State Election 2010

[Will]

From the Advertiser:

Victorious Rann announces ministry

Lauren Novak, Political Reporter From: AdelaideNow March 24, 2010 5:04PM


JAY Weatherill will take on the "big portfolio" of education in a post-election ministerial reshuffle announced by Premier Mike Rann.
Mr Rann released details of the new ministries on Twitter this afternoon.

After unsuccessfully challenging for the Labor party deputy leadership, Mr Weatherill was promised a "very senior responsibility".

He retains the Early Childhood Development portfolio.

Elevated backbencher John Rau will take on the position of Attorney-General, vacated by Michael Atkinson who stepped down to the backbench, as well as Justice and Tourism.

Similarly, new minister Grace Portolesi will cover Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation, Multicultural Affairs, Youth and Volunteers.

Former Speaker Jack Snelling has been given the mixed bag of Employment, Training and Further Education, Science, Information Economy, Veterans Affairs and Road Safety.


Other changes include giving responsibility for the River Murray, Water Security and Environment and Conservation to serving minister Paul Caica.

Tom Koutsantonis will take on Industry and Trade and Small Business, while Michael O'Brien will cover Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Forests and Regional Development.

Saturday's election result saw former Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith and Water Security Minister Karlene Maywald lose their seats.

[Will]

Labor has picked up the final 2 undecided seats, including Mitchell from Independent Kris Hanna. This means that despite the swing of 7%, Labor only had a net loss of 2 seats.

From the ABC:

Rann's majority cut by just two
Updated 2 hours 11 minutes ago




Alan Sibbons will join the Parliament with a surprise win over Independent and former Labor MP Kris Hanna in the Adelaide seat of Mitchell.

"It's a great relief and I'm very, very pleased and very excited," Mr Sibbons said.

"I have worked very hard to win the confidence of the people of Mitchell. Yes it's been tough, but at the end of the day I thank them very much for their endorsement of me."

Mr Hanna says he is shocked to lose the seat and considering challenging the result because he claims Labor undertook a dirty campaign.

"There where actually quotations which were taken completely out of context so as to give a misleading impression, and when it becomes factually inaccurate that's when we might consider it misleading within terms of the law," he said.

"I'm sure there'll be something good in store for there'll be some opportunity for me to use my talents, but at the moment I have no plans at all."

The Liberal candidate in Mitchell, Peta McCance, has defended her campaign against criticism that it gave the seat to Labor.

Mr Hanna says Ms McCance was never a chance to win the seat, but snatched votes that could have seen him re-elected.

Ms McCance says Liberal voters in Mitchell deserved someone to run on their behalf.

"If you subscribe to the theory that well you better not try because you've got the opportunity of posting an ALP member into the seat, at what stage do you say 'We're gonna have a go at this seat again?' Do you sit there and let the independent sit forever until they decide to retire and then contest again?" she asked.


Delight

In another Adelaide seat, Bright, Labor's Chloe Fox was returned with a margin of 167 votes.

"I'm really surprised. There was a long period there when I actually really did think that I was going to lose," she said.

"About six days of feeling pretty grim, unpleasant and I'm delighted to find out that I've actually won."

Mike Rann's Government now has 26 seats, just two fewer than before, despite a swing against it of more than 7 per cent across South Australia.

The Liberals picked up four seats to have 18 in the new parliament and there are three Independents, including Don Pegler who replaced another Independent who retired in Mount Gambier.

"To those that voted for me I thank them very thoroughly and I hope I can stand up to their expectations. To those that didn't vote for me, they should rest assured that I will certainly be representing all of the people of Mount Gambier and not just my supporters," he said.

Liberal Party lawyers are still investigating whether there has been any breach of the electoral act over how-to-vote cards handed out by Labor in some seats aimed at garnering Family First preferences.

"Section 111 does provide for some possibility of an election being declared void and we therefore are exploring that possibility," said Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond.

But she concedes it is a long-shot.

SA Electoral Commissioner Kay Mousley is standing by the results at this stage.

"It's possible that there may be some overturned but in doing so there would have to be some evidence as to where we feel there's been an issue or irregularity, and on the information I have to hand at this point in time I'm not aware of any," she said.

Independent Member for Frome, Geoff Brock, says he has declined the Premier's offer of the job of Speaker in the House of Assembly.

Mr Brock says he wanted to stay true to his promise to strongly represent his regional electorate and spend more time there.

In the Legislative Council, the outcome is not expected to be finalised until after Easter.

[Omicron]

One of the fundamental quirks (flaws?) of compulsory preferential voting. Just for fun, assuming first past the post voting, we'd have had 25 Labor seats, 20 Liberal seats and two independents.

And Kris Hanna needs to shush and go away. Third on first-preference votes (1300 behind the winning Labor Party)...just give it up, son.

[stumpjumper]

Not content with losing the election, the Libs have wasted no time in ridding any credulous supporter of the idea that they are a unified force. The method they've chosen to let the world know how hopeless they are - public self-destruction - is guaranteed to create maximum distress and unease among Liberal supporters, while simultaneously confirming in the most positive way possible the pre-election claims of the Labor party that the Liberals were riven by factions and were not yet ready to govern.

