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Labor front bencher Penny Wong has denied bullying her late Senate colleague Kimberley Kitching but admitted she had used "insensitive" words in one exchange.

Senator Wong was speaking with Nine Network Political Editor Chris Uhlmann on Today after ongoing reports of a culture of bullying within the Labor Party.

"No, I did not," Senator Wong replied when questioned about the bullying reports.

READ MORE: Labor takes power in South Australia

She said the death of Senator Kitching – whose funeral will be held tomorrow – was an "immeasurable loss".

But Senator Wong admitted in one discussion with Senator Kitching she had told her: "Well if you had children, you might understand why there is a climate emergency".

Senator Wong admitted she had used "insensitive" words but had not tried to personally attack her.

"My motivation was to express the distress that many children feel about climate change," she said.

"But what I said was insensitive. I regret it. I apologised, as I should, when I became aware that she – how she felt about it."

Senator Kitching, who died from a suspected heart attack aged 52 earlier this month, had reportedly told senior Labor figures she had been bullied, while ex-MP Emma Husar has said she suffered similar treatment.

READ MORE: Bodies found bound together in Queensland dam

Senator Wong, along with fellow Labor Senators Kristina Keneally and Katy Gallagher, released a statement last week following ongoing reports of a culture of bullying within the Labor Party.

"The allegations of bullying are untrue. Other assertions which have been made are similarly inaccurate," the trio said.

Senator Wong today stood by those remarks and said they did not want to comment on the bullying reports out of respect for their late colleague.

"There have been many views shared and some claims made. We put out a statement which made clear – I again make clear today – we have chosen not to respond."

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese is resisting calls to launch an inquiry into the bullying claims.

Kimberley Kitching will be farewelled at a funeral in Melbourne tomorrow.

Three Russian cosmonauts have arrived at the International Space Station wearing yellow flight suits with blue accents, colours that appeared to match the Ukrainian flag.

The men were the first new arrivals on the space station since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine last month.

Russian space corporation Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveyev and Sergey Korsakov blasted off successfully from the Russia-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz MS-21 spacecraft on Friday.

READ MORE: Labor takes power in South Australia, ousting Liberal government

They smoothly docked at the station just over three hours later, joining two Russians, four Americans and a German on the orbiting outpost.

Video of Mr Artemyev taken as the spacecraft prepared to dock with the space station showed him wearing a blue flight suit.

It was unclear what, if any, message the yellow uniforms they changed into were intended to send.

When the cosmonauts were able to talk to family back on Earth, Mr Artemyev was asked about the suits.

He said every crew chooses their own.

"It became our turn to pick a colour. But in fact, we had accumulated a lot of yellow material so we needed to use it. So that's why we had to wear yellow," he said.

Since the war started, many people have used the Ukrainian flag and its colours to show solidarity with the country.

The war has resulted in cancelled spacecraft launches and broken contracts.

Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has warned that the US would have to use "broomsticks" to fly into space after Russia said it would stop supplying rocket engines to US companies.

Many worry, however, that Mr Rogozin is putting decades of a peaceful off-planet partnership at risk, most notably at the space station.

READ MORE: Manhunt underway after woman stalked and choked in WA

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson played down Mr Rogozin's comments, telling The Associated Press: "That's just Dmitry Rogozin. He spouts off every now and then. But at the end of the day, he's worked with us."

"The other people that work in the Russian civilian space program, they're professional," Dr Nelson said.

"They don't miss a beat with us, American astronauts and American mission control.

"Despite all of that, up in space, we can have a cooperation with our Russian friends, our colleagues."

A Ukrainian citizen living in the country's capital Kyiv is calling on Australia and its Western allies to take greater steps to weaken Russia in the face of its ongoing military attack.

Dimitry Bespalov had worked for the Kyiv Chamber of Commerce and Industry and a company which promoted the Ukrainian export industry before Moscow launched its full-scale military invasion, almost three weeks ago.

His wife and two sons, aged six and 12, have been evacuated from Kyiv but he is required to stay under Martial Law, which restricts men aged 18 to 60 from leaving the country. 

READ MORE: Putin's chilling warning to Russian 'traitors'

"The common understanding and common feeling is that we have no choice other than to stand – for how long, I have no idea," he said.

Mr Bespalov has been assisting efforts to gather humanitarian aid through his connections to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry but he said further military assistance and stronger sanctions are required, as Russian forces inch closer to the capital.

"Jointly with allies … I think Australia should look into more economic sanctions against Russia on the exports on the transit on anything that will hurt the Russian economy," he said.

"You cannot negotiate with Russians, you can only negotiate after you beat them, it's like the same if you have a robber in a dark street – you don't start negotiations with them initially."

He says Western countries must do everything in their power to weaken Moscow, because he believes President Vladimir Putin's ambitions go vastly beyond Ukraine. 

"If we fall, I can give you a 100 per cent guarantee next one will be the Baltic states and the next one will be Moldova, so it will not stop," Mr Bespalov said.

He also sounded the alarm over the implications on global food supply if Russia is successful.

Just last year, Ukraine fed more than 400 million people around the world.

"The whole world is talking about the invasion but not many people are talking about the consequences in three, four months," he said.

READ MORE: 'You just have to sit and watch the horror unfold'

So far, Australia has contributed more than $100 million in military and humanitarian supplies to Ukraine.

