CAS Hawker Scholarship |url=https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/where-are-they-now/dan-cregan-2002/ |access-date=18 January 2021 |website=CAS Hawker Scholarship Online |archive-date=22 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922181641/https://www.hawkerscholarship.org/where-are-they-now/dan-cregan-2002/ |url-status=live }}
While a student Cregan worked as a summer associate at Allens Linklaters, eventually joining the firm as a graduate lawyer and becoming a senior associate in the firm's disputes and investigations team.
Cregan also held a number of board appointments with the Australian Property Institute and as a director of a family company.
Parliamentary service
Following the election of Steven Marshall's government in March 2018, Cregan was made Chair of the South Australian Public Works Committee with oversight of major infrastructure projects.{{cite SA-parl |pid=5382 |name=Mr Dan Cregan |former= |access-date=19 August 2022}}
In October 2021, Cregan announced that he would re-contest his seat as an independent at the forthcoming 2022 South Australian state election saying the State Government had failed to plan for the needs of his rapidly growing regional community.{{cite news |last1=Keane |first1=Daniel |date=8 October 2021 |title=SA Liberal MP Dan Cregan defects to run as independent at March state election |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-08/sa-mp-dan-cregan-quits-liberal-party-and-to-run-as-independent/100526066 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215031714/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-08/sa-mp-dan-cregan-quits-liberal-party-and-to-run-as-independent/100526066 |archive-date=15 February 2025 |url-status=live |access-date=1 January 2023}}
Election as Speaker
On 12 October 2021, South Australia's Constitution Act was amended to adopt the United Kingdom practice of requiring an independent Speaker. Following passage of the constitutional changes, Cregan was elected Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly.{{Cite news |website=ABC News |date=13 October 2021 |title=SA government rocked as Liberal defector Dan Cregan seizes speakership in late-night parliament sitting |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/sa-government-rocked-as-defector-dan-cregan-becomes-speaker/100534200 |access-date=15 February 2025 |archive-date=15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215031437/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-13/sa-government-rocked-as-defector-dan-cregan-becomes-speaker/100534200 |url-status=live |first1=Stacey |last1=Lee |first2=Daniel |last2=Keane}}
After the 2022 South Australian state election, Cregan was nominated by the Government and Opposition to serve as independent Speaker in the 55th Parliament of South Australia.{{Cite Hansard |date=3 May 2022 |quote=House of Assembly: Tuesday, May 03, 2022 |url=https://hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au/daily/lh/2022-05-03/4 |title=Speaker, Election |hansard=Hansard Daily |access-date=29 December 2022 |archive-date=15 February 2025 |house=House of Assembly |jurisdiction=Parliament of South Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215033507/https://hansardsearch.parliament.sa.gov.au/daily/lh/2022-05-03/4 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore}}
On 11 April 2024, Cregan resigned his commission as Speaker and was appointed a Cabinet Minister after Independent member Geoff Brock stepped down from cabinet due to ill health. {{Cite web |last=Bermingham |first=Kathryn |date=11 April 2024 |title=Minister Geoff Brock resigns from cabinet for health reasons, triggering first reshuffle |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/minister-geoff-brock-resigns-from-cabinet-for-health-reasons-triggering-first-reshuffle/news-story/a68aad4016a5eb16e99069c334426951 |access-date=11 April 2024 |archive-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420085130/https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/minister-geoff-brock-resigns-from-cabinet-for-health-reasons-triggering-first-reshuffle/news-story/a68aad4016a5eb16e99069c334426951 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |work=The Advertiser}}
On 28 January 2025, Cregan announced he would not seek re-election in the next election due by 2026.{{cite news |website=ABC News |title=SA minister Dan Cregan leaves cabinet ahead of retirement from politics |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-28/sa-government-minister-dan-cregan-quitting-politics/104865758 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250215003147/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-01-28/sa-government-minister-dan-cregan-quitting-politics/104865758 |access-date=15 February 2025 |archive-date=15 February 2025 |url-status=live |date=28 January 2025}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|au-sa-la}}
{{s-bef|before=Josh Teague}}
{{s-ttl|title=Speaker of the South Australian House of Assembly|years=2021–2024}}
{{s-aft|after=Leon Bignell}}
{{s-bef|before=Mark Goldsworthy}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member for Kavel | years=2018–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{SACurrentMHAs}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cregan, Dan}}
Category:Members of the South Australian House of Assembly
Category:Date of birth missing (living people)
Category:Liberal Party of Australia members of the Parliament of South Australia
Category:Independent members of the Parliament of South Australia
Category:University of Adelaide alumni
Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge
Category:21st-century Australian politicians
{{Australia-Liberal-politician-stub}}