Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Sunday Mail: 64-36 to SA Labor in Adelaide

Adelaide’s News Limited Sunday tabloid, the Sunday Mail, today carries a poll with a small sample of 483 showing state Labor with a two-party lead of 64-36 among Adelaide voters. Remarkable as that might sound, Antony Green calculates it’s in the same ballpark as the 2006 election, when the Adelaide two-party result was 62.6-37.4. Antony further observes that the Sunday Mail article absurdly compares this purely metropolitan result with the statewide two-party figure from 2006 to conjure a 7 per cent Labor swing that would cost the Liberals eight of their 14 seats. In reality, the poll points to a roughly status quo result, although that’s quite bad enough for the Liberals given the scale of Labor’s win in 2006.

271 Comments

  1. 1
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11:15 am | Permalink

    SNIP: Offensive comment deleted – The Management.

  2. 2
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11:38 am | Permalink

    Surely that’s a first. Getting the first post snipped for being offensive.

  3. 3
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11:38 am | Permalink

    Dodgy poll or not – SA Liberals to get “pounded” at next years election.

    Also, one for Antony – you put Dunstan’s success down to Liberal infighting. Was there really any difference in the state of the Liberals when comparing the 1977 and 1979 elections? Look at the drubbing Labor got in 1979. Sure there were reasons for that, but it takes a lot to go from a 53% 2PP to a 45% 2PP.

  4. 4
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11:41 am | Permalink

    Surely that’s a first. Getting the first post snipped for being offensive.

    I used the five-letter word starting with R. In hindsight maybe I shouldn’t have used it.

  5. 5
    blackburnpseph
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11:59 am | Permalink

    Recalling news reports from the time, one of the reasons the ALP lost in 1979 was that a snap transport strike occurred midday on the day before the election. In the days when strikes occurred a lot more often than today, it was the last straw for many voters. There was probably also that Des Corcoran couldn’t maintain the Dunstan momentum – though I don’t think Don Dunstan was too popular by the end of his rule.

    Does anybody know why Des Corcoran went early in 1979?

  6. 6
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:08 pm | Permalink

    It’s not just the dodgy documents that has caused this. It’s the talk of a leadership spill, I mean why would the voters want MHS if his own party doesn’t want him.

    The Ruddster also gave Rann a free kick with the extra dosh for the desal plant which has partly neutralised the Water topic (along with it being winter and everyone having nice gardens now) which was Rann’s worst area. The election will be held in March when our brown dirt gardens will again remind us that we have no water.

    I heard from a well-placed source that the Libs looked around three weeks ago to dump MHS but found all the alternatives were even worse, which is really saying something.

  7. 7
    Gary Bruce
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:13 pm | Permalink

    The election will be held in March when our brown dirt gardens will again remind us that we have no water.

    So Rann will be blamed for the lack of rainfall? That’s a bit harsh isn’t it?

  8. 8
    Toorak Toff
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:17 pm | Permalink

    Why did Des Corcoran go early in 1979?

    One story is that while he was in bed sounding his wife Carmel out on the merits of an election, she misheard him and said yes.

  9. 9
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:17 pm | Permalink

    GB

    We can only water our gardens for 3 hours a week and you can only use a hose, no sprinklers. This is obviously too much of a pain to do so most of us have just let the lawn die.

    We never get rain in summer and we’re completely dependent on sprinklers in summer.

  10. 10
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:17 pm | Permalink

    The only people who blame Rann for the water issue are rusted on Liberals.

  11. 11
    vote1
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:19 pm | Permalink

    Wow this poll is bad. Badly done but equally bad for the liberals.

    The reporting that the liberals are only one 23% is prolly the dodgiest bit, it ignores 14% of the undecided/refused. Why why does the advertiser not exclude them.. Not that 23/86*100 really is that much higher, but that combined with the dodgy metro/rural thing makes a bad poll look horrible.

    Still as a labor man i’m not all that upset the advertiser is playing silly buggers with the polling for both sides.

  12. 12
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:20 pm | Permalink

    The only people who blame Rann for the water issue are rusted on Liberals.

    Not even remotely true. I’m not a “rusted on Lib” and I do. Most South Aussies think Rann has missed the boat on Water. At least we can blame Penny Wong now for the endless front page stories about how we have no water.

  13. 13
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:22 pm | Permalink

    http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19790824&id=0YkQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1JIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3217,3690061

    Fascinating piece from The Age, three weeks before the 1979 election, talking about how Labor would romp it home and gain control of the upper house to boot…

  14. 14
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:26 pm | Permalink

    Not even remotely true. I’m not a “rusted on Lib” and I do. Most South Aussies think Rann has missed the boat on Water.

    Rann can’t make it rain.

  15. 15
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:28 pm | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25702717-5006301,00.html

    Embattled South Australian Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith is set to face a challenge to his leadership as early as tomorrow.

    The Australian understands liberal frontbencher Mitch Williams, who 10 days ago asked Mr Hamilton-Smith to stand aside for the good of the party, may call a news conference later today to announce his intention to force a leadership spill.

    HAHA

  16. 16
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:28 pm | Permalink

    This comes in the wake of a devastating poll in the Sunay Mail today which points to an electoral disaster under Mr Hamilton-Smith, as the ongoing fallout from the fake documents affair continues to do his two-year-old leadership just nine months out from the next state election.

    Senior liberals spoken to today by The Australian say the party is "going backwards with Martin and we have no choice but to replace Martin as leader and try to start again and gather up the scraps that are left".

    "It has taken a little while for some MPs to come to that view, but by the end of today the majority are expected to come to that view," a party source says. "if Martin was half-smart, he would walk away."

    It is understood no formal ticket has been formed. Mr Williams declined to comment.

    Gold. Pure gold.

  17. 17
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:29 pm | Permalink

    Great stuff.

    We need a dodgy documents scandal here in NSW to light a fire under the Libs.

  18. 18
    Gary Bruce
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:35 pm | Permalink

    Dio you’re talking to a Victorian. We also know about water restrictions.
    So Rann failed to make it rain in the past? Is that the beef?

  19. 19
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:37 pm | Permalink

    I hope Mitch Williams challenges … he has had some rather interesting opinions on water usage in the past …

  20. 20
    Gary Bruce
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:38 pm | Permalink

    Most South Aussies think Rann has missed the boat on Water.

    Dio, you maybe right with this claim but where is your data showing this to be true?

  21. 21
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 12:54 pm | Permalink

    Page has been moved.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25702722-5006301,00.html

    PANICKED Liberal MPs are set to force a leadership spill against Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith - possibly as early as tomorrow.

    The party has been rocked by a new Sunday Mail poll which shows the party heading for electoral annihilation at the March 20, 2010 state election.

    Mr Hamilton-Smith is likely to face a challenge from frontbencher Mitch Williams, the MP for the rural seat of Mackillop, who went to his leader just over a week ago and asked him to stand down because of the "Dodgygate" scandal which has severely embarrassed the party.

    Liberal sources said a ticket involving Mr Williams with either Isobel Redmond or Duncan McFetridge as deputy was more than likely to succeed.

    Mr Hamilton-Smith was at a meeting of candidates this morning and not available for comment.

    Mr Williams did not return calls.

  22. 22
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 1:03 pm | Permalink

    One thing that Labor will need to be wary of is that Mitch Williams is a cleanskin, and in terms of looks, appears more leadershipish than his predecessors. I can’t say i’ve heard him debate however.

    http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200811/r317910_1411651.jpg

  23. 23
    Charlei Douglas
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 1:34 pm | Permalink

    having worked in a number of different electorate I know that water is always comming up as an issue of concern, but besides wild lefties complaining about lack of action accross the board and for a long time in regards to the Murray, its not an issue that is going to bring down Rann.

  24. 24
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 1:41 pm | Permalink

    Do people really think that rain is the be all and end all of water? They’ve never heard of water policy? Water resource management? We even have a Federal minister for water.

  25. 25
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 1:44 pm | Permalink

    They’ve never heard of water policy? Water resource management?

    Tinkering at the edges is all that does.

  26. 26
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 1:53 pm | Permalink

    Tinkering at the edges is all that does.

    Er, no.

    Given the government has the power to determine how much water gets pulled out of the rivers and dams and who it goes to, it’s probably the biggest factor.

  27. 27
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

    Given the government has the power to determine how much water gets pulled out of the rivers and dams and who it goes to, it’s probably the biggest factor.

    Yeah, and we know how much water is in the Murray…

    And as for dams, where you do you think water comes from when the tap is turned on…?

    Meanwhile…

    For the wider South Australian community, an insipid Opposition is also cause for concern regardless of your political allegiances.

    The Government is obviously doing a good enough job to win wide public support, but robust oppositions keep governments accountable.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25700094-5006336,00.html

    I certainly agree, but still, a big :) for all those whingers who go on about Rann. Sure he’s not the best but hes far far far from the worst.

  28. 28
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:05 pm | Permalink

    bob and GB

    My wife has just written an essay on SA water policy (with help from zoomster). The “stick your head in the sand and say there’s no problem” approach hasn’t been the great success Rann would tell us. And Wong has been doing what she does best, which is

    “Nuffin’, absolutely nuffin’”

  29. 29
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:06 pm | Permalink

    Yeah, and we know how much water is in the Murray…

    Bob, I can guarantee you that you’ll be hard pressed to find any water expert in Australia that would condone current extraction, transportation and irrigation practices in Australia. We’ve been using water unsustainably for years – mainly due to the kinds of crops we grow, how we move our water from one place to the other, how we inefficiently use water throughout the community, where we source our water from (recycling and stormwater harvesting) and the inability to correctly price the resource. None of these are related to rainfall or drought and pretty much all of them are directly linked to government policy, or can be solved by government policy.

    The drought of the last few years has accelerated our movement towards the “water crunch” but we were heading there pretty quickly without it.

  30. 30
    evan14
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:19 pm | Permalink

    I hope Hamilton-Smith hangs on, as I put on my Labor supporters hat.

  31. 31
    Scott
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:27 pm | Permalink

    Um The Rann Govt has lobbied and started to build a desal plant that supplies 50% of the states water. We can’t make it rain!

  32. 32
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:27 pm | Permalink

    But Oz and dio, your solutions aren’t solutions, they will add some water back but not enough to solve the problem.

    I hope Hamilton-Smith hangs on, as I put on my Labor supporters hat.

    Hear hear!!!

  33. 33
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:44 pm | Permalink

    The drought may be making things worse but climate change means it will probably never be as good as it once was. It is precisely because “we can’t make it rain” that we have to reduce extractions. That is tough because if irrigators have their water cut off that will cause hardship to the whole community.

    But you can’t keep using what isn’t there and what one farmer uses means less for everyone else. So the sooner the federal govt starts making the difficult decisions about who goes and who stays the better. It should be based on dollar value made per litre of water required. That probably means no more rice! But it will also mean the most efficient and productive farmers stay.

    Currently we are subsidising the agricultural industry with grossly under valued water supplies and then exporting it overseas. Other industries such as mining and manufacturing are far far more water efficient.

  34. 34
    evan14
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 2:59 pm | Permalink

    Bob1234:
    Join the club, the moderator censored me the other day, I had no idea why.

  35. 35
    fredex
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 3:05 pm | Permalink

    Less than 5 years ago the dams along the Murray were virtually full.

