Visit to Parliament House

John Gardner has been the Member for Morialta in the South Australian House of Assembly since 2010. He rose to prominence as Minister for Education (2018–2022), spearheading reforms such as moving Year 7 into secondary school, introducing phonics checks, and keeping schools open during COVID-19 with minimal disruption. In April 2022, he became Deputy Leader of the South Australian Liberal Party.

Following a health scare in August 2024, which led to an all-clear after melanoma surgery, Gardner announced in December that he’ll step down at the 2026 election to focus on family life