Kyam Maher
Australian politician
title: "Kyam Maher" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["living-people", "members-of-the-south-australian-legislative-council", "place-of-birth-missing-(living-people)", "year-of-birth-missing-(living-people)", "21st-century-australian-lawyers", "australian-labor-party-members-of-the-parliament-of-south-australia", "labor-left-politicians", "21st-century-australian-politicians", "indigenous-australian-politicians"] description: "Australian politician" topic_path: "law" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyam_Maher" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Australian politician ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| honorific-prefix | The Honourable |
| name | Kyam Maher |
| honorific-suffix | MLC |
| image | Member of the South Australian Legislative Council Kyam Joseph Maher.jpg |
| office | Deputy Premier of South Australia |
| term_start | 19 September 2025 |
| premier | Peter Malinauskas |
| predecessor | Susan Close |
| office1 | 51st Attorney-General of South Australia |
| term_start1 | 24 March 2022 |
| premier1 | Peter Malinauskas |
| predecessor1 | Vickie Chapman |
| office2 | Special Minister of State |
| term_start2 | 29 January 2025 |
| premier2 | Peter Malinauskas |
| predecessor2 | Dan Cregan |
| office3 | Minister for Industrial Relations |
| and Public Sector | |
| term_start3 | 24 March 2022 |
| premier3 | Peter Malinauskas |
| predecessor3 | John Rau (2018) |
| office4 | Minister for Aboriginal Affairs |
| term_start4 | 24 March 2022 |
| premier4 | Peter Malinauskas |
| predecessor4 | Steven Marshall |
| term_start5 | 3 February 2015 |
| term_end5 | |
| premier5 | Jay Weatherill |
| predecessor5 | Ian Hunter |
| successor5 | Steven Marshall (as Premier of South Australia) |
| office6 | Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council |
| term_start6 | 24 March 2022 |
| premier6 | Peter Malinauskas |
| predecessor6 | Rob Lucas |
| term_start7 | 18 January 2016 |
| term_end7 | 18 March 2018 |
| premier7 | Jay Weatherill |
| predecessor7 | Gail Gago |
| successor7 | Rob Lucas |
| office8 | Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation |
| premier8 | Jay Weatherill |
| term_start8 | 3 February 2015 |
| term_end8 | |
| predecessor8 | Susan Close |
| successor8 | David Pisoni (as Minister for Industry and Skills) |
| office9 | Minister for Automotive Transformation |
| premier9 | Jay Weatherill |
| term_start9 | 3 February 2015 |
| term_end9 | |
| predecessor9 | Susan Close |
| successor9 | David Pisoni (as Minister for Industry and Skills) |
| office10 | Member of the South Australian Legislative Council |
| term_start10 | 17 October 2012 |
| predecessor10 | Bob Sneath |
| birth_name | Kyam Joseph Maher |
| birth_place | Littlehampton, South Australia |
| nationality | Australian |
| party | Australian Labor Party (SA) |
| spouse | Carmel Maher |
| alma_mater | University of Adelaide |
| occupation | Lawyer |
| :: |
| honorific-prefix = The Honourable | name = Kyam Maher | honorific-suffix = MLC | image = Member of the South Australian Legislative Council Kyam Joseph Maher.jpg | imagesize = | caption = | office = Deputy Premier of South Australia | term_start = 19 September 2025 | term_end = | premier = Peter Malinauskas | predecessor = Susan Close | successor = | office1 = 51st Attorney-General of South Australia | term_start1 = 24 March 2022 | term_end1 = | premier1 = Peter Malinauskas | predecessor1 = Vickie Chapman | successor1 = | office2 = Special Minister of State | term_start2 = 29 January 2025 | term_end2 = | premier2 = Peter Malinauskas | predecessor2 = Dan Cregan | successor2 = | office3 = Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector | term_start3 = 24 March 2022 | term_end3 = | premier3 = Peter Malinauskas | predecessor3 = John Rau (2018) | successor3 = | office4 = Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | term_start4 = 24 March 2022 | term_end4 = | premier4 = Peter Malinauskas | predecessor4 = Steven Marshall | successor4 = | term_start5 = 3 February 2015 | term_end5 = | premier5 = Jay Weatherill | predecessor5 = Ian Hunter | successor5 = Steven Marshall (as Premier of South Australia) | office6 = Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council | term_start6 = 24 March 2022 | term_end6 = | premier6 = Peter Malinauskas | predecessor6 = Rob Lucas | successor6 = | term_start7 = 18 January 2016 | term_end7 = 18 March 2018 | premier7 = Jay Weatherill | predecessor7 = Gail Gago | successor7 = Rob Lucas | office8 = Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation | premier8 = Jay Weatherill | term_start8 = 3 February 2015 | term_end8 = | predecessor8 = Susan Close | successor8 = David Pisoni (as Minister for Industry and Skills) | office9 = Minister for Automotive Transformation | premier9 = Jay Weatherill | term_start9 = 3 February 2015 | term_end9 = | predecessor9 = Susan Close | successor9 = David Pisoni (as Minister for Industry and Skills) | office10 = Member of the South Australian Legislative Council | term_start10 = 17 October 2012 | term_end10 = | predecessor10 = Bob Sneath | successor10 = | birth_name = Kyam Joseph Maher | birth_date = | birth_place = Littlehampton, South Australia | death_date = | death_place = | nationality = Australian | party = Australian Labor Party (SA) | spouse = Carmel Maher | alma_mater = University of Adelaide | occupation = Lawyer | website =
Kyam Joseph Maher is an Australian politician and lawyer who has been Deputy Premier of South Australia since 19 September 2025. He has also been Attorney-General of South Australia, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, and the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council since March 2022, and continues to hold these roles after promotion to deputy premier in the September 2025 Cabinet reshuffle. He is also Special Minister of State (holding responsibility for electoral services) since January 2025. Maher is the first ever Indigenous Australian person to serve as Attorney-General, and also the first as Deputy Premier in South Australia.
