State Election 2010

[Shuz]

Whose recasting your votes? I have.

[monotonehell]

Whose recasting your votes? I have.

Too early to say. I'm firmly sitting on the fence this year. EVERYONE sucks!

[Wayno]

It's interesting that the current SA Govt seems to almost want to antagonise/alienate certain groups of people and hence risk losing votes. Either that or maybe overly confident?

Some high profile examples:
* RAH Rebuild without thorough consultation
* Riding roughshot over local communities (e.g. St Clair park, Port Adelaide, Goodwood Rd)
* Draconian internet laws - potentially a big vote loser
* ODX Desal concerns
* Suing The Advertiser for defamation
* Murray river and Pt Stanvac desal
* There's probably more - but i can't think of them right now

Not saying i disagree with all above - just that they could have been done in nicer/consultative ways, or in some cases defered a decision/announcement by just a few months to remove any risk to re-election.

[Xaragmata]

Topical article in the Independent Weekly:

http://www.independentweekly.com.au/new ... 40242.aspx

Democracy, with a South Australian twist
HENDRIK GOUT
02 Feb, 2010 01:55 PM
Here’s how democracy works in South Australia.

Mid-last year, Attorney-General Michael Atkinson introduced a Bill to change the Electoral Act and the rules governing democracy in South Australia.

Under his proposal, political candidates wouldn’t be allowed to put up posters on power poles, the cheapest form of political advertising. This won’t bother the Labor Party, cashed-up with anonymous political donations. Famously asked why the Makris Corporation – developer and shopping centre magnate Con Makris is high on BRW’s rich list – donated tens of thousands of dollars to political parties, his company’s chief executive officer had something very interesting to say.

[...]

[stumpjumper]

Here's another one, Wayno.

The proposed swapping of the DTEI depot at Thorndon Park reservoir (including the closing and transfer of the road in front of the depot) to the owners of the Rezz Hotel, giving the hotel absolute water frontage.

Suddenly everyone from the local Mayor to Minister Conlon is backpedalling, although none of the backpedallers actually denies that the proposal wil go ahead.

There has been no exposure of the property to the market, and details of any transaction will be for unknown reasons 'commercial in confidence', neither is it known if the hotel owner has donated money to Nick Bolkus's SA Progressive Business ALP fundraising organisation, nor is it known what role Mr Bolkus played in the genesis of the deal when he chaired the government's stormwater authority. Thorndon Park Reservoir is part of the metropolitan stormwater system under the management of the authority, with numerous constraints on nearby development Mr Bolkus is a factional powerbroker in the ALP as well as a co-proprietor of a private lobbying firm.

[Aidan]

Here's another one, Wayno.
The proposed swapping of the DTEI depot at Thorndon Park reservoir (including the closing and transfer of the road in front of the depot) to the owners of the Rezz Hotel, giving the hotel absolute water frontage.
Suddenly everyone from the local Mayor to Minister Conlon is backpedalling, although none of the backpedallers actually denies that the proposal wil go ahead.

ABC News shows Conlon saying the deal was rejected. I know politics can inspire cynicism, but claiming that isn't a denial is taking it a bit too far IMO.

[rhino]

From today's Adelaide Now:

Rann's short election campaign
Greg Kelton February 11, 2010 12:00AM

THE formal election campaign will not begin until next week despite an Opposition call for the Government to have the writs issued now and go into caretaker mode.
Premier Mike Rann yesterday said the writs would be issued on February 20, with electoral rolls closing on March 2 and nominations for seats closing on March 5.
Once the Government goes into caretaker mode, it must stop government advertising and cannot make spending decisions.
Treasurer Kevin Foley defended the delay, saying the Government was of the view the public could probably take about four weeks of campaigning.
"Six weeks would drive people to distraction and we still have to function as a government," he said.
"There are many, many routine business and administrative matters that have to be attended to by government."
Mr Foley admitted the Government was "sort of campaigning" at the moment. "I just think people would go really barmy, around the bend, if we were whacking each other for a full six-week period," he said. "This is like a phony war."
Liberal Party state director Julian Sheezel said the party had always expected the Premier would call the election at the latest possible opportunity.
He said if the Government was prepared to announce it was issuing the writs in 10 days, it also should formally announce the start of the campaign immediately and go into caretaker mode.
"This faux campaign we have at the moment is of no benefit to anybody," Mr Sheezel said.
He said the Liberals had decided on a date for the formal campaign launch but would not reveal it at this stage.
The choice of dates for the parties will be affected by the Clipsal 500 Adelaide race on the last weekend before the March 20 election.
At the 2006 election, both Labor and Liberal held their formal launches on the same day - the Sunday before the election.