    The irrigators drained them and the river and the backwaters that are part of the river ecosystem in less than one year.

    I don’t think people realize how much water irrigators use.

    In SA, and the numbers and percentages are worse in the other Murray states, MOST of the water that flows down the river is used for irrigation.
    And most of that is wasted in evaporation.

    In a ‘normal’ year [if such a year exists any more] irrigators in SA use about 4 times the amount of Murray water that Adelaide uses. Thats a few thousand people compared to a million plus.
    In drought years, such as recently, Adelaide’s need for Murray water increases and the ratio becomes about 3:1 with irrigators getting most.
    By coincidence [?] the difference in usage of Murray water by Adelaide is about the proposed capacity of the desal plant [initially about 50,000,000,000 litres].
    Which, just for initial outlay, will cost about $1.5 billion dollars.

    What other uses could be made of that money?

    A 10% decrease in irrigation along the Murray in SA would deliver more water to the city and to the river with virtually zero impact on local communities [the value of irrigation is vastly overrated] and even less on food prices [most food is grown elsewhere].
    Most debate in the media and by pollies takes little or no notice of the harsh realities of the numbers and of the numerous reports that for years, nearly decades, have been telling pollies etc that the situation is due to over allocation of irrigation and barely related to rainfall. Drought merely exacerbates the underlying cause.

    The cause of the plight of the Murray, particularly in SA has little to do with the drought, that is mainly a secondary factor.

    If the next 5 years saw above average rainfalls [an extremely unlikely event, the CSIRO predictions are for permanently lower rainfalls in the future compared to the past] along the entire catchment area the impact on the environmental flows in the Murray would be minimal.

    Irrigators would simply take the extra out of the river.

    As has happened in the past few years.

    Whenever extra water becomes available the river gets none or next to none and the irrigators get virtually all.

    I'm an irrigator and whenever an extra quantity of water becomes available I get a letter from Karlene inviting me to apply for it, at no cost

    Their demand is insatiable.

    Responsibility for this lies in several quarters.
    The River Murray Commission, the state govts, the federal govts, the irrigation lobby, the media …..others
    That includes Rann.

  36. 36
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 3:06 pm | Permalink

    Back to the story…

    Liberal sources said a ticket involving Mr Williams with either Isobel Redmond or Duncan McFetridge as deputy was more than likely to succeed.

    I reckon we’ll see a Williams-Redmond ticket. Redmond is a dill but she’s only just slightly better than Chapman.

  37. 37
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 3:12 pm | Permalink

    It’s funny how lately The Advertiser/Sunday Mail have turned against MHS. They were always against Iain Evans. They were quite anti-Labor when MHS looked half-competative.

    The cynic within me suggests the poll was done for metro areas to give the “64-36 2pp” shocker and get Liberal MPs worked up enough to get behind a challenger. Low and behold, Mitch Williams steps up due to this poll, to give the Libs another stab at the 2010 election. Death by poll… lol.

    I bet they’ll be anti-Labor once Williams takes over the leadership again.

  38. 38
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 3:22 pm | Permalink

    fredex

    Yeah, makes you realize how pathetic is the gesture of ‘buckets in the shower’ which the pollies have been pushing as a distraction from real issues. We can’t expect NSW and VIC govs do to the right thing so federal gov has to take responsibility and get serious. I for one am prepared to vote against Rudd over this and his other lack lustre green credentials.

    (I should add that this post and my last one was written by Mrs D. Don’t shoot me, I’m just the messenger.)

  39. 39
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 3:26 pm | Permalink

    bob

    I think the papers know the Libs are stuffed under MHS and want a new leader to regain everyone’s interest (much the same reason as the OO got rid of Julie Bishop and Nelson).

    I spoke to a few Libs this week about Williams and they all thought he was their best chance.

  40. 40
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 4:02 pm | Permalink

    EMBATTLED Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith warned Parliamentary colleagues to "get their priorites right" as he faces an imminent leadership challenge.

    Mr Hamilton-Smith spent more than two hours trying to verify an Adelaide Now report that front bencher Mitch Williams was mounting a leadership bid one week after he warned Mr Hamilton-Smith to stand down because of the "Dodgygate" scandal which has severely embarrassed the party.

    But while Mr Hamilton-Smith warned colleagues to put the party ahead of their leadership ambitions, he would not say whether he would follow the same formula and step down if the party room required it.

    "I`m not making any statement about that," he said.

    "All MPs should put the interests of their constitutents first, and the party second and individual ambitions last.

    "They need to get their priorities right and MPs will be in good stead."

    Speculation was mounting that Mitch Williams would field a ticket involving either Isobel Redmond or Duncan McFetridge as deputy, although Dr McFetridge said he had not been approached.

    ...

    One senior party source said the poll was "disastrous".

    "It's probably the worst poll I have ever seen in South Australian politics, it's pretty horrific," he said.

    "The people who are most responsible for this disastrous poll are Isobel Redmond and Mitch Williams because they caused all this trouble.

    "I would be shocked if there was support manifesting behind them."

    He said the poll, if repeated in 2010, would leave the Liberal Party in a situation where "you wouldn't be able to have footage without a Labor member in the shot".

    ...

    Leadership aspirant Mitch Williams is understood to be preparing to make a comment later today.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25702722-5006301,00.html

  41. 41
    fredex
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 4:06 pm | Permalink

    I agree with Mrs [or Ms?] Dio but unfortunately the problem we have is that the ‘other mob’ are even worse than Rudd/Wong etc who are at least vaguely aware of the problem.
    Rann I’m not so sure about but the problem that the other mob are completely clueless applies there too.
    The Libs, and the Nats even more so, are the major cause of the problem being the mouthpieces for the irrigation lobby.
    I sit here on the Murray, I’m looking at it now, its just the other side of one of the dead lagoons along the Murray, and get amazed by the misinformation that is spread.
    I can see, from where I am typing this, an irrigation area that uses currently, taking into account quotas, more water than a very large suburb in the city, thousands of houses. And employs a fraction of a percent of the workers in that suburb.
    And there is a similar place to my left and one around the corner of the river.
    Between they may employ a few hundred people directly and indirectly [and thats a very generous estimate], generate a few millions in export dollars and cut the price of a very limited range of food items [but more likely cause increases] by a fraction of a cent per litre or kilogram .
    People in Adelaide probably don’t know that it costs a large tankful of water to make 1 litre of milk from irrigation, more water than a bucket in the shower in a family house could save in a year, just for 1 litre.Want to save a 1000 litres of Murray water?
    Drink 1 less litre of milk produced by irrigation.
    Or better still decrease production of irrigated milk by 1 litre.
    And the irrigation water is free, costs nothing.
    How much do you pay for 100,000 litres of water Dio?
    I pay nothing [when I can get it from my lagoon that is] and I have a licence to take millions.
    Most irrigation water evaporates before it gets to the crop and increases the salinity of the river which you and Mrs/Ms Dio and others are paying to get partly removed so you can drink second rate [at best] water.

    These 3 irrigation areas which constitute a small percent of the total irrigation usage in SA, between them would use more water than any one, maybe two, of the Iron Triangle towns, Whyalla/Port Augusta/ Port Pirie and those towns have a far greater economic value.

    The situation is crazy.
    Crazy.

  42. 42
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 4:10 pm | Permalink

    I spoke to a few Libs this week about Williams and they all thought he was their best chance.

    You’d never even heard his name a couple of weeks ago *giggle*

    Definately a cleanskin tho… and looks respectable… as far as a Liberal goes anyway.

  43. 43
    Socrates
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

    I think this poll is realistic within Adelaide. The rural areas may be better for the Libs but they will never win 11 seats to claim government if they can’t regain any seats in Adelaide. On these numbers they won’t.

    It isn’t just the dodgy documents smear-backfire (funny tactical coincidence that eh?) that has MHS so low. I think his constant berating about a new stadium previously was a total waste of timwhen there were other more important issues to tackle. Having seen how much Beatty wasted on the Suncorp Stadium redevelopment in Brisbane we coudl ill afford to blow that sort of cash in SA.

    Also the SA economy is doing all right too. The last month employment actually grew. Throw in moer jobs when the stimulus projects move to the construction phase and Adelaide’s economy now is probably the most robust its been in 20 years. I don’t like Rann but I think both Foley and Conlon do a good job in their ministries.

    Frankly I blame Brumbie for the water more than anyone. The desal plant should have been started sooner but we didn’t have the cash without the Federal support. There is a real risk that we will run low on water before its finished if we get another dry year.

    However our water restrictions are still not as severe as SEQs were before their drought lifted. For that I do blame the overly populist Mike Rann. He should be acting now to restrict water usage. Take a look at what SEQ’s “Level 6″ water restrictions were and people might begin to understand how serious the water problem could get.

  44. 44
    Socrates
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 4:40 pm | Permalink

    +1 fredex; some of the rural allocations are insane.

  45. 45
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 5:36 pm | Permalink

    Whoa-ho-ho!!!

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25703010-5006301,00.html

    LIBERAL frontbencher Mitch Williams has resigned from from the party's Shadow Cabinet, paving the way for continued instability and a possible leadership challenge.

    Mr Williams made his shock announcement late today after panicked Liberals began counting numbers about a possible replacement for embattled Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith.

    He described Mr Hamilton-Smith's leadership as "untenable", as he was unable to sell the party's message.

    "Unfortunately I think our leader has put himself in a position where it is untenable for him to sell that message and I have told him that," he said.

    "Having done that I think the only honourable thing for me to do is to remove myself from the frontbench."

    Mr Williams, who had been unable to speak with his leader before his announcement, said he would not force a leadership spill but said he would be a contender for the leadership if any vacancy occurred.

    But Mr Hamilton-Smith said he was not a quitter.

    "All MPs should put the interests of their constituents first and the party second and individual ambitions last," Mr Hamilton-Smith told reporters.

    "They need to get their priorities right and MPs will be in good stead."

    A spokesman for Mr Hamilton-Smith said the Opposition leader was "disappointed" with Mr Williams' resignation, but said he had no other option.

    There can be no challenge before Friday at the earliest.

    Not only does there have to be six MPs willing to sign a document calling for the meeting, there must be three clear days between the notification and the holding of the meeting.

    Liberal sources said yesterday they were "fighting for the very survival of the Liberal Party brand".

    "We are rooted in this state," one source said.

    Premier Mike Rann on his Twitter site said federal Liberals were "involved in backdoor Marty destabilisation".

    "Libs leaking," he said. "They say those inside and outside the party who created Marty will now tear him down. There will be strategically timed polls."

    I see they’re still going with the 63-37 statewide thing though…:

    The poll showed a two-party preferred vote of 64-36 per cent in favour of Labor which represents an 8 per cent swing since the 2006 election.

    If this were to occur in 2010, the Liberals would be left with only six MPs in the Lower House.

  46. 46
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 5:41 pm | Permalink

    bob

    Rann sounds like he’s got some good gossip there. That “strategically timed polls” sounds very ugly.

    I gather Pyne is in the Chapman corner. Dunno about Dolly and Minchin.

    That’s the first thing I’ve heard Williams say and he’s done the right thing. Let’s hope he’s better than MHS, which wouldn’t be hard.