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.
Early life and education
Kyam Joseph Maher is of Aboriginal Tasmanian descent.
He spent his early years in Littlehampton, a small country town in the Adelaide Hills, before moving to Mount Gambier, where he attended Grant High School. He left Mount Gambier to study law and economics at the University of Adelaide, where he earned degrees in both subjects.
Maher does not consider that he experienced the disadvantage and racism that is common for many Aboriginal people in Australia.
Career
Maher practised as a lawyer in the Crown Solicitor's Office in South Australia. When Labor won the 2002 state election, Maher was appointed Chief of Staff to Terry Roberts, Minister for three portfolios: Regional Affairs, Aboriginal Affairs and Correctional Services.
He later became South Australian state secretary of the Australian Labor Party.
In 2006, he 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.
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, and was appointed parliamentary secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries.
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; and employment and science and information economy. Maher was the first Aboriginal South Australian Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.
On 18 January 2016 Maher was appointed as the Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council in the Weatherill government.
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. He also became Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council for the second time. Maher was the first Aboriginal man in the nation's history to be appointed Attorney-General.
In his role as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, he presided over reforms which saw South Australia become the first state in Australia to commence Treaty negotiations with Aboriginal nations and implementing a Stolen Generations reparations scheme.
In a Cabinet reshuffle on 29 January 2025, Maher was appointed Special Minister of State, making him also responsible for Parliamentary resources, including Electorate Services.
Following Deputy Premier Susan Close's decision to step down from politics, on 19 September 2025, Maher was elected by the party to be its deputy leader and he became the state's Deputy Premier, in addition to his existing ministerial roles as Attorney-General and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs. He is the first Indigenous Australian person to serve as Deputy Premier in the history of South Australia. he is also Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector, and Special Minister of State.
Personal life
Maher married Carmel, and they have three boys.
References
References
- (September 2025). "Hon Kyam Maher".
- Smith, Douglas. (25 March 2022). "Meet Kyam Maher, South Australia's first Aboriginal Attorney-General".
- Dowdell, Andrew. (13 May 2017). "Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation Minister Kyam Maher starting to reconnect with indigenous heritage". Sunday Mail.
- Harmsen, Nick. (2 October 2012). "ALP secretary set for seat in Parliament". [[ABC (Australia).
- "What is the Progressive Labour Education Association (PLEA)?".
- Green, Antony. (15 March 2014). "South Australia Election 2014 Results".
- (3 February 2015). "SA ministry reshuffle: Rau gets child protection task, Kyam Maher moved into Cabinet, Katrine Hildyard elevated".
- [http://www.premier.sa.gov.au/index.php/ministers Cabinet of South Australia: Premier.sa.gov.au] {{webarchive. link. (21 September 2015)
- "Kyam Maher, the first South Australian Aboriginal government minister for Aboriginal affairs during 2015-18".
- (18 January 2016). "Reshuffle, Peter Malinauskas and Leesa Vlahos join Jay Weatherill's Cabinet". The Advertiser.
- Richards, Stephanie. (24 March 2022). "Brock's back: Independent among new faces in 'diverse' Labor cabinet". In Daily.
- (24 March 2022). "New South Australian cabinet sworn in, with independent Geoff Brock making surprise comeback". ABC News.
- (24 March 2022). "New SA Premier names new cabinet with women and Independents coming out on top". 9News.
- (29 January 2025). "Improving outcomes for Autistic South Australians a focus of the new Ministry".
- (19 September 2025). "Our ministers".
- Brennan, Dechlan. (2025-09-19). "Kyam Maher named South Australia's new Deputy Premier".
- Malinauskas, Peter. (19 September 2025). "Record number of women in new Ministry".
- Simmons, David. (19 September 2025). "Veteran Labor Minister named Treasurer after shock Cabinet resignations".
- (19 September 2025). "Kyam Maher MLC".
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