I tend to agree with Foley on this one - the longer we are in caretaker mode, the longer nothing gets done. Unlike Mr Sheezel, I don't see the benefit of that.

As for Foley admitting "we are sort of campaigning at the moment" - isn't that going on all the time?

[stumpjumper]

Aidan, unfortunately it was Mr Conlon who introduced the proposal to cabinet - with the recommendation that it be accepted. It was rejected pending changes, so Conlon now says 'we' rejected it. You obviously don't understand Rannese! How long you bin here, bro? They've taken the original doc off the website - it was last Sunday week. PM me and I'll send you a copy of the proposal signed by Patrick Conlon.

Have a look here for supporting texts.

http://static.search.news.com.au/relate ... &r=related

[rhino]

Every day we're going to get something new on offer from one or both of the parties. Here's today's offer:

Adelaide Festival of Arts to go annual - SA Premier Mike Rann promises
The Advertiser February 26, 2010 11:29AM

THE Adelaide Festival of Arts would be an annual event from 2012, if Labor is re-elected, Premier Mike Rann has promised.
Paul Grabowsky has also been re-appointed as the festival's artistic director.
The Rann Government will effectively double the festival's funding by pledging $8 million per year.
"An annual Adelaide Festival will provide our state with huge benefits in competing successfully in a global and national annual festival environment," Mr Rann said.
A group of "Festival Heroes" also would be set up to advise on how the festival could move smoothly from a biennial to an annual event, he said.
The group would be made up of past festival directors Anthony Steel, Robyn Archer and Rob Brookman, and Fringe director Christie Anthoney.
"We will appoint festival directors with at least a two-year lead-in, to allow them to plan, commission and curate for maximum success," Mr Rann said.
"Our Adelaide Festival is the jewel in the crown of our arts calendar, and as it marks its 50th anniversary, we are determined to make it even better for the next 50 years."

[Will]

I don't know if this is a good idea or not. I would rather the government announce that they will make the Northern Lights spectacle permanent.

[crawf]

What have the libs proposed so far?, other than duplicate the Southern Expressway and new city stadium.

They tosed around the idea last year of giving trading hours a major overhaul but have not heard anything about it since

[rev]

The Libs are promising to build Adelaide High School a second campus on, wait for it, the former Clipsal site at Bowden.
Oh, that's definitely going to win votes. I know I've already changed my mind and will be voting Liberal.

[rhino]

Today's offer:

Defence training hub announced by SA Premier Mike Rann
Greg Kelton From: March 01, 2010 12:26PM

LE Fevre high school would be developed as a special naval training school, under new defence plans promised today by Premier Mike Rann.
Mr Rann also announced that Treasuer Kevin Foley would become the state's first specialist defence minister.
Mr Rann said the Government would invest $1.3 million over the next four years in annual defence scholarships.
He said the Government would give $540,000 to Le Fevre High School, at Semaphore South, to purchase technology and professional development for teachers.
Mr Rann was announcing Labor's defence policy during a visit to the Australian Submarine Corporation at Osborne.

[iTouch]

Im not very political and not a Nimbylib as you people like to call it. But you gotta think though will Mike Rann keep these promises... it seems an awful lot of money for the short span of just 4 years. Lets not forget he still has promises he needs to fulfill from the last election, eg: the Bridge Road Tunnel, tougher pedophile sentencing, etc i gotta say he is doing alright in terms of infrastructure, things are being done for once

[rhino]

Bridge Road Tunnel? Any info on this?