  47. 47
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 5:47 pm | Permalink

    I gather Pyne is in the Chapman corner. Dunno about Dolly and Minchin.

    As if anyone would be stupid enough to be in the Chapman corner. What a disaster waiting to happen she is.

    I can’t believe the number of people who are saying dolly should lead the party. I mean seriously, this is the guy who couldnt even lead the federal Libs for a year, with gaffe after gaffe after gaffe. The guy is a walking joke. It makes one wonder, with comments like that, that they actually enjoy being in opposition? Or are they so deluded that they actually believe it…?

  48. 48
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 5:48 pm | Permalink

    strategically timed polls

    To me, it actually sounded like Rann said those who created MHS will tear him down with strategically timed polls…

  49. 49
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 5:54 pm | Permalink

    So it’s still quite feasible for MHS to remain leader up to the election.

    And to think that the 2006 election was the best Labor was capable of doing… lol.

  50. 50
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:31 pm | Permalink

    Two observations.

    First. We get this:

    Mr Hamilton-Smith spent more than two hours trying to verify an Adelaide Now report that front bencher Mitch Williams was mounting a leadership bid

    Then we get this:

    Mr Williams, who had been unable to speak with his leader before his announcement, said he would not force a leadership spill

    Interesting.

    Second. MHS says this:

    "All MPs should put the interests of their constituents first and the party second and individual ambitions last," Mr Hamilton-Smith told reporters.

    I seem to recall MHS attempting to challenge Kerin prior to the 2006 election. He went to challenge Kerin in October 2005, with the July-September Newspoll giving Labor 54%. The latest Newspoll, January-March, gives Labor 56% – and that’s before dodgygate. MHS seems a tad hypocritical if you ask me.

  51. 51
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:43 pm | Permalink

    Not directly relevant, but down here in Hobart we’re up to our back-teeth in water.

    And we blame Labor!

    PS we had a day of sunlight today and Hobart looked like a Chinese Laundry…

  52. 52
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:22 pm | Permalink

    Check it out! Mitch Williams is complying with the Adam Carr / Barry O’Farrell “Leader must not have beard” rule. Before:
    http://www.saliberal.org.au/images/members/williams.jpg

    After:
    http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200811/r317910_1411647.jpg

  53. 53
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:23 pm | Permalink

    P.S: He was first elected in 1997, but I swear the first time I heard of him was a few weeks ago when he told M-H-S that he should resign.

  54. 54
    Diogenes
    Posted Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 7:35 pm | Permalink

    SO

    I hadn’t heard of him until then either. At least he’s a cleanskin.

  55. 55
    crikey whitey
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 12:41 am | Permalink

    If tears could fill the basin, I have wept. And wept. You may or not remember my sadness over the loss of water for SA. Mind you, it was a little petty, but significant, nevertheless.

    No chance that the Libs in SA could be elected, next round.

    Every chance that Mike Rann and co would be.

    Not because they deserve it.

  56. 56
    Daniel B
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 1:20 am | Permalink

    Anyone else wondering what the 5-letter R-word was? I can only come up with words meaning redhead and Russian, and can’t see where either would fit in.

  57. 57
    crikey whitey
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 1:28 am | Permalink

    DB

    More clues, please.

  58. 58
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 1:34 am | Permalink

    Anyone else wondering what the 5-letter R-word was?

    Raped?

  59. 59
    Bird of paradox
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 1:43 am | Permalink

    Funny thing about Mitch Williams… he was elected as an independent (against the Liberals) due to a stupid factional argument in the SA Libs. He joined the party again a bit later on, but jeez it’d be funny if he ended up leading it. I think Iain Evans did the same thing, too. What’s with the Liberals over there?

  60. 60
    Antony GREEN
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 6:51 am | Permalink

    It was Iain Evans’s father that was elected as an Independent Liberal in 1985, defeating Dean Brown. Evans had been a Liberal MP, contested after losing pre-selection to Brown (their seats had been amalgamated in a redistribution) and later re-joined the party. Ian Evans later succeeded his father.

  61. 61
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 7:43 am | Permalink

    Bingo ShowsOn.

    Every chance that Mike Rann and co would be.

    Not because they deserve it.

    When you compare Rann’s government to the excuse of a government of Brown/Olsen/Kerin, Rann definately deserves it.

    The Liberals couldn’t run themselves let alone the state. At least Rann can do both. Even if the latter isn’t all that spectacularly.

  62. 62
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 8:41 am | Permalink

    The Advertiser has gone very low key on this story this morning. You have to traverse to page 4 of the ’tiser to even find a mention of this story and it’s hidden under the main headline on page 4 which is about today’s Galaxy Poll release.

    Reading between the lines we can take this as the Advertiser advocating that Martin Hamilton-Smith should keep his job. It could be that the Sunday Mail is in the anyone but MHS camp, and the ’tiser is backing the status quo. Perhaps we can look forward to the release of electorate level opinion polls in the Sunday Mail next weekend …

  63. 63
    Bird of paradox
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 9:46 am | Permalink

    I don’t get why the Sunday Mail and Advertiser would have different opinions… I thought they were all part of the multi-headed Murdoch beast. Do they operate as different papers or something?

  64. 64
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 9:57 am | Permalink

    I don’t get why the Sunday Mail and Advertiser would have different opinions… I thought they were all part of the multi-headed Murdoch beast. Do they operate as different papers or something?

    Yes and no.

    But I spose yes, they do operate as different papers.

  65. 65
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 10:07 am | Permalink

    A classic example of Sunday Mail v The Advertiser was the Nicole Cornes issue. The Sunday Mail announced she would be an ALP candidate and trumpeted her credentials. The Advertiser on the other hand was very scathing of her.

    The new RAH has also been a good example with the Advertiser moderately enthusiastic, and the Sunday Mail being neutral to negative on the issue.

  66. 66
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 12:08 pm | Permalink

    Poodle adds his 2c!

    FEDERAL Liberal powerbroker Christopher Pyne has stepped into the SA Liberal leadership row, saying the issue must be solved - and quickly.

    Mr Pyne, who has recently returned from a visit to Israel, said it would be "utterly inconceivable" if the issue was not sorted out by Friday.

    "I think its inconceivable, utterly inconceivable for the SA Liberal Party to go into the weekend not having resolved this matter," Mr Pyne said.

    Mr Pyne, who has supported embattled Leader Martin Hamilton Smith, is also a keen supporter of Deputy Leader Vickie Chapman, who has yet to declare her hand apart from saying she supports the leader.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25705590-2682,00.html

  67. 67
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 12:19 pm | Permalink

    THE troubled South Australian Liberal Party has called parliamentary security in a bid to stop media crews filming opposition MPs and their embattled leader arriving for a shadow cabinet meeting.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25705810-5006787,00.html

    Bravo.

  68. 68
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/29/2611320.htm

    A bit of fizz, and then nothing. MHS to serve for the short-term.

  69. 69
    daveliberts
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 1:24 pm | Permalink

    Just for those wondering about Mitch Williams’ background and election as an independent, he was a long-time party member who quit the party to run against powerbroker Dale Baker in 1997. Dale had a lot of questions around his business dealings and was not popular in his electorate. Williams’ election was widely seen as enhancing the SA Libs’ reputation by clearing out Baker.

  70. 70
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25705810-5006787,00.html

    Embattled Liberal leader Martin Hamilton-Smith emerged from the meeting to say there was no news about his future, and that discussions were continuing.

    Deputy leader Vickie Chapman told Adelaide Radio it was inevitable the matter had to be resolved and "that's what we are working on".

    Is this code for MHS realising he needs to step down but can’t leave the SA Liberals without a leader, as no MP has the numbers so they need to spend time weaving enough support to get one through?

    What a bloody shambles the SA Liberals are.

  71. 71
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 2:55 pm | Permalink

    Interesting that News Ltd did not provide the full quote… it took the independent weekly:

    http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/sa-libs-should-hold-leadership-ballot-pyne/1553400.aspx

    "As an average person in the community, it would be inconceivable, utterly inconceivable, for the South Australian Liberal Party not to resolve this matter clearly one way or another this week with a ballot," Mr Pyne said.

  72. 72
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:09 pm | Permalink

    And the articles with their juicy tidbits keep rolling in…

    A senior Liberal Party member said Mr Hamilton-Smith was being given "one last chance to grab some dignity" and resign from the position under his own control.

    Mr Hamilton-Smith is understood to have only four votes supporting his position, with support for other leadership contenders "fluid".

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25705590-5006301,00.html

  73. 73
    Greensborough Growler
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:17 pm | Permalink

    The fact that no one has, as yet, put their hand up publicly is surely an indication that none of the possible alternatives want the job at this stage. What we seem to be watching is the political equivalent of musical chairs. With the next election looking a foregone conclusion none of the aspirants wants to blot their copybook with the blemish of an election loss as leader.

  74. 74
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:30 pm | Permalink

    The fact that no one has, as yet, put their hand up publicly is surely an indication that none of the possible alternatives want the job at this stage. What we seem to be watching is the political equivalent of musical chairs. With the next election looking a foregone conclusion none of the aspirants wants to blot their copybook with the blemish of an election loss as leader.

    Mitch Williams and Vickie Chapman at a minimum, want the job, but the party can’t decide who it wants – nobody is managing to get the numbers.

  75. 75
    Greensborough Growler
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:43 pm | Permalink

    Bob,

    So you believe everyone is desperate for the spoils of opposition and defeat?

  76. 76
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:57 pm | Permalink

    So you believe everyone is desperate for the spoils of opposition and defeat?

    They sense that Rann is on the nose (but not enough to be kicked out), theres only 9 months left till the election, it’s the perfect time for a cleanskin to come in. I believe Williams would certainly have a reasonable chance, though it is more likely than unlikely he would lose.

  77. 77
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 4:12 pm | Permalink

    It’s also this – the Liberals would rather lose by less than the 2006 result. They don’t want to go backward.

  78. 78
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 4:29 pm | Permalink

    Senior Liberal MPs were saying this morning that numbers were being counted and a leadership spill was inevitable.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,27574,25705590-2682,00.html

  79. 79
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 4:46 pm | Permalink

    Mr Hamilton-Smith is understood to have only four votes supporting his position, with support for other leadership contenders "fluid".

    I wonder if those 4 votes is including or excluding M-H-S’s own vote? :D
    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25705590-5006301,00.html

  80. 80
    Posted Monday, June 29, 2009 at 5:03 pm | Permalink

    Antony, small typo in your excellent piece on the SA polling. Port AugustA. Cheers

  81. 81
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:28 am | Permalink

    lol, Pyne and Minchin going at it…

    A PUBLIC spat has erupted between senior federal Liberal MPs over a leadership crisis engulfing the troubled South Australian branch of the party.

    Federal Liberal powerbroker Christopher Pyne, the Coalition's education spokesman, yesterday waded into the turmoil surrounding South Australian Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith's leadership, saying it would be "ludicrous" to pretend there was not a need for a partyroom ballot to "resolve this matter clearly one way or the other this week".

    The federal opposition's leader in the Senate, Nick Minchin, yesterday told Mr Pyne to keep out of state affairs.

    The exchange came as Mr Hamilton-Smith said he had not made a decision about his future, but was expected to do so today.