It has also imposed major economic sanctions, restricting exports and imports of certain goods, activity with Russian banks and enforcing travel bans on certain individuals.

Just this week, fresh sanctions were imposed on another 33 Russian oligarchs, prominent businesspeople and their immediate family members, including Roman Abramovich, Chelsea Football Club owner.

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Speaking on Nine Radio on Tuesday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said "we're working closely with our other partners as to whether there is more we can do there. And certainly if we can and that will be useful, then we're very prepared to do that."

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne has also told Nine Radio further sanctions will be imposed if needed.

"Countries that directly support Russia in this unlawful invasion would face consequences," she said.

"I know that the United States has said that there would be coordination with partners and allies on any such response and Australia would be part of that coordination."

When asked if he was fearful for his life, Mr Bespalov said: "We were fearful initially on the first days but it's okay, we carry on – we have no choice.

"In a broader way for Australians, we have to stick together because we share common values."

Labor has won a comfortable victory in the South Australian election, ousting the Liberal government after just one term that was dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

By late on Saturday night, Labor had won at least 25 seats, one more than is required to form a majority government.

Incoming premier Peter Malinauskas thanked the people of South Australia in a powerful victory speech.

AS IT HAPPENED: SA election 2022

"I think sometimes on election nights when governments change hands, that the successful party can confuse the elation of electoral success with an inflated sense of achievement," he said.

"True satisfaction for us comes in realising our ambition of delivering a fairer, better society and more opportunity for those who need it most."

He paid tribute to outgoing Premier Steven Marshall — who is at risk of losing his own seat in the election — speaking of a conversation they had after Labor's victory became clear.

"Steven Marshall's call was utterly generous, gracious and it was done with the class that we have become incredibly familiar with.

"Steven Marshall has been the leader of the Liberal Party in South Australia for nine years. That includes four as Premier. 

READ MORE: Who is Peter Malinauskas? The trolley boy turned next SA Premier

https://twitter.com/katelambe_/status/1505149633726599168

"It is a significant contribution to his party and to our state."

After two challenging years of COVID-19 and a campaign focussed on healthcare, Mr Malinauskas paid tribute to "every doctor, every nurse, every hospital orderly, they've all served us so incredibly well in the pandemic".

"A particular shout-out tonight to our ambos."

He shared a touching story of a family he met outside a polling station in Woodville Gardens — Syrian refugees who became Australian citizens six months ago.

"They came from a town just outside of Aleppo, where their home was bombed only a few years ago, everything they had was lost.

"They fled to Lebanon, where they waited for four or five years trying to find a permanent place they could call home.

"It was Australia that opened our heart to this beautiful Syrian family.

"It struck me, here I was, as the leader of their Labor Party, the alternate Premier of the state, standing next to this beautiful couple, who were voting for the very first time, who came here with nothing to their name and at that very moment as we were standing next to each other, our votes were worth exactly the same."

Marshall seat in question, premier thanks supporters

At the current count, Mr Marshall is several points behind his Labor opponent in his seat of Dunstan.

But he declared victory in the seat nevertheless.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Key issues around the election

Mr Marshall celebrated the people of his state in his concession speech.

"I'm just so proud, so proud, of the way that the people of South Australia have responded to the coronavirus, and not had it break them, not had it destroy them," he said.

"We come out of this stronger than before and all South Australians must share in this fantastic result."

He did not say whether he would remain as leader of the Liberal Party.

Mr Malinauskas ran a campaign based on adding funding to the beleaguered health system, which had struggled under the strain of the pandemic.

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Mr Marshall meanwhile ran a campaign on economic issues.

Result came quickly after polls closed

In an era where election winners often take days to become apparent, the result tonight came remarkably quickly.

Nine political editor Chris Uhlmann called a Labor victory by 8pm CST, two hours after polls closed.

The polls in the lead-up to the election were close to spot-on, with Labor winning 54 percent of the two-party preferred vote statewide.

Just after 11pm AEDT, this is where the tally stood:

• 25 seats called for Labor, an outright majority
• 12 seats have been won by the Liberals
• Four seats won by independents
• Six seats are still in doubt

Peter Malinauskas is on the verge of becoming the next Premier of South Australia.

But who is he?

The Labor leader is a 41-year-old father of three children.

LIVE UPDATES: SA election results as they come in

Mr Malinauskas started his working life as a trolley boy for Woolworths at age 15, before being promoted to the checkout.

He became a union official for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association before entering parliament in the upper house in 2015.

He quickly rose in prominence, becoming Minister of Police, then Minister for Health in his first term.

He only entered the lower house at the last election in the seat of Croydon in Adelaide's northwest.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Key issues around the election

Mr Malinauskas ran as the change candidate, focusing heavily on health care.

"We have a fresh vision, a strong plan, and a united team," he said on the campaign hustings.

He promised another 300 hospital beds in the state.

He also pledged to bring back the Adelaide 500 motorsport event.

Mr Malinauskas is aligned with the Labor Right faction and has described himself as socially conservative.

The incoming premier is married to Annabel, and theirthree children are Sophie, Jack and Eliza.

https://twitter.com/PMalinauskasMP/status/1483363716880269322

The voting booths have closed with polling suggesting a likely change in government

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