James Agness
Australian politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Agness is an Australian politician, and has represented the district of Light in the South Australian House of Assembly since the 2026 state election. Agness is a member of the Australian Labor Party, and prior to his election was a state policy advisor and ministerial chief of staff to Joe Szakacs and Matt Champion.
James Agness | |
|---|---|
| Member of the South Australian House of Assembly for Light | |
| Assumed office 21 March 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Tony Piccolo |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Labor |
Career
Before standing for office, Agness was an advisor to Peter Malinauskas during his tenure as leader of the opposition, and was a ministerial advisor on the state level in the fields of road safety, correctional services, police, and health.[1][2] Agness was later a chief of staff to two state ministers — trade and investment minister Joe Szakacs and planning minister Nick Champion.[1][2] He held the latter role in June 2025 when he was announced as the Labor candidate for the district of Light at the 2026 state election.[2][3] The incumbent MP for Light was Tony Piccolo, a Labor member who instead sought re-election in the seat of Ngadjuri.[2][3]
At the 2026 election, the result in Light was not immediately known, with the seat too close to call between Agness and the One Nation candidate, Alex Banks.[4][5][6] Agness ultimately defeated Banks, becoming the new MP for Light.[7]