    Last night, the embattled leader remained locked in talks with MPs to determine if he retained majority support, but it seemed increasingly likely he would face a challenge from deputy leader Vickie Chapman, which party sources said would result in him standing down, rather than recontesting the leadership.

    Party sources said last night Ms Chapman was close to having the numbers to mount a successful challenge, or at least convince Mr Hamilton-Smith to step aside. Others in the party said former environment spokesman Mitch Williams, who also was counting numbers yesterday, had enough support to be a serious contender if the leadership became vacant.

    ...

    Senator Minchin, a South Australian parliamentarian, former finance minister and leader of the Right faction, told The Australian that Mr Pyne should keep silent on state matters.

    "Federal MPs ought not to be giving gratuitous advice to the state parliamentary party," Senator Minchin said. "This is entirely a matter for them and we would not welcome them giving us advice. I have urged all my federal colleagues to stay out of this and leave it to our state colleagues to resolve."

    Mr Pyne yesterday told The Australian he had not spoken to Ms Chapman about leadership.

    "I said what any sensible Liberal would say," Mr Pyne said. "Whether Nick Minchin is happy or unhappy with that is of no consequence to me."

  82. 82
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:28 am | Permalink

    Link would be good…

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25710628-5006787,00.html

  83. 83
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 10:10 am | Permalink

    MARTIN Hamilton-Smith has defended his leadership of the Liberal Party for one more day, leading to a dangerous stalemate that threatens to neuter the party.

    Leadership was a hot topic at yesterday's party room meeting, but MPs were publicly sticking to the mantra that "the matter is under consideration and will be resolved".

    However, one senior party member said Mr Hamilton-Smith had been told he had "one last chance to grab some dignity" and resign under his own steam.

    Last night the party leader was contacting MPs to boost his support base beyond what is believed to be only four votes, but a senior MP said "there wasn't much fight left" in him.

    "Normally, you would expect him to come back in typical Martin fashion; if there's a head, kick it. But there's not much fight there."

    A senior MP told Mr Hamilton-Smith: "There has to be a challenge because we can't win with you."

    In contrast, deputy leader Vickie Chapman is understood to have nine votes – enough to formally challenge for the leadership. Her hesitation raises speculation she wants a clean transition, to avoid being seen as having blood on her hands.

    Federal Liberal MP Christopher Pyne yesterday called for the party to end the crisis by Friday, while a senior party source said the lack of resolution had neutered the party.

    "It has done the party enormous damage," he said. "I think it's all just a stalemate – which is the worst possible result."

    While the matter is described as "fluid", another party source said a leadership team of Ms Chapman and former Opposition environment spokesman Mitch Williams could offer a unifying ticket, in an election expected to cut into the Liberal vote.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25705590-2682,00.html

  84. 84
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 11:36 am | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25711811-5013871,00.html

    SOUTH Australian opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith is set to call on a leadership spill and try to fight to retain his position, Liberal Party sources have told The Australian.

    It is understood Mr Hamilton-Smith, who has been widely tipped to stand aside today after weeks of internal turmoil around his leadership, has won last minute support from panicked MPs who fear things will only be worse for them under deputy leader Vickie Chapman.

    Bwahahahahaha… hilarious.

  85. 85
    Diogenes
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 1:31 pm | Permalink

    There’s nothing on the Tiser website. What’s going on?

  86. 86
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 1:54 pm | Permalink

    There’s nothing on the Tiser website. What’s going on?

    They’re reusing the same article.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25705590-5006301,00.html

  87. 87
    Diogenes
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 1:58 pm | Permalink

    bob

    I saw this at Rann’s Twitter site.

    Are we going to have a Lib Leader in SA who opposed DNA testing of killer Von Einem, opposed Nemer intervention, criticised us on bikies?

    Was that Chapman? Looks like “rack em and stack em” will be the attack from Mr Tough on Crime.

  88. 88
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 2:08 pm | Permalink

    Was that Chapman? Looks like “rack em and stack em” will be the attack from Mr Tough on Crime.

    I think we already know that Chapman as Liberal leader is a disaster waiting to happen. I don’t know what a worse outcome would be – MHS remaining leader, or Chapman taking over. I think the most sensible option, from their perspective, would be Mitch Williams.

  89. 89
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 3:53 pm | Permalink

    Leadership spill called for Saturday:
    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25713106-5006301,00.html

    Both Leader and Deputy Leader positions will be open. Hamilton-Smith is running again for leader.

  90. 90
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 3:55 pm | Permalink

    I think the most sensible option, from their perspective, would be Mitch Williams.

    The problem seems to be that the anyone but MHS forces can’t decide on a candidate, which threatens to split their vote, and thus allow MHS to stay on as leader.

  91. 91
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 4:38 pm | Permalink

    The Liberals are truly a sad rabble. No loyalty whatsoever. Vickie Chapman looked pretty smug and confident last night on ABC news as she walked past the cameras. She could hardly keep the smile off her face – she’s going to win, I’m sure of it.

  92. 92
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 4:42 pm | Permalink

    Mike Rann gets in some early attacks on Vickie Chapman:

    Are we going to have a Lib Leader in SA who opposed DNA testing of killer Von Einem, opposed Nemer intervention, criticised us on bikies?

  93. 93
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 4:46 pm | Permalink

    That quote was from Rann’s Twitter account:
    http://twitter.com/PremierMikeRann

  94. 94
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 4:51 pm | Permalink

    lullery

  95. 95
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 4:59 pm | Permalink

    Ms Chapman and Mr Hamilton-Smith struggled to avoid each other in the narrow corridor of the leader's office, and one senior Liberal MP said: "There's been a little bit of a breakdown in the relationship between the leader and the deputy leader."

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25713106-5006301,00.html

    Really? I’d never have noticed…

  96. 96
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:33 pm | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25714150-5006301,00.html

    Advertiser editorial on “why MHS must remain leader”…

  97. 97
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:40 pm | Permalink

    Mitch Williams, who quit the party frontbench at the weekend and demanded Mr Hamilton-Smith stand down, says he will not be contesting the ballot.

    "Whatever happens there is going to be re-focus after this and that is what we had to have," Mr Williams said.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/30/2612676.htm

    I reckon MHS will win the ballot now. Liberals are definately going to lose next year.

  98. 98
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:40 pm | Permalink

    Oh, and in that link Isobel Redmond and Iain Evans also say they won’t challenge.

    So it’s MHS vs Chapman. MHS has already won.

  99. 99
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 6:58 pm | Permalink

    There’s 22 Liberals in the S.A. parliament right.

    Wouldn’t it be hilarious if both candidates get 11 votes? :D

  100. 100
    Greensborough Growler
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 7:01 pm | Permalink

    What if they had a leadership challenge and no one came?

  101. 101
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 7:03 pm | Permalink

    There’s 22 Liberals in the S.A. parliament right.

    Wouldn’t it be hilarious if both candidates get 11 votes?

    And it would be made more hilarious by the fact that part of the anger toward MHS is the 2pp swing they suffered against Labor at the Frome by-election. Rob Kerin would definately have voted for MHS (conservative) over Chapman (moderate).

  102. 102
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:00 pm | Permalink

    I’m surprised Chapman counts as a moderate. I thought she was party of the snooty Liberal establishment, e.g. like Alexander Downer.

  103. 103
    Diogenes
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:13 pm | Permalink

    ShowsOn

    I’ve never seen Chapman string enough intelligible words together to form a sentence let alone a position on where she would fit on the spectrum. She’s possibly the worst politician I’ve ever seen in a leadership role.

    If she is made leader of the Libs, I predict an armageddon at the next election. I haven’t met a single person with a good word to say about her.

  104. 104
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8:26 pm | Permalink

    She’s possibly the worst politician I’ve ever seen in a leadership role.

    To me she is a perfect example of the sort of Adelaide Liberal establishment figure who gets bored in middle age, so decides to get a seat in parliament.

  105. 105
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 11:43 pm | Permalink

    “Neither” is currently the preferred Liberal leader according to an AdelaideNow poll:

    Martin Hamilton-Smith 25% (244 votes)
    Vickie Chapman 37% (356 votes)
    Neither 37% (358 votes)

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/poll/display/0,22621,5040431-5006301-1,00.html

  106. 106
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 12:17 am | Permalink

    To me she is a perfect example of the sort of Adelaide Liberal establishment figure who gets bored in middle age, so decides to get a seat in parliament.

    I dare say she always wanted to be in parliament – her father was a Liberal MP. Liberal families tend to be bred en masse here in SA.

  107. 107
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 1:06 am | Permalink

    Senior Liberal number crunchers said Mr Hamilton-Smith probably would end up with 14 votes out of 22 in the party room.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25713106-5006301,00.html

  108. 108
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 3:37 am | Permalink

    Who should lead the SA Liberals?

    Martin Hamilton-Smith
    27% (289 votes)
    Vickie Chapman
    35% (377 votes)
    Neither
    37% (396 votes)

    lollerskates

  109. 109
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 3:56 am | Permalink

    Federal party figures also said there had been threats made to state Liberal MPs that unless Mr Hamilton-Smith remained leader, the state branch's biggest donor, wealthy Adelaide businessman Robert Gerard, would cut off the flow of funds to the cash-strapped party.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25716165-2702,00.html

  110. 110
    Peter of Marino
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 8:42 am | Permalink

    Now that we know the leadership challenge is between MHS and Vickie Chapman on Saturday, it will add weight to the saying “Damned if you do and damned if you don’t”.
    Another free kick to the Labor Party.

  111. 111
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 8:49 am | Permalink

    bob

    I think Neither would do a much better job than either Chapman or MHS, and give Rann a run for his money. I hope the Libs do the right thing. :cheese:

  112. 112
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 11:16 am | Permalink

    I think Neither would do a much better job than either Chapman or MHS, and give Rann a run for his money. I hope the Libs do the right thing. :cheese:

    I think Mitch Williams was hoping MHS would stand down so he’d pick up the conservative votes. He knows that with MHS running he won’t get the numbers.

  113. 113
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 1:07 pm | Permalink

    Why doesn’t he tell us how much profit The Australian makes?

  114. 114
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 4:40 pm | Permalink

    Now it turns out MHS had an anonymous phone call telling him the Dodgy documents were fake before he released them. What a cretin.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25713106-5006301,00.html

  115. 115
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 6:05 pm | Permalink

    10 News Adelaide just reported that Alexander Downer is the S.A. Liberals’ chief fund-raiser for the next election.

    I think Labor will get 56% of the vote again.

  116. 116
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 10:26 pm | Permalink

    Looks like the Young Liberals have been working overtime:

    You have already voted! Here are the results so far:

    Who should lead the SA Liberals?

    Martin Hamilton-Smith
    36% (1354 votes)
    Vickie Chapman
    39% (1457 votes)
    Neither
    24% (911 votes)

  117. 117
    ShowsOn
    Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 1:07 am | Permalink

    According to The Advertiser, MHS already has 13 votes, and thus will win easily:
    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25713106-5006301,00.html

    That sucks, I really wanted to see how the Liberals would go without their major donor paying for half of their election campaign.

  118. 118
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 11:04 am | Permalink

    ShowsOn, my link @ 107 reckons 14 of 22… wonder who the 14th is…

  119. 119
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 11:06 am | Permalink

    But it’s hilarious that MHS will stay. The SA Liberals had already lost next years election after dodgygate and all the fallout afterward, but then MHS called a spill, and he won it against the dill known as Vickie Chapman. With only these two as contenders, they were stuffed either way.

