Such did not indicate whom he would support in a minority government before he went on medical leave for a brain tumour, diagnosed one week after the election.

Both Hamilton-Smith and Brock agreed to support the Labor government on confidence and supply while retaining the right to otherwise vote on conscience.

Labor went from minority to majority government when Nat Cook won the 2014 Fisher by-election by five votes from a 7.3 percent two-party swing which was triggered by the death of Such.

The election was conducted by the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA), an independent body answerable to Parliament.

[2] The Liberals were reduced to 21 seats in May 2014 when Martin Hamilton-Smith became an independent and entered cabinet as Minister for Investment and Trade, Defence Industries and Veterans Affairs.

Both Hamilton-Smith and Brock agreed to support the Labor government on confidence and supply while retaining the right to otherwise vote on conscience.

[5][6] Labor achieved majority government when Nat Cook won the 2014 Fisher by-election by five votes from a 7.3 percent two-party swing which was triggered by the death of Such.

[16] The Electoral (Miscellaneous) Amendment Act 2013 introduced set dates for writs for General elections in South Australia.

Three seats were won by independents, Bob Such (Fisher), Geoff Brock (Frome), and Don Pegler (Mount Gambier).

[32] Labor's success in South Australia since the end of the Playmander has been based in part on the strength of its dominance in Adelaide.

Therefore, to a far greater extent than is the case in the rest of Australia, the metropolitan area tends to decide election outcomes.

As a result, while the Liberals won 51.6 percent of the two-party vote, Labor only suffered an overall three-seat swing, allowing it to hold onto a two-seat majority.

Their seats, Fisher and Frome, both returned clear Liberal two-party votes but elected independents.

Examples in 2014 were Mawson, Newland and Light, and additionally in 2010, Bright and Hartley – all gained at the 2006 election landslide.

In 2014, referring to the 1989 fairness legislation, Premier Jay Weatherill said "Complaining about the rules when you designed the rules I think sits ill on the mouth of the Liberal Party", while Electoral Commissioner Kay Mousley said it was an "impossible" task for the Boundaries Commission to achieve the legislated requirement, stating "It is a constitutional requirement, and until the constitution gets changed, I must say I find it a very inexact science".

[34] Additionally, she had previously stated in 2010 "Had the Liberal Party achieved a uniform swing it would have formed Government.

"[35] University of Adelaide Professor of Politics Clem Macintyre stated after the 2014 election that fair electoral boundaries are an "impossible challenge".

Although held by an independent member, Frome was proposed to be moved from Labor to Liberal on a two-party basis.