Justin Hanson

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Justin Eric Hanson (born 21 October 1980) is an Australian Labor Party politician who has served as a member of the South Australian Legislative Council since February 2017. He was born and raised in Adelaide’s western suburbs. His father, Wayne Hanson, was a toolmaker and a prominent Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) leader, and his mother worked in retail and early childhood education. Hanson earned a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Adelaide in 2006.

Before entering parliament, he served on the Tea Tree Gully Council and was a director of the Statewide Superannuation Trust. He also worked with the AWU, representing workers in industries such as manufacturing, food production, cement, energy and mining.

Hanson entered state politics in 2017 to fill the vacancy left by Gerry Kandelaars. He was re-elected in 2018 and has served on several parliamentary committees, including the Statutory Authorities Review Committee, the Crime and Public Integrity Policy Committee, and the Budget and Finance Committee, as well as committees related to SA Pathology and SA Medical Imaging and to parliamentary committees.

In 2021 he joined the Labor Unity faction. In 2017 he spoke against council rate-capping, arguing it could harm regional investment and local government administration. In 2024 he voted against a private member’s bill to change late-term abortion provisions, contributing to its defeat.

Hanson lives in Modbury with his wife, Alex, and their son. He is a fan of the Adelaide Football Club.