    But now the Liberals are left with the status quo. They have a leader that SA laughs at. Labor can’t lose, pending an absolute disaster.

  120. 120
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 2, 2009 at 3:48 pm | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25721858-5013948,00.html

    Numbers for Saturday’s leadership spill are believed to be far tighter than those being reported in Adelaide media outlets, with concern among some Liberal MPs that if Mr Hamilton-Smith retains his position, nothing will have changed and the party will face oblivion at the next state election in March.

    But Mr Hamilton-Smith insists there is no election that can’t be won and is desperately urging the media to stop investigating the source and other associated issues surrounding the fake documents affair.

    I bet he is

  121. 121
    bob1234
    Posted Friday, July 3, 2009 at 1:35 pm | Permalink

    THE troubled South Australian branch of the Liberal Party has for the second time in a week tried to ban the media from Parliament House as tensions rise over tomorrow¿s leadership spill, called on by embattled leader Martin Hamilton-Smith.

    House of Assembly Speaker Jack Snelling today confirmed the Liberals had asked for the media to be locked out of Parliament House during tomorrow’s vote for the leader and deputy positions.

    This follows farcical scenes at a shadow cabinet meeting on Monday, when the leader’s chief of staff John Lewis and media adviser Craig Clarke asked the media to leave a corridor at Parliament House leading to the meeting room. When the media refused, parliamentary security was called and a representative of the clerk’s office ordered the media to leave the corridors. Doors were then shut and a guard placed on them to prevent MPs from being filmed or asked questions.

    Mr Snelling said he had been in contact with Mr Lewis and "given him the option of finding some way of having the media allowed in the building" for tomorrow’s meeting.

    "I am waiting for him to get back to me, but this is at the Liberals' request, I am more than happy to let you all in the building and make arrangements so that could be done, but it is the Liberal Party that does not want you there," he said.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25727141-601,00.html

  122. 122
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 8:32 am | Permalink

    So today’s the day. Barring some bizarre event, MHS is to be re-elected to the party leadership, and next year re-elected to opposition, probably with the same landslide margin of 2006.

  123. 123
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 9:01 am | Permalink

    Whoever wins the ballot – Martin Hamilton-Smith or Vickie Chapman – has to win enough seats at the coming state election to provide a solid springboard to tackle Labor in 2014.

    Senior Liberals say the party is really fighting for the survival of the Liberal brand.

    They believe if the party cannot do well next year, then 2022 – unless of course Labor self-destructs – is looking like the next date when a Liberal government will be formed.

    By then, not one of the current Liberals will still be in Parliament giving added weight to the speculation that the next Liberal Premier is not yet in Parliament.

    Unless Ms Chapman wins, it will not be a fresh start for the Liberals. If Mr Hamilton-Smith wins, and he appears to have the numbers locked away, then he will continue to be under scrutiny until the election.

    "If he wins but doesn't enjoy any significant bounce in the polls over the next couple of months, then it will be all on again," a senior Liberal told me.

    Quite funny.

    "I think we will have to go through the Vickie experience before we could go to anyone else," another MP said.

    Even funnier.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25730198-2682,00.html

  124. 124
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 9:09 am | Permalink

    Venning accuses Atkinson of creating the dodgy documents. Will they never learn?

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25730602-2702,00.html

    Partyroom vote at 10am.

  125. 125
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 11:20 am | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

    Hamilton-Smith holds on to the leadership.

  126. 126
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 11:22 am | Permalink

    Couldn’t have been any closer either. 11 votes to 10 with one abstaining.

  127. 127
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 11:50 am | Permalink

    Hamilton-Smith said he would call another leadership spill to get a more decisive result before parliament sits again on July 14.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

  128. 128
    ShowsOn
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 1:15 pm | Permalink

    Hamilton-Smith said he would call another leadership spill to get a more decisive result before parliament sits again on July 14.

    Instead of doing this he should’ve recognised that he effectively retained the leadership based on his own vote.He should’ve just resigned.

    That Advertiser article says that Mitch Williams abstained, well that should rule him out of ever being leader, because he couldn’t make a hard choice.

    At the top of this page I hoped that the result would be 11 votes all. but this result is even better, the idiot MHS has now requested that this speculation play out for another 5 days!

  129. 129
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 1:20 pm | Permalink

    Instead of doing this he should’ve recognised that he effectively retained the leadership based on his own vote.He should’ve just resigned.

    And he may just do that. Chapman says she’ll be recontesting the leadership, MHS says he hasn’t made up his mind yet. If MHS does step down, another one would be needed anyway.

    I wonder what he’ll do.

  130. 130
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 1:21 pm | Permalink

    I think Chapman would be a fantastic choice from a Labor perspective though. God she’s thick. She makes Mark Latham look great in comparison.

  131. 131
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 1:47 pm | Permalink

    At a press conference immediately after this morning's vote, Mr Hamilton-Smith, when asked if he was destroying the Liberal Party brand out of self-interest, refused to answer what he described as “the latest in a string of silly questions”.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25731857-601,00.html

  132. 132
    ShowsOn
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 2:12 pm | Permalink

    At a press conference immediately after this morning's vote, Mr Hamilton-Smith, when asked if he was destroying the Liberal Party brand out of self-interest,

    I think he is doing it out of stupidity.

  133. 133
    ShowsOn
    Posted Saturday, July 4, 2009 at 4:53 pm | Permalink

    Who is stupider?:

    Martin Hamilton-Smith
    Sarah Palin

  134. 134
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 9:42 am | Permalink

    Who is stupider?:

    Martin Hamilton-Smith
    Sarah Palin

    Sarah Palin.

    A better and harder question to answer would have been between Chapman and Palin. I think Chapman may very well be Australia’s equivalent of Palin.

  135. 135
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 11:25 am | Permalink

    I see The Advertiser is still applying a metro poll to all of SA…

    THE beleaguered Liberal Party faces more damaging infighting with yet another leadership ballot set for Wednesday at 10am.

    Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith's bid to galvanise party support in the face of ongoing leadership speculation by holding a ballot yesterday backfired spectacularly, when he won by just one vote (11 to 10) against rival Vickie Chapman, with one still-unnamed MP abstaining.

    The ballot was triggered by the poll in last week's Sunday Mail, which found the Liberals on the path to a wipeout in the 2010 election, with the party on track to lose eight of its 14 House of Assembly seats amid fallout from the "dodgy documents" affair, in which Liberals mistakenly tried to use fake documents to discredit the Government.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

    This bit is interesting…

    He initially told the party room he would resign the leadership immediately

    This would be funny…

    With the vote so close, the party faces the farcical situation of having the leader's name drawn from a hat if Wednesday's vote is tied 11-11 three times.

  136. 136
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 1:31 pm | Permalink

    He initially told the party room he would resign the leadership immediately

    The only reason he would say this is if he didn’t want the leadership.

    With the vote so close, the party faces the farcical situation of having the leader's name drawn from a hat

    If the vote is split 11 all between MHS and Chapman, then the only solution is to give the leadership to someone else.

    How hilarious is Isobel Redmond! She was easily elected deputy leader, but then she wouldn’t rule out running for the position as leader next Wednesday!

  137. 137
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 1:39 pm | Permalink

    How hilarious is Isobel Redmond! She was easily elected deputy leader, but then she wouldn’t rule out running for the position as leader next Wednesday!

    Reminds me of Hawke being treasurer for a day hehe. Though in completely different circumstances.

  138. 138
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 2:52 pm | Permalink

    LOL! I only just read the Sunday Mail. According to Christian Kerr, Mitch Williams, who last Sunday went to the back bench after saying MHS’s leadership was doomed, ultimately voted for MHS!

    From the tone of the article Kerr came across as a Vickie Chapman supporter.

  139. 139
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 5:03 pm | Permalink

    LOL! I only just read the Sunday Mail. According to Christian Kerr, Mitch Williams, who last Sunday went to the back bench after saying MHS’s leadership was doomed, ultimately voted for MHS!

    From the tone of the article Kerr came across as a Vickie Chapman supporter.

    What?! I thought Williams would have been the MP who abstained, because he’s conservative to the bone so would never vote for Chapman, but would also never vote for MHS after the fallout between them. I wonder where Kerr got his supposed facts from. And if he’s right, and Williams voted MHS, then I wonder which MP was the one to abstain and why……….

  140. 140
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    ISOBEL Redmond will take on Vickie Chapman for the Liberal party leadership - announcing her bid only one day after being elected deputy leader.

    Ms Redmond said she was standing to be a “circuit breaker” after current leader Martin Hamilton-Smith won yesterday’s leadership ballot by only one vote.

    “Right now our party is like a runaway train, we have slammed into the buffer at the end of the line,” she said.

    "That buffer is made of two blocks as hard as concrete with almost equal support. It is now time to clear the air.

    Mmm, she certainly has a way with words. She’s always been as thick as Chapman (well, almost…).

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

  141. 141
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    Mr Hamilton-Smith is expected to announce tomorrow he is not standing for the leadership.

    o_O

  142. 142
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 5:41 pm | Permalink

    Interesting comment left on The Advertiser:

    Who’s stupider?: Martin Hamilton-Smith Vickie Chapman Sarah Palin
    Posted by: ShowsOn of Adelaide 4:57pm July 04, 2009

    :D

  143. 143
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    Redmond officially nominates:
    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

  144. 144
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 5:52 pm | Permalink

    I wonder where Kerr got his supposed facts from. And if he’s right, and Williams voted MHS, then I wonder which MP was the one to abstain and wh

    Apparently it was Iain Evans.

  145. 145
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 6:03 pm | Permalink

    Apparently it was Iain Evans.

    According to Kerr?

  146. 146
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 6:31 pm | Permalink

    Mitch Williams has now nominated according to 9 News!

    I wonder if that means he has got inside word that MHS won’t be running?

  147. 147
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 6:41 pm | Permalink

    Mitch Williams has now nominated according to 9 News!

    Hmm, can’t find it online anywhere…

  148. 148
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 6:44 pm | Permalink

    But if he does nominate, as the only conservative candidate to nominate so far, i’d say the Liberal leadership is his. Redmond and Chapman are both moderates.

  149. 149
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 7:20 pm | Permalink

    But if he does nominate, as the only conservative candidate to nominate so far, i’d say the Liberal leadership is his. Redmond and Chapman are both moderates.

    The moderate votes may stick together though in a 2nd round of voting.

    It is quite possible that MHS is current negotiating for a plum job, e.g. shadow treasurer in return for not running and supporting Williams.

  150. 150
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 7:30 pm | Permalink

    Hmm, can’t find it online anywhere…

    ABC News confirm Williams and Redmond have nominated, along with Chapman who nominated yesterday.

  151. 151
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 7:33 pm | Permalink

    They also said that Griffiths will be running again for deputy leader.

  152. 152
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 10:37 pm | Permalink

    Monday 6th June… (even though it still isn’t, but who knows what they put in the water at the Tiser…)

    THE Liberal leadership ballot is shaping up as a two-horse race - with the winner to become the state's first female head of a major political party.