As well as immediately putting in the past any recent gains made by the Liberals, the strategy of self-destruction cements Labor's right to govern and goes a long way to helping them win the next election in 2014.

What a coup for the Liberal Party's brains trust of experienced strategists and master tacticians!

[skyliner]

Thanks for the info guys - not much is said over here re detail. Back to media Mike!

SA - STATE ON THE MOVE

[Will]

The pathetic leadership wrangling engulfing the Libs just proves to everyone that the Liberals are nowhere near ready.

By placing their personal ambitions first, the Liberals are only creating the best attack ads for the government come 2014.

[Aidan]

The pathetic leadership wrangling engulfing the Libs just proves to everyone that the Liberals are nowhere near ready.

It proves nothing. Any party that loses an election is likely to fight amongst itself for a few days - and now is probably the best time to do it.

By placing their personal ambitions first, the Liberals are only creating the best attack ads for the government come 2014.

I can just imagine it:
While Labor were celebrating their victory four years ago, the Liberals were fighting amongst themselves.

Seriously, if those are the best attacks the government can come up with, they've got very little hope of winning the next election!

[Will]

The pathetic leadership wrangling engulfing the Libs just proves to everyone that the Liberals are nowhere near ready.

It proves nothing. Any party that loses an election is likely to fight amongst itself for a few days - and now is probably the best time to do it.

By placing their personal ambitions first, the Liberals are only creating the best attack ads for the government come 2014.

I can just imagine it:
While Labor were celebrating their victory four years ago, the Liberals were fighting amongst themselves.

Seriously, if those are the best attacks the government can come up with, they've got very little hope of winning the next election!

While Labor were celebrating their victory four years ago, the Liberals were fighting amongst themselves.

I suggest you do a little research on the modern history of politics in South Australia. The Liberals have been fighting amongst themselves for the last 30 years!

The Liberals because of their internal squabbles squandered their record 1993 election victory and almost lost the 1997 election, having to rely on the support of conservative independents to retain government. This was because despite the scars of the State Bank, the public do not trust a group of people who cant work effectively to run their state.

A party that can't even manage itself cant run the state.

[Aidan]

While Labor were celebrating their victory four years ago, the Liberals were fighting amongst themselves.

I suggest you do a little research on the modern history of politics in South Australia. The Liberals have been fighting amongst themselves for the last 30 years!

The Liberals because of their internal squabbles squandered their record 1993 election victory and almost lost the 1997 election, having to rely on the support of conservative independents to retain government. This was because despite the scars of the State Bank, the public do not trust a group of people who cant work effectively to run their state.

A party that can't even manage itself cant run the state.

I'm well aware of their record, but internal squabbles just after losing an election are normal and prove nothing. And the Liberals' failure in government was due to bad policy, not disunity.

[Will]

While Labor were celebrating their victory four years ago, the Liberals were fighting amongst themselves.

I suggest you do a little research on the modern history of politics in South Australia. The Liberals have been fighting amongst themselves for the last 30 years!

The Liberals because of their internal squabbles squandered their record 1993 election victory and almost lost the 1997 election, having to rely on the support of conservative independents to retain government. This was because despite the scars of the State Bank, the public do not trust a group of people who cant work effectively to run their state.

A party that can't even manage itself cant run the state.

I'm well aware of their record, but internal squabbles just after losing an election are normal and prove nothing. And the Liberals' failure in government was due to bad policy, not disunity.

I can't believe this. Talk about a very selective memory. The Liberals have not just had internal squabbles after the election (which have been worse than what would be normally expected following an election loss. They're having another deputy leadership ballot tomorrow!!!). Furthermore have you already forgotten Vicki Chapman's refusal to rule out challenging Isobel in the last week of the election? There is a litany of further examples....

And the 1997 election was not almost lost because of 'bad policy', but because the electorate chose Dean Brown to be premier and not John Olsen. The electorate were punishing the arrogance of John Olsen and his conservative faction. Respected political commentators such as Dean Jaensch have attributed this to the massive swing against the Libs in 1997. Are you saying these people are wrong?

Furthermore I can't beleive you beleive that disunity was not a factor! During the Olsen premiership the Liberal cabinet room was leakier than the Titanic. During that period, Mike Rann was leaked cabinet papers almost daily. The media of the day could not understand how Mike Rann knew where John Olsen would be even before his intinerary had been announced!

[stumpjumper]

As ever, the Liberals' worst enemy is themselves. The 'squabbling' goes a lot deeper than a bit of post-election rearrangement. Most of it is due to a poisonous, and pointless, dynastic fight between the Chapmans (former Lib MP Ted Chapman's daughter Vickie) and the Evans (former Lib MP Stan Evans' son Iain). Both offspring have what you might call an exaggerated sense of entitlement. The fight has been going on for decades but most people outside the party don't care - all they want is a credible political non-Labor party to support. Until these warring idiots bury the hatchet, their party is likely to stay in opposition while they fight over a carcass.

