place_of_birth john dawkins 
John Samuel Letts Dawkins ( born 3 July 1954 ) is an Australian politician and the Opposition Whip in the South Australian Legislative ___MASK43___ , representing the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia . He was first elected to an eight - year term in the Legislative ___MASK43___ at the 1997 election . He was re - elected for a second eight - year term at the 2006 election , and a third eight - year term at the 2014 election . Before his entry into SA politics , Dawkins was an Electorate Officer to former Senator and Howard Government Minister ; the Hon . Nick Minchin , former Foreign Minister and Liberal Party Leader ; the Hon . Alexander Downer AC and former Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives ; the Hon . Neil Andrew AO . He has been a member and supporter of many and varied community clubs and organisations , including the Returned and Services League of Australia , and sporting and agricultural bodies . The Legislative ___MASK43___ , or upper house , is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia . Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house , the House of Assembly . It sits in Parliament House in the state capital , ___MASK14___ . The fourth - term South Australian Branch of the Australian Labor Party has been in government since the 2002 election . The Parliament ___MASK60___ ___MASK24___ at Parliament House , ___MASK14___ is the bicameral legislature ___MASK60___ the Australian state ___MASK60___ ___MASK24___ . It consists ___MASK60___ the 47 - seat House ___MASK60___ Assembly ( lower house ) and the 22 - seat Legislative Council ( upper house ). All ___MASK60___ the lower house and half ___MASK60___ the upper house is filled at each election . It follows a Westminster system ___MASK60___ parliamentary government . The fourth - term South Australian Branch ___MASK60___ the Australian Labor Party has been in government since the 2002 election . ___MASK14___ is the capital city of the state of South Australia , and the fifth - most populous city of Australia . In June 2014 , ___MASK14___ had an estimated resident population of 1 . 31 million . South Australia , with a total of 1 . 7 million inhabitants , has the most centralised population of any state in Australia , with more than 75 percent of its people living in greater ___MASK14___ , while the other population centres in the state are relatively small .