    Legal affairs spokeswoman Isobel Redmond and former environment spokesman Mitch Williams yesterday declared they would stand against former deputy leader Vickie Chapman for leadership of the party.

    Incumbent leader Martin Hamilton-Smith is increasingly likely to announce this morning he will not stand, because party sources say his support is switching to Ms Redmond.

    Ms Redmond was elected deputy leader in Saturday's vote in which Mr Hamilton-Smith beat Ms Chapman for the leadership – by only one vote (11 votes to 10).

    Party sources said Ms Redmond could count on at least 10 votes, with at least three of Ms Chapman's votes – considered "anti-Marty" votes rather than "pro-Chapman" – expected to swing behind Ms Redmond.

    This would leave Mr Williams with a slim coterie of votes, and either Ms Redmond or Ms Chapman as the state's first female leader of a major political party.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

    Still no mention of Williams?

  153. 153
    bob1234
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 10:37 pm | Permalink

    I speak too soon.

    Mr Williams said he would stand for the leadership in an attempt to bring an end to the destabilisation of the party.

  154. 154
    ShowsOn
    Posted Sunday, July 5, 2009 at 11:31 pm | Permalink

    I speak too soon.

    You left out the funny bit:

    My view always was that if Martin Hamilton-Smith did not stand I would," he said.

    "However, even at this stage, even if Mr Hamilton-Smith was going to run again I would still stand. (This) should have been resolved two weeks ago."

    What I think they should do is ALL stand, and every week ONE person is voted out, until there are only 2 left, then home viewers get to choose. The winner can be announced on Stateline S.A.

  155. 155
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 12:24 am | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25737091-16382,00.html

    The media really really really need to stop treating the Sunday Mail 64/36 metro poll as if it were statewide.

  156. 156
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 12:56 am | Permalink

    The media really really really need to stop treating the Sunday Mail 64/36 metro poll as if it were statewide.

    Yeah, but isn’t it kind of funny that the Liberals are having a complete meltdown when the poll result was bad, but not any worse than at the last election?

  157. 157
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 1:20 am | Permalink

    Yeah, but isn’t it kind of funny that the Liberals are having a complete meltdown when the poll result was bad, but not any worse than at the last election?

    They cared more about the impression the poll gave. Well timed by the Sunday Mail… it was just the last nail in the coffin, after Dodgy-gate, and the disaster that was the Frome by-election, where they went backward on the ALP v Lib 2pp, and lost the seat after preference distribution to an independent.

  158. 158
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 1:22 am | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25737957-5006787,00.html

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25738101-601,00.html

    SOUTH Australia's Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith is likely to stand down today, claiming he is a victim of a "factional stitch-up".

    It really is rich of MHS, considering how he got in to parliament in 1997, and how he unsuccessfully challenged Kerin for the leadership, then Evans. He can dish it out but he can’t take it.

  159. 159
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 1:24 am | Permalink

    Mr Hamilton-Smith was giving nothing away when told by The Australian that most Liberal MPs were expecting him to stand down today.

    "Oh really, oh really?" he said. "We'll just have to wait and see.

    "Do not believe anything anyone is telling you other than what you hear from my mouth, because people have been feeding you (the media) a whole lot of shit for several weeks to suit their own factional agenda."

    HAHAHA, shit huh? That language doesn’t suit a leader of a major party!

    :D

  160. 160
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 1:26 am | Permalink

    Senior Liberal Party sources said Mr Hamilton-Smith, a former SAS commander, appeared shellshocked when Saturday's result came in 11-10, with one anonymous MP abstaining. He immediately told the fractured partyroom he would stand down.

    But veteran MPs Ivan Venning and Graham Gunn talked him out of that move, which would have delivered the leadership to Ms Chapman.

    The conservatives are furious!! :D

  161. 161
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 2:14 am | Permalink

    Redmond is my local member and whilst I do not in any way support her or her policies and put her second to last at the previous election, based on my dealing with her i’d have to say she seems like quite a nice lady (although i think i remember hearing something about her being involved in some dodgy litigation), far better than Downer (scum of the Earth) or his replacement (junior scum hack import bugger who in no way represents me in Canberra, which is why we need PR). I was also impressed with her efforts to prevent the banning of ‘hookers’ (not prostitutes but those pipes that catapillas and Arabs smoke. Are they spelled the same?). However I do not want to see her leader for two reasons 1: selfishly I don’t want the opposition leader as my local member because that will make it harder to remove her and 2: If I have reasonbly favourable opinion of her then it would follow that others would too and so she could do well for the Libs at the election.

  162. 162
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 2:24 am | Permalink

    Yes, Heysen is the best lower house seat for the Greens (as it was for the Democrats) and Redmond as Liberal leader would most likely help her. Though what i’m hoping for, and what may well come true, is that Redmond has almost the same level of intelligence that Chapman has. If Redmond does gain the Liberal leadership, I hope she stuffs up big time when the election campaign proper rolls around, and causes a bundle of votes to go to the Greens in protest, and win the seat.

    To have the other side take a leader’s seat is one feat, but for a minor party to unseat a leader, now that’s something!

  163. 163
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 2:26 am | Permalink

    Oh come on William, how on earth in anything I said in reply have caused it to be locked in awaiting moderation? I honestly can’t see a single word in it that might have caused it. Sigh.

    Come back later to read my reply Molotov.

  164. 164
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 2:57 am | Permalink

    The spam filter just catches innocent comments sometimes. Nothing to do with me.

  165. 165
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:49 am | Permalink

    Bob123

    If Redmond does gain the Liberal leadership, I hope she stuffs up big time when the election campaign proper rolls around, and causes a bundle of votes to go to the Greens in protest, and win the seat.

    For that to work it would have to be a stuff up of MHS-ian proportions. One day it will be a Greens seat but i don’t think it will be at the 2010 election – either 2014 or 2018.

  166. 166
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 5:16 am | Permalink

    Bob, the funny thing is that Joh Bonkers- Petersen found himself in a very similar position years ago when he was considered weak and incoherent as Premier leading to a challenge to his leadership. He phoned people all night before the vote which was drawn but gave himself the casting vote and went on to be an extreme and incoherent Premier for years.

    It isn’t over till the votes are counted and absolutely anything could happen with this amount of heat and pressure. Thanks for the updates so far, it has been like someone commentating at a circus, very entertaining all weekend with yet more to come.

  167. 167
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 5:30 am | Permalink

    Ahh, catapillers and Arabs suck on smoking hot HOOKAHS ;)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah

  168. 168
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 5:32 am | Permalink

    Mr Hamilton-Smith was giving nothing away when told by The Australian that most Liberal MPs were expecting him to stand down today.

    "Oh really, oh really?" he said. "We'll just have to wait and see.

    This sounds like a typical hardcore Tory who is about to make a fool of his friends at News Ltd. It would be stranger than fiction for a leader to stand down two days after being elected leader. It sounds to me like someone who is going to try and tough it out against the odds as his fearless leader is trying to do at a national level.

  169. 169
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:30 am | Permalink

    News Radio reported about 20 minutes ago that Martin Hamilton Smith WILL run for the leadership.

    However, ABC local radio Adelaide sayd that MHS still hadn’t decided, and would make an announcement later today.

  170. 170
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:40 am | Permalink

    ABC local radio Adelaide just said they believe Iain Evans will be running for leader too!

  171. 171
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:43 am | Permalink

    Christopher Pyne:

    The state Liberal party and the federal Liberal party are very different entities

    What a moron, he can’t even stick up for his political party!

  172. 172
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    (Former Labor Senator) Chris Schacht:

    The best result for the Labor party would be MHS re-elected after 6 ballots, including 4 drawn votes, and a few picks out of the hat.

    No one in the Adelaide metro area knows who Mitch Williams is.

  173. 173
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    Martin Hamilton-Smith will be doing a press conference in 32 minutes.

  174. 174
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:03 am | Permalink

    Will he announce the Leadership Meeting is canceled or his resignation?

  175. 175
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:09 am | Permalink

    Will he announce the Leadership Meeting is canceled or his resignation?

    The Australian and NewsRadio think he will announce he is a candidate on Wednesday.

    ABC Local Radio and The Advertiser think he will announce that he is resigning and won’t re-contest.

  176. 176
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Why would he be a candidate when he has just been chosen leader? It makes no sense.

  177. 177
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:21 am | Permalink

    He’ll be on live here I hope.

    http://www.abc.net.au/adelaide/radio/player.htm?winstream=http://abc.net.au/adelaide/onair/891stream.asx&ramstream=http://abc.net.au/adelaide/onair/891stream.ram

  178. 178
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:32 am | Permalink

    Why would he be a candidate when he has just been chosen leader? It makes no sense.

    Because he wants to win the leadership with more votes.

    I’m starting to think that he will announce his resignation in order to help Mitch Williams win.

    The Australian are now reporting he is likely to stand down, even though he previously said such reports were “shit”:
    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25738101-601,00.html

  179. 179
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:33 am | Permalink

    MHS has JUST announced that he wont be standing as leader.

  180. 180
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:36 am | Permalink

    ShowsOn he might be trying to do a Troy Buswell. Become Shadow Treasurer or something.

  181. 181
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:37 am | Permalink

    ShowsOn he might be trying to do a Troy Buswell. Become Shadow Treasurer or something.

    Good point. Maybe he has decided to support Redmond as long as she makes him Shadow Treasurer.

    Maybe that will be enough to give her more votes than Chapman.

  182. 182
    steve
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:42 am | Permalink

    Press conference on local radio now.

  183. 183
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 1:29 pm | Permalink

    Martin Hamilton-Smith won't say who he wants to replace him as South Australian opposition leader.

    http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sa-liberal-leader-stands-down-20090706-d9jj.html

    I bet he won’t! When the only conservative faction MP running for the leadership was the earliest MP to say you should go, and then resign from your cabinet, you’re not left with much choice are you!

    Good riddance to bad rubbish. Though I will miss seeing what other seats would have fallen to Labor under MHS.

  184. 184
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 2:58 pm | Permalink

    Well, I interpreted his lack of endorsement as a confirmation that he is currently battling behind the scenes for a plum job, e.g. shadow treasury.

    It is quite possible that whoever he votes for will win the contest, because he would have a few factional friends who will be willing support whoever he supports.

  185. 185
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:04 pm | Permalink

    Well he definately won’t support Chapman or Williams, and the fact that those who voted for MHS are giving their vote to Redmond is rather telling.

  186. 186
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:09 pm | Permalink

    Well he definately won’t support Chapman or Williams, and the fact that those who voted for MHS are giving their vote to Redmond is rather telling.

    Williams ultimately voted for MHS remember, I guess because it made it harder for Chapman to win.

    I think MHS would vote for Williams if it increased the chance of Chapman losing.

  187. 187
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:14 pm | Permalink

    I think it would be funny if each candidate (Chapman, Redmond, Williams) gets 7 votes and there is one abstention.

    What do they do then? Play again on Saturday? :D

  188. 188
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:21 pm | Permalink

    Williams ultimately voted for MHS remember, I guess because it made it harder for Chapman to win.

    I think MHS would vote for Williams if it increased the chance of Chapman losing.

    Why not Redmond? That’s where the MHS votes are going to apparently.

  189. 189
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 3:31 pm | Permalink

    Why not Redmond? That’s where the MHS votes are going to apparently.