Proof of the negative effect of this internal situation is the huge strides forward the party made under Isobel Redmond, who for a few months at least gave the appearance of unity, at least until the deadly internal factionalism raised its ugly, irrelevant head. Now, thanks to that factionalism, Redmond's gains have probably evaporated with the goodwill and hopes of many of the Liberals' natural supporters.

[adam73837]

I'm back! Did you miss me? I didn't think so. My absence had nothing to do with the election, but rather to do with Year 12, which I'm surprised to say, I am enjoying, considering my subjects; but moving on...

Although I was hoping for a different result, I can honestly say that I am glad that it is all finally over. No more pie in the sky announcements from BOTH sides; no more tricky TV Advertisements from BOTH sides; and of course, no more he-said-she-said arguments.

Despite my sadness at the ALP victory, I'm kinda glad in a way that the Libs didn't win just yet. I prefer Isobel Redmond much, much more than I did MHS and I think that she still needed more time to unite the party. On that very topic; Vickie Chapman, who holds the seat that I live in ( ); needs to go. And quickly. The only reason that someone who is such a nuisance and did such a stupid thing in the week before the election could win a seat is if she ran for an area full of pompous Eastern suburbs residents (similarly to the fact that Tom Koutsantonis only won because he ran for a seat predominantly made up of Greeks who migrated here in the 1940s and 1950s).

Now, as for the hospital. I too remember Election night when Rann stated that he would "listen to the people" and I too think that this topic would be a great place to start. It's quite obvious from factors such as the "52% -Liberal vs 48% -Labor" thing that the public is not convinced that renting a hospital for the next couple of decades (that will look old and dilapidated when the rent is finally paid off) is a better option than renovating the current one. As a result, it is clear that the Government should reassess this 'issue' and do what's good for them; take it to the public and let them decide once and for all. But we've all known Rann for too long and we know that this simply won't happen. I hope to God that I'm wrong, but I just can't see him keeping his word on this 'listen' promise here.

As for the stadium issue. Judging by some recent articles that I have read in the newspaper and the cloudy air surrounding this whole issue; I can't help but feel that the fragile relationship between the SANFL and SACA will collapse. Note that the Government stated last year that if an agreement is not reached by the deadline, they will not provide the funding for this AO redevelopment. Call me skeptical and a conspiracy theorist if you want, but I feel that this was all a set up by the ALP (I won't single out Rann this time) to shut up everyone and make it look like they were going to build a new stadium. Once again, I hope I'm wrong, but that's the feeling I'm getting.

On a more positive note, now that the Government has been re-elected, I look forward to some of their policies which I DID agree with, such as more tram extensions, an electrified rail system and the Northern Connector being implemented. Meanwhile, I hope that Isobel Redmond cleans up the fractures within the party (I know that's a bold statement, considering some of the previous ones on this forum) and keeps the Government accountable. On a side note, if the ALP are serious about winning the next election, I personally think that they need new blood in there and Rann needs to organize himself a successor outside of his little inner circle; not necessarily before 2014 (although it wouldn't be a bad idea if he continues his arrogant ways), but definitely before 2016 or so.

Adam.

[stumpjumper]

Unless you're a mature age year 12 student Adam, I congratulate you on your post. I'm not condescending, but it does the old heart good to see a bit of insight and interest amongst the yoof.

Government is important partly because it's so expensive, A term of uni politics taught me how little of the then three million in student fees we received every year was actually returned to students after the student organisations' 'costs' had been deducted. I suspect that the state government is the same on a macro scale. We pay millions in taxes, but the inefficiency of the delivery system is such that actual direct expenditure for public benefit is only a fraction of what we pay in.

We demand efficient cars - why not efficient government?

[Will]

The results for the legislative Council have finally been announced:

From the ABC:

Nation's youngest MP elected in SA





A young woman who was second on her party's voting ticket has found herself elected to the South Australian Parliament.

Dignity for Disability candidate, Kelly Vincent, 21, will join the Legislative Council after South Australians voted on March 20.

The party's lead candidate Dr Paul Collier died during the election campaign and votes then flowed to Ms Vincent as the second candidate.

Ms Vincent, who uses a wheelchair, says her party's efforts have shown the need for disability access in Parliament.

"Just the other week I was down at Parliament house and saw that some great work is already being undertaken to increase the accessibility of the building in general so, no, I don't have any real concerns and we're very glad that that work has been done," she said.

Labor and the Liberals got four Upper House seats each and the Greens and Family First one each.

Family First's Robert Brokenshire says a win for his party shows its ongoing strength.

"Given that Family First has only been in the Parliament for eight years and look like retaining the seat for the second time, that says that the party's in good shape," he said.

Greens candidate Tammy Jennings will join current MLC Mark Parnell.

Ms Jennings says the party recorded its strongest result yet.

[Norman]

If you have a spare few hours, you can watch it all over again:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p ... 7C9E2A0D4E