After being catapulted into cabinet when he entered parliament a dozen years ago, ousted South Australian premier Jay Weatherill is looking forward to taking a back seat.
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Mr Weatherill confirmed on Sunday he will step down as Labor leader and steer clear of their frontbench altogether after failing to win a record fifth term for the party in the state.
It's been an unconventional journey to the shadows for Mr Weatherill, who has been a minister since being elected into Mike Rann's government in 2002 and is the only figure remaining in cabinet from that time.
"I'm in an unusual position where I'm doing it back to front," he told reporters outside Adelaide Oval on Sunday.
However the premier, grinning ear-to-ear, said he was looking forward to being a "good local member" in his electorate of Cheltenham in Adelaide's north-west.
"They need the attention of their local member of parliament," he said.
The prospect of a stint in Canberra seemed no more appealing to Mr Weatherill the day after conceding the election than it had when put to him in the past.
"Absolutely not. I can say that with great passion. I have zero ambitions to go into federal parliament," he said.
His life after leadership would bring more time with his family, he said, beginning with a visit to his Mum's nursing home on Sunday, a coffee with his Dad and precious time with his two young daughters.
He will also snatch the chance to wear a little more blue, typically associated with his Liberal rivals, such as the tie he had paired with one of his characteristically dapper suits for his press conference.
"I've rid myself of my battle dress and I'm now moving into the next phase of my life," he said.
Mr Weatherill would not say when a new leader will be named but said it would be "sooner rather than later", once the final election results are known.
There are plenty of talented figures that could step up, he said, with Peter Malinauskas, Stephen Mulligan and Tom Koutsantonis among them.
Mr Weatherill wished his Liberal successor Steven Marshall well and despite their differences, noted they shared some common ground.
"One thing Steven Marshall and I agree on is that this is a great state," he said.
Australian Associated Press