    Because Redmond effectively challenged him on the day she became deputy leader? :D

    I still think we need some Game Theory experts to explain all the permutations. :D

  190. 190
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 5:51 pm | Permalink

    Fumiest news story background image ever!
    http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/3788/liberalcrack2.jpg

  191. 191
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 6:06 pm | Permalink

    Nice! :D

  192. 192
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 6:55 pm | Permalink

    Adelaide A Current Affair promo:

    Just who is Isobel Redmond?

    Exactly. :D

  193. 193
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 8:13 pm | Permalink

    Crikey’s take.

    http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/07/06/news-flash-another-lib-leader-bites-the-dust/

  194. 194
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 8:28 pm | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,,6704435,00.jpg

    That’s got to be the best photo i’ve ever seen of Isobel Redmond. I’m sure now that MHS has gone, the ‘Tiser will fully swing behind the Liberals again.

  195. 195
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:49 pm | Permalink

    I’m sure now that MHS has gone, the ‘Tiser will fully swing behind the Liberals again.

    The Tiser didn’t support Iain Evans.

  196. 196
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 10:59 pm | Permalink

    The Tiser didn’t support Iain Evans.

    Why would they? He was hopeless right from the beginning, and before that.

  197. 197
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:17 pm | Permalink

    TWO former ministers from the last Liberal government Iain Evans and Rob Lucas are set to be promoted if challenger Isobel Redmond wins tomorrow's leadership ballot.

    Mr Evans was relegated to a minor frontbench role under Martin Hamilton-Smith's leadership while Mr Lucas, who was a former Treasurer, lost his frontbench role entirely.

    Ms Redmond has told The Advertiser she would want to "re-include talent like Mr Lucas and Mr Evans" if she won the ballot, saying: "That talent has been wasted."

    Liberal sources said late yesterday they expected the ballot to be "closer than people think".

    They said there was a groundswell of support for Mitch Williams because many male members of the party were worried about having a female leader.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-2682,00.html

  198. 198
    ShowsOn
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:51 pm | Permalink

    Liberal sources said late yesterday they expected the ballot to be "closer than people think".

    They said there was a groundswell of support for Mitch Williams because many male members of the party were worried about having a female leader.

    Fantastic! Both of these comments suggest that a 7 – 7 – 7 split with one abstention is a possibility!

    Then they can have another leadership spill on Saturday!

  199. 199
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 6, 2009 at 11:56 pm | Permalink

    Fantastic! Both of these comments suggest that a 7 - 7 - 7 split with one abstention is a possibility!

    Then they can have another leadership spill on Saturday!

    Even an 8-7-6 split would crush the party. A three-way leadership contest, with such a small caucus, is never a good idea.

  200. 200
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 12:21 am | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25742263-5006787,00.html

    Another fairly decent wrap-up.

  201. 201
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 12:21 am | Permalink

    Even an 8-7-6 split would crush the party. A three-way leadership contest, with such a small caucus, is never a good idea.

    What happens if there is a 8 – 7 – 7 split?

    How do they decide which candidate is eliminated? Do they have a special ballot just to work out which candidate is excluded from the last ballot? :D

  202. 202
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 12:26 pm | Permalink

    Mitch Williams is an utter joke candidate. He may well end up delivering the leadership to Vickie Chapman if he’s not careful. Isobel Redman would have to be their best bet. She seems a fairly no nonsense sort of character in the limited media coverage I’ve seen of her. She would certainly be a more measured opoosition leader than MHS ever was. Decimated oppositions need safe steady leadership when they have a mountain to climb.

  203. 203
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 1:06 pm | Permalink

    Liberal leadership contender Mitch Williams has backed away from the party's policy to build a sports stadium on the site earmarked for the new Royal Adelaide Hospital.

    Opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith released plans to build a city stadium earlier this year.

    But Mr Williams says he is unsure if the stadium was ever Liberal Party policy.

    "The reality is that I think Martin did get sucked in a little bit on the stadium, in so much as I don't know that the Liberal Party ever had a policy that we were going to build a stadium," he said.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/07/2618858.htm

  204. 204
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 1:15 pm | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25743714-2702,00.html

    Ahh so there’ll be two votes to redistribute the votes of the candidate who comes last.

    Well based on that article, I think Redmond will be leader come tomorrow.

  205. 205
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 2:55 pm | Permalink

    Crikey’s take:

    Life inside the SA Liberals is again beginning to resemble the 1970s split with the wets focussed on internal control while the right is in a panic over how to win an election. The conundrum of the right is whether to let the wets' Vickie Chapman take the leadership while they wait for more members of the right to get elected in 2010 and toss her out. The problem with that is that it repeats the Brown/Olsen challenge that got the party into so much trouble in the mid 90s where a record landslide win in 93 was totally eroded in 97.

    Their chance to axe Chapman is to do her over now. What the party heavyweights are considering is whether to back an Isobel Redmond/Steven Griffiths ticket with two relatively inexperienced MPs at the top that would knock Chapman out of contention and onto the backbench. The residual problem is that her background attack dogs (ex-MP Pratt and current fed MP Chris Pyne) will not take the umpires decision and will cause ongoing disruption. It's time the party formalised its factions, put in place a method of dealing with outbursts of ambition and presented a united face.

    If not, the Chapman mob should be forced out of the party where they will wither and die just as their 1970s predecessors did (The Liberal Movement).

  206. 206
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 3:38 pm | Permalink

    If not, the Chapman mob should be forced out of the party where they will wither and die just as their 1970s predecessors did (The Liberal Movement).

    The Chapman faction IS what remains of The Liberal Movement! Except now it is inside the tent.

  207. 207
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 6:02 pm | Permalink

    LOL! Isobel Redmond, the favourite to win the leadership of the S.A. Liberals tomorrow, was previously a member of the Labor party!

  208. 208
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 6:16 pm | Permalink

    LOL! Isobel Redmond, the favourite to win the leadership of the S.A. Liberals tomorrow, was previously a member of the Labor party!

    Source?

  209. 209
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 6:22 pm | Permalink

    Source?

    10 News

  210. 210
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 8:13 pm | Permalink

    Seems spell-check isn’t working at the ‘Tiser today…

    TWO men have been arrested over a robbery at a northern suburbs bus stop.

    A Hillcrest man, 28, and a Holden Hill man, 31, were charged with aggravated robbery and theft after robbing a person near a bus stop on North East Rd, Mobury, on Sunday June 5.

    The men were bailed to appear in the Hodlen Hill Magistrates Court at a later date.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25746118-2682,00.html

  211. 211
    Brenton
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 8:29 pm | Permalink

    Will Isobel Redmond get rid of all the fundamentalist Christians who have infiltrated the South Australian Liberal Party????? Time will tell!!!!!

  212. 212
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:18 pm | Permalink

    On http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/news/state/ ….

    Libs split on leader - again

    VOTING for the Liberal Party leadership has narrowed rapidly with some senior number-crunchers tipping former deputy Vickie Chapman will win today's ballot by 12 votes to 10.

    The article is yet to be updated though.

  213. 213
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:58 pm | Permalink

    Here it is:

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25731562-5006301,00.html

    VOTING for the Liberal Party leadership has narrowed rapidly with number-crunchers tipping former deputy Vickie Chapman will win today's ballot by 12 votes to 10.

    The three contenders – Ms Chapman, current deputy Isobel Redmond and former frontbencher Mitch Williams – were all working feverishly yesterday to shore up votes for the make-or-break vote in Parliament House at 10am.

    One of the former leader Martin Hamilton-Smith's strongest supporters told The Advertiser yesterday his gut feeling was Ms Chapman had her nose in front.

    "She is putting in a big effort," he said.

    Ms Redmond's supporters said they believed they had at least 10 votes locked in, but both sides admitted there was likely to be a sudden shift in votes just before the party room ballot.

  214. 214
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:59 pm | Permalink

    Woah, I can’t believe Chapman is favourite.

    Now that Hamilton-Smith has gone, I wonder if Robert Gerard will stick to his threat of ending donations?

    Federal party figures also said there had been threats made to state Liberal MPs that unless Mr Hamilton-Smith remained leader, the state branch's biggest donor, wealthy Adelaide businessman Robert Gerard, would cut off the flow of funds to the cash-strapped party.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25716165-2702,00.html

    Apparently Gerard’s contributions to the Liberals at the during the last state election was 50% of their total donations.

  215. 215
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:01 pm | Permalink

    Ms Redmond's supporters said they believed they had at least 10 votes locked in, but both sides admitted there was likely to be a sudden shift in votes just before the party room ballot.

    I wonder if Chapman supporters have just fed this story to the media to try to encourage others to support Chapman to make the result conclusive?

    The worst result of all would be if after Wiliams is excluded, Chapman and Redmond both get 11 votes. but the second worse result would be 12 to 10 either way.

  216. 216
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:23 pm | Permalink

    I hope Chapman gets in. I want to see more Liberal seats fall to Labor :D

  217. 217
    bob1234
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:25 pm | Permalink

    I wonder if Chapman supporters have just fed this story to the media to try to encourage others to support Chapman to make the result conclusive?

    Well considering the following:

    One of the former leader Martin Hamilton-Smith's strongest supporters told The Advertiser yesterday his gut feeling was Ms Chapman had her nose in front.

    "She is putting in a big effort," he said.

    Ms Redmond's supporters said they believed they had at least 10 votes locked in, but both sides admitted there was likely to be a sudden shift in votes just before the party room ballot.

    Comes from “one of MHS’s strongest supporters”, and the last bit comes from Redmond supporters, I don’t reckon it’s a ploy by Chapman supporters… but who knows.

  218. 218
    ShowsOn
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:47 pm | Permalink

    Comes from “one of MHS’s strongest supporters”

    This person could just be pretending to be a MHS supporter. I mean how exactly would the journalist know how the person voted in a secret ballot?

  219. 219
    Rebecca
    Posted Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 11:52 pm | Permalink

    I’ve gotta say, I’ve got no clue why they’re so keen to go for Chapman as leader. She’s got less charisma than any other leader I’ve ever seen except Eric Ripper. If they’re stupid enough to go with her, it’ll be a very entertaining election night – and hopefully we’ll be saying buh-bye to folks like Pisoni.

    I suspect Williams-Redmond ticket would be far more successful, and would in all probability take a few seats off Liberals, but the state Liberals seem to be rather short of strategic sense. So I shall be looking forward to election night 2010 then…

  220. 220
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:38 am | Permalink

    In the Australian

    "The partyroom is largely polarised. There are just a handful, maybe six of us, who sit in the middle on it."

    A senior party figure aligned to Mr Hamilton-Smith's camp later said there was a lot of bitterness toward Ms Chapman and her supporters, including federal frontbencher and moderate faction powerbroker Christopher Pyne.

    and here in comments ShowsOn says:

    The Chapman faction IS what remains of The Liberal Movement! Except now it is inside the tent.

    I didn’t realize Pyne was a moderate but okay – if that is the case and Chapmen represents the small ‘l’ within the party then why does Pyne have bitterness towards her?
    Is Chapmen really the moderate I have to barrack for? She is painful! Actually I suppose its a good thing if she’s elected – her being ‘moderate’ (sic) might move the middleground that the parties argue over slightly to the Left which may mean slightly less Rightwing ALP government policies plus the fact that personality wise she is not so charming and so not a vote winner makes her the perfect candidate. On the otherhand I think I couldn’t really stand seeing her face in the media all the time so perhaps my local MP Redmond will have to do. Otherwise I don’t really care – they are all conservative dinosaurs of an obsolete age anyway.

