Comments on: Newspoll: 53-47 to Labor in SA

By: Not so Bright

Not so Bright — Thu, 29 May 2008 07:59:05 +0000

re: 24 Bright Ideas.
AGREED, Ms Fox, the French teacher is the invisible MP. She is a shocker AND from the far right of Hard Labor in SA. I am also in her electorate. Her staff are rude and she goes to work in shorts and thongs. We do not get our quarterly or half yearly news letters and no yearly fridge callender also. When I asked her to visit the Rugby Club her reply was ‘they are all liberal voters!’. Sorry Ms Fox, if you will only play to a friendly crowd your political career will be very short indeed.

For the Liberal 2010 marketing campaign they need not look any further than Mikes own words

MIKE RANN ADDRESSING THE WORKCOVER RALLY 1995
THE SAME MAN WHO IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF ATTACKING INJURED WORKERS!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmvlU88SPOg

By: Crikey Whitey

Crikey Whitey — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 13:24:03 +0000

No. The Work Cover thing matters. I have spent some time, in the last two weeks, exploring the views of those I know to be Labor voters. Especially as concerns Work Cover in South Australia.

And, as it happens, John Button.

And Work Choices. Work Cover is an equal turning point.

Sorry, all. None of these Labor voters wish to vote for Mike Rann. They do not see him as Labor . And none of them have any praise for John Button.

They say, as much as they hate the idea, and they particularly remember John Olsen’s sell out, that if Hamilton whatever Smith offered an alternative, to Work Cover especially, they would take it.

They despise Rann.

They even, to my despair, hate Chloe. Who to me is truly Labor.

I have some more to say.. not now.

And yes, Max, I will take up your offer.

By: Socrates

Socrates — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:30:58 +0000

Just read the rest of the thread and I agree with Al (20) and must disagree with Crikey on Workcover. Rann is correct on that one. Like Al I also work in infrastructure and have heard so many stories about how badly rorted that scheme has become. The scheme was properly reviewed by an independant academic (whom I met) and was found badly wanting. It is absurdly expensive, yet seems to have been administered in an arbitrary fashion – neither efficient nor fair. Perhaps people wanted to turn a blind eye to that when there were no jobs. But now that there is a shortage of workers in most fields, it really is indefensible IMO. I saw the protest against it outside parliament the other day and, while noisy, it was really a very small group of people.

By: Socrates

Socrates — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 13:23:28 +0000

I find the difference between the Federal and State results in SA interesting – it shows that people can distinguish between Federal and State issues. Personally I don’t think Hamilton Smith offers much as a choice to Rann. Some of his statements about transport and a new stadium are nonsense, which only the advertiser would run. He is obviously economically illiterate.

The lack of decent opposition is regrettable for its effect on SA Labor however. Its a bit like Joh-era Queensland with teh roles reversed. How can South Australia still not have an anti-corruption commission when they have been introduced in almost every other state, including by Labor governments? Or how does a massive pulp mill get approved in Penola without even an EIS? Worse than Gunns in Tasmania! It is now almost two decades after the State bank collapse so graphically demonstrated the low standard of public administration here. Nobody was even charged. Oh well, it was only $5 billion I suppose, anyone can loose that… Yes, what a well administered state, I wonder why it is still the poorest on the mainland?

Seriously, I don’t actually disagree with the strategic direction of the Rann government, but I find the operating style painfull. I can take comfort that with the mining projects now in the pipeline, the State economy should keep growing irrespective of government economic management.

By: charles

charles — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:41:17 +0000

Generic Person Says:

Evening pinko communists, including true blue ALP supporters and greens supporters.

Look it’s 2008, it really is time to grow up, pinko communists, perhaps in 1958, but mate that was 50 years ago.

By: Bright ideas

Bright ideas — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:48:56 +0000

Crikey, Chloe Fox is an awful local member, one of the most arrogant and unparticipatory in the state. She’s my local member too and I (a swinging voter) am craving a good Liberal candidate, someone young and fresh, to make my vote count!

By: Phil Robins

Phil Robins — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:56:49 +0000

Actually, that poll is not too bad for MHS. Rann has his problems with water, transport and Work Cover. He’s still be favored but it may be closer than we now think.

By: David

David — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:20:25 +0000

Rann et al are hopeless, but the alternative is even worse. I’ll just keep voting Green.

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 00:42:00 +0000

Ex-South Aussie, current New South Welshperson, slightly more sympathetic to Labor.

However, both the Rann and Iemma governments are an embarassment to themselves, Labor and the residents of their states. The Carpenter WA government powers ahead with public transport investment and development – sweet. The Brumby Vic government is about to introduce a relationships register for same-sex couples onto its statute books – excellent. The Queensland mob seem relatively inoffensive, from down here anyway.

But SA? A pack of parochial right-wing thugs spending too much time covering their arses to bother with innovation or forward planning. Mick Atkinson in particular is a real sweetheart.

NSW the same, just better at it after more years of practice. Only reason they’re still in business is the lack of alternative government. Even then, I’d give serious thought to voting Liberal here in NSW if David Clarke and his harem of flying monkey extremists weren’t calling the shots. I imagine I’d feel similarly if I still lived in Adelaide.

Is it true voters get the governments they deserve? Coz I swear South Aussies are just as polite and well-mannered as Victorians…

By: Al

Al — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 23:29:50 +0000

As neither a pinko or a socialist, but as someone who works in major infrastructure I’d much prefer to have Rann as premier than the anti-development populist MHS. I had no time for him as Shadow Transport & Infrastructure Minister, and saw his promotion to Leader of the Opposition as a big step backwards for the South Australian Government.

Media Mike is a shrewd operator when it comes to handling the press. There’s still plenty of time until the next election which makes the timing of his WorkCover changes perfect. From a purely economical standpoint it needed to be done and I’d hoped that a government would bite the bullet and do it, otherwise we’d be left with another massive debt in the same vein as the State Bank collapse. Sorry Crikey, but I just don’t see how billions of dollars in WorkCover liabilities is sustainable.

Max strikes on another good point too. Given the annihilation of the Liberal Party at the last SA election, the field of current MPs is very weak, and Hamilton-Smith has to play Liberal Party attack dog as well as Leader of the Opposition. It makes him look very negative, whereas Mike Rann is able to use Kevin Foley and distance himself from the mudslinging.