The ABC revealed last week that the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) had deemed Speirs was “not eligible” for public campaign funding<\/a> because “he would not [if applied for] fulfil the nomination requirements”.<\/p>\n “If a person\/potential candidate has a conviction of an indictable offence they would be ineligible to nominate,” an ECSA spokesperson said earlier this month.<\/p>\n “In this case, the potential candidate would not be entitled to any funding whatsoever.”<\/p>\n However in a statement provided this afternoon, South Australian Electoral Commissioner Mick Sherry issued a clarification regarding the determination of election candidates’ eligibility.<\/p>\n “A recent ECSA statement offered an initial view of eligibility when responding to a media query about public funding,” he said.<\/p>\n “The final determination regarding candidate eligibility will be made once nominations have been received and assessed against the requirements of the Electoral Act and Constitution Act.<\/p>\n “I do not intend to provide a running commentary on individual prospective candidates in the meantime.”<\/p>\n David Speirs is yet to declare whether he will run at the upcoming March election. (ABC News: Che Chorley)<\/p>\n Earlier, in his first public comments since ECSA’s initial advice was revealed last week, Speirs said there was some “uncertainty” over his eligibility “that needs to play out”.<\/p>\n “There’s lots of different views on that,” Speirs told Adelaide radio station FIVEaa on Wednesday.<\/p>\n “There’s constitutional issues in the mix; there’s been different people who’ve weighed into that.<\/p>\n “Look, I think there’s definitely a pathway there for me if I wanted to push it along, but it just comes down to whether I have the appetite for that and to weigh into a public debate.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Speirs has not responded to the ABC’s requests for comment.<\/p>\n David Speirs says he’s ‘not done with public service’<\/a><\/p>\n Former South Australian opposition leader David Speirs says he will make a decision about his political future in the coming weeks as he launches his own plans for the algal bloom.<\/p>\n The former environment minister said questions over his eligibility were “for other people to work through at the moment and come up with advice”.<\/p>\n “There’s definitely very differing views as to what I can and can’t do which is quite interesting as a spectator from the sidelines,” he said.<\/p>\n “I haven’t weighed into that and of course I haven’t confirmed my own intentions either.<\/p>\n “But it’s interesting to listen to people talking about me.”<\/p>\n ‘I sorted that out last year’<\/p>\n The Adelaide Magistrates Court convicted and fined Speirs $9,000 in April 2025 and sentenced him to 37-and-a-half hours community service.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7729126f4b8082031d53cb55dc9718a2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/4a082105ce8cae1816b318b5a8a51bc1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n