No premier will be watching how events unfold in New South Wales with the relaxation of coronavirus restriction than South Australia’s Steven Marshall.

Why? South Australia is due to go to the polls in mid-March next year and right now Marshall is in a world of political pain. After delivering the state Liberals their first unambiguous election win since 1993 at the 2016 election yet another defection by a member to the crossbench means Marshall now leads a minority government.