South Australia has a new Premier

 

South Australia elected a new premier resoundingly yesterday and Peter Malinauskas gave a heartening speech. He is fit, enthusiastic, capable and his deputy, Susan Close, is very competent and a good communicator. There was a big swing to Labor so the message was clear. Many are offering opinions today as to why the Liberals were not reinstalled. There are no quick, easy answers. It has been a mood which crystallised on 23rd November when our borders were opened and has only grown for all sorts of different reasons. I can offer a few:

• Opening the borders before we had had boosters and our children were vaccinated meant many were quarantining during Christmas. Omicron was increasing. People were getting sick. Those without boosters went into voluntary isolation. It hit businesses and families hard . At the time we had done well and were safe. We had had four deaths the whole pandemic. We now have 231. These people and families have been so hurt. Trying to see how effective vaccines are is probably something which needs to be done, but not before everyone has had a chance to be properly vaccinated. It puts vulnerable and little children unduly at risk.
• Liberal decisions meant retail workers had public holidays and penalty rates removed. We are the only state which does not let them have public holidays. 
• Creating a nuclear waste site at Kimba has angered so many because we had formally made it clear as a state we didn't want one. 
• Liberal politicians were resigning because of state ICAC and the minority government had become weakened. Our parliament hasn't been running very well recently.
• Prior to 23rd November 2021 our covid management team of Professor Nicola Spurrier , Chief Commissioner Grant Stevens and Premier Steven Marshall were doing a great job of clear messaging, good decisions and creating safe practices to keep us secure. When the borders opened it has been difficult, garbled messaging, unpleasant and our safety has been threatened. Some of it was addressed but the ambulance ramping and deaths because no ambulances arrived on time have exacerbated the situation. There is a lack of consistency around pandemic management we really do not like. 
• Privatising public transport has been extremely unpopular.

There are other reasons. Mr. Marshall wasn't really himself. We had all respected him during the beginning of the pandemic but he seemed more to be broadcasting federal talking points in recent months. His concession speech last night was him, who he usually is. He gave a dignified, measured speech. We wish him well and know he will find a happier position to be in in South Australia. 

As it stands, we have what we need right now. Mr. Malinauskas is committed to and knowledgeable about health matters. Our crisis centres on that. He is committed to children and the future. Our worries are about that. He wants people to be who they are and find a good place in our state. We need that. We need strong, enthusiastic leadership which is about our health and wellbeing.  

South Australian State Election 2022

 We are here. It is voting day and I enjoyed my walk to the voting booth and back as it wasn't hot yet. Lots of firsts today in all the years I have been voting. No sausage sizzle, probably because of coronavirus restrictions or considerations. It was busier at this booth than it ever has been. I had to wait half an hour. Oddly enough, round the corner, my daughter walked in and out in her electorate because most of the voters were voting from my electorate! Most people were masked but, sadly, there were some who were not ,including the lot behind me. Even those with little children had had the sense to put masks on them and it was great to see little children learning about voting and community health. The social distancing was poor until we were close to the hall. People don't seem to understand we have a pandemic. What was really odd, and something I have never seen as a voter, is only the Greens and Labor were there to hand out leaflets. No other party was represented. Not a good look at all that they could not be bothered. 

It is a welcome election and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. No one seems enamoured of Mr. Marshall's basketball stadium plans or his privatising of  our trains . Most would have forgotten he turned us into a nuclear waste dump when we had clearly said no under the Weatherill government. He was , however, really good during the pandemic until November 23rd when the borders were opened and suddenly our great team, which he was a sound part of, came up with garbled, confusing and unhelpful approaches. Like the one for voting in our election today if you are covid affected. If you do not have a car, you have no option to vote. If you are too sick to get in your car you have no option to vote. Not good enough. Thousands are affected and it puts an unpleasant look on democracy if we, after all this time, haven't worked out a way for covid affected people to vote in an election. There are those who are very happy with the borders opening and fewer restrictions so we'll see. It does make this election interesting and there are things we can learn for the upcoming federal election. 

South Australia has a government!

We have a government. Independent Geoff Brock has supported Jay Weatherill's 23 seat win so that he can form government. The Liberal's won 22 seats. As we waited and waited and waited for a week Dr. Bob Such, the other independent who might have formed government too, was taken ill and the state is concerned this has happened now and everyone hopes Bob Such will recover soon. He and Geoff Brock had taken their roles as independents who would be asked to form government very seriously and had really done their homework. It was pretty impressive and no nonsense. For all the moaning, I think we have a really good result for us at this point in time. Irrespective of who wins the primary vote it is the party which gets the designated number of seats which wins. I well remember how badly Kim Beasley was treated after he lost to John Howard in a federal election. Kim Beasley had won the primary vote in a really tough election campaign . Those were the days!! Both he and John Howard had gone in head to head in a tough political situation. Kim Beasley got more votes but John Howard got more seats. That is how our system works. When Steven Marshall works that out, he will be more at peace with himself and do some positive reflecting. He has not been called incompetent as Kim Beasley was and for Kim Beasley to do what he did was extraordinary at the time. The media never consider what is really going on and what is really at stake. I think we have 3 people who can lead our state well and get us out of this Non Event mode we seem to have been ascribed. We are not inconsequential but it is how we are viewed and I think these 3 people will help change our image in a positive way. I had no idea the Liberals had changed leader. Isobel Redmond had not been very popular and then she went very quiet. Jay Weatherill had been very quiet too , probably because we had had enough of Rann and Foley and the arguments and messy politics. It was a tough position for Jay Weatherill to come into. He has found his ground now, though , with the Holden situation and then the rumblings about leadership. Jay is very considered in his stance and articulates his views well. He can also show some very strong leadership. Steven Marshall popped up during the election campaign and if he wants to win then he has to work for South Australia and he has to allow us to get to know him as we did during the campaign. The state has given neither major party ultimate power so they are both being told to show us what they are made of and that they are there for SA. Geoff Brock is a great addition since South Australia has a significant regional area which tends to get side lined. It would be great to see that part of SA emerge again strongly and be part of our vision. So I'm hopeful. I think the mix is right and if these three men can collaborate and set their own agenda it will make a significant difference to our state.They will all win in terms of their careers no matter who wins at the next election.