  221. 221
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:10 am | Permalink

    I didn’t realize Pyne was a moderate but okay - if that is the case and Chapmen represents the small ‘l’ within the party then why does Pyne have bitterness towards her?

    Pyne and Chapman are moderates and Pyne supports Chapman. You’re reading it wrong.

    A senior party figure aligned to Mr Hamilton-Smith's camp later said there was a lot of bitterness toward Ms Chapman and her supporters, including federal frontbencher and moderate faction powerbroker Christopher Pyne.

    This is saying that the MHS camp has a lot of bitterness to Chapman and her supporters which include Pyne.

  222. 222
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 2:25 am | Permalink

    Ah
    Thanks Bob1234

  223. 223
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:07 am | Permalink

    Isobel Redmond wins 13 to 9.

  224. 224
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:07 am | Permalink

    Bah! I wanted that hapless Chapman to win! :D

  225. 225
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Her deputy will be finance spokesman Steve Griffiths, who beat Mitch Williams 8 votes to 6.

  226. 226
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:27 am | Permalink

    I hope Redmond blows up and Heysen falls to the Greens :D

  227. 227
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:32 am | Permalink

    http://www.saliberal.org.au/index.php/house-of-assembly/79-isobel-redmond-mp

    Isobel Redmond MP
    State Member for Heysen
    Leader of the Opposition

    Gee they’re quick!!

  228. 228
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:33 am | Permalink

    http://www.saliberal.org.au/index.php

    And on the right!

    http://martin2010.com.au/

    This site is temporarily unavailable.

    Please check back shortly.

    Hahahaha

  229. 229
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:42 am | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25749782-5013945,00.html

    But new deputy leader Isobel Redmond, whose claim of being a political cleanskin and circuit-breaker for weeks of leadership tension has seen her emerge as favourite in today's ballot, was a central figure in a strategy meeting in Mr Hamilton-Smith's office the day the documents were used against the government.

    This was the first strategy meeting Ms Redmond, a former lawyer and the then opposition legal affairs spokeswoman, had attended. She was present for the entire meeting, during which she was shown the documents and the accompanying questions, and asked if she approved.

    "She specifically asked in the meeting, 'Where have these (documents) come from?' She was specifically told they came from a highly placed Labor source," an insider told The Australian.

    Expect Labor to talk about this a lot.

  230. 230
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:46 am | Permalink

    But new deputy leader Isobel Redmond, whose claim of being a political cleanskin and circuit-breaker for weeks of leadership tension has seen her emerge as favourite in today's ballot, was a central figure in a strategy meeting in Mr Hamilton-Smith's office the day the documents were used against the government.

    This was the first strategy meeting Ms Redmond, a former lawyer and the then opposition legal affairs spokeswoman, had attended. She was present for the entire meeting, during which she was shown the documents and the accompanying questions, and asked if she approved.

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25749782-5013945,00.html

  231. 231
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:47 am | Permalink

    For the first time since the fake documents scandal erupted on April 28, the exact role and level of involvement of these key senior MPs can be revealed. At the strategy meeting were Mr Hamilton-Smith, his communications director Kevin Naughton, Ms Chapman, Ms Redmond and Mr Williams. Also present was frontbencher David Pisoni, who a day earlier had received the documents in a large yellow envelope, posted anonymously to him at Parliament House.

    Ms Chapman, who arrived after Ms Redmond, sat away from a central table, at Mr Hamilton-Smith's desk, and so did not see the documents. Mr Williams also was late, and after scanning prepared questions, left the meeting without viewing the documents, which later proved to be fakes.

    Seems Redmond was the worst choice of the lot!

  232. 232
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:50 am | Permalink

    Ms Redmond will hold her first media conference as Opposition leader at 11.30 am

    http://www.independentweekly.com.au/news/local/news/general/isobel-redmond-new-liberal-leader/1562383.aspx

    I wonder if it’ll be broadcast anywhere…

  233. 233
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 11:56 am | Permalink

    I wonder if it’ll be broadcast anywhere…

    Probably on 891 AM.

  234. 234
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:01 pm | Permalink

    Bah, all the TV News is dominated by Jackson. The SA Liberals are more important!

  235. 235
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:02 pm | Permalink

    Probably on 891 AM.

    Not as yet…

  236. 236
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:06 pm | Permalink

    891 AM – Redmond conference at midday.

  237. 237
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:39 pm | Permalink

    http://twitter.com/PremierMikeRann/statuses/2524421435

    Congrats to Isobel Redmond on being elected Leader of Opposition in SA. Its time for Lib infighting to stop.

    Mmhm. Rann wants the Libs as much as I do to continue their infighting. He might say it but honestly, who’d believe it…?

  238. 238
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:53 pm | Permalink

    Well none of the TV stations or 891 have broadcast the Redmond conference…

  239. 239
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 12:58 pm | Permalink

    891 ABC broadcasting it now.

  240. 240
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:08 pm | Permalink

    It was only a brief clip.

  241. 241
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:11 pm | Permalink

    Sigh, looks like we’ll have to put up with her in my neck of the woods for at least 4 and a bit more years.

  242. 242
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:23 pm | Permalink

    Sigh, looks like we’ll have to put up with her in my neck of the woods for at least 4 and a bit more years.

    As I said, she’s smarter than Chapman but only just. I think there’s a reasonable chance she’ll stuff up big time prior to election day, potentially driving voters to the Greens in Heysen, the electorate that polled highest for the Greens at the last election. The Green vote has doubled in Newspoll since the last election, so I think the Greens will easily poll in the 20s/30s, maybe higher if she stuffs up.

  243. 243
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:28 pm | Permalink

    http://www.borderwatch.com.au/archives/3308

    The Labor government has opened a raging $1.10 favourite with leading election bookmaker Centrebet to retain power next year, with the Liberal Party under new leader Isobel Redmond now a long $6.25 outsider.

    Centrebet media chief and political analyst Neil Evans said the struggling Liberals had clawed back some ground under Martin Hamilton-Smith, but this had evaporated after the “dodgy documents” scandal and leadership struggle.

    “It has been a savage blow twofold, not just because Hamilton-Smith had been a strong leader at a time when the SA Liberals had lost key electoral ground, but also his demise opened up a reportedly fragmented party,” Mr Evans said.

    “In key regional voting areas, the Liberals have suffered a disastrous swing, and right now there seems to be a general public acceptance of the government’s performance from both sides of voting politics.

  244. 244
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:32 pm | Permalink

    Gotta love vexnews…

    The South Australian Liberal party room has selected homely Isobel Redmond to be its next leader, repudiating Liberal Left numbers-man Chrissy Pyne who backed her old-money noblesse oblige opponent Chapman, by 13 votes to 9.

    http://www.vexnews.com/news/5229/fresh-start-sa-libs-to-rise-from-the-ashes-with-redmond/

  245. 245
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:47 pm | Permalink

    891 doing an extended broadcast of the interview.

  246. 246
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:49 pm | Permalink

    SNIP: Stupid comment deleted – The Management.

  247. 247
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 1:56 pm | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25750660-5006301,00.html

    God she’s ugly.

  248. 248
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 2:58 pm | Permalink

    Sober in substance as well as style, Redmond provided this intriguing quote to The Advertiser in 2002: "I drink lemon squash because on one famous occasion, I disgraced myself so badly I haven't had alcohol since".

    http://www.pollbludger.com/sa2006/heysen.htm

  249. 249
    bob1234
    Posted Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 9:54 pm | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/comments/0,22638,25750660-5006301,00.html

    According to one of the comments, Chapman made a freudian slip on ABC news tonight – she “pledged her uncommitted-opps unconditional support to the new leader”

    :D

  250. 250
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 1:06 am | Permalink

    Y’know what’s a shame?

    We’ll never know what Newspoll under Dodgygate MHS would have looked like.

  251. 251
    Bird of paradox
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 1:54 am | Permalink

    The Green vote has doubled in Newspoll since the last election, so I think the Greens will easily poll in the 20s/30s, maybe higher if she stuffs up.

    Careful there. The Greens vote statewide may double, but the vote in their best seat will probably increase by a smaller proportion than that. Similar idea: some marginal ALP/Lib seats swung by 10%+ to Labor in the last federal election, but not the safe Labor ones – less room for improvement. With SA Labor being inevitably less popular than in 2006, I can see the Greens finishing second, but I’d be surprised if they got over 25%.

    (Of course, I probably said the same thing about Fremantle at last year’s state election, and was quite happily proven wrong. Does the Molotov have any inside info on Heysen?)

  252. 252
    Rebecca
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 1:56 am | Permalink

    According to one of the comments, Chapman made a freudian slip on ABC news tonight – she “pledged her uncommitted-opps unconditional support to the new leader”

    Oh, that’s gold. True, though. I’d suggest the odds of Redmond losing the election and being forced out while Chapman and Williams spar over her political corpse…rather better than $6.25.

  253. 253
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 1:41 pm | Permalink

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25754271-7583,00.html
    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25754272-5006787,00.html
    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25754268-12339,00.html

    Mmm, not hard to tell who News Ltd is barracking for…

  254. 254
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 1:47 pm | Permalink

    Does the Molotov have any inside info on Heysen?

    Yes. … Full Stop. I don’t really know what would be wise to make public though so I won’t say anything. I don’t think the Greens can win in 2010 – 2014 maybe.

    Something I am willing to discuss but which is of very little significants: many years ago when my 1/2 American mate took us ‘trick or treating’ we went to Redmonds door and she’d bothered to dress up the place with spooky stuff and her daughter gave us loads of good loot. I also played a boardgame with one of her sons once: ‘Monopoly’ of course! – bloody torys.

  255. 255
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 2:00 pm | Permalink

    I also played a boardgame with one of her sons once: ‘Monopoly’ of course! - bloody torys.

    LOL

  256. 256
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 2:02 pm | Permalink

    I don’t think the Greens can win in 2010 - 2014 maybe.

    If Isobel does stuff up or the public still think the Libs are a joke, I dare say the Greens have a better chance in 2010, than in 2014 where the Libs will have more choices to pick from for leader. 2010 is a perfect storm for the Greens where the public aren’t happy with either party. Albiet more the Libs than Labor.

  257. 257
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 2:03 pm | Permalink

    I must say though, a 51% approval and 34% disapproval rating for Rann is pretty damn good considering he’s been leader since 1994 and Premier since 2002.

  258. 258
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 2:04 pm | Permalink

    Can anyone tell me the last time, state or federal, that there had been the same Labor leader for 15+ years?

  259. 259
    Antony GREEN
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 3:48 pm | Permalink

    Bob Carr, 1988-2005

  260. 260
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

    Bob Carr, 1988-2005

    Oh wow, that late.

    Thanks :)

  261. 261
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 4:55 pm | Permalink

    Though in SA, if one considers all party leaders, I believe Rann is the longest in history, Playford aside.

  262. 262
    Tom the first and best
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 5:59 pm | Permalink

    251

    It is true that marginals do often swing more than safe seats but it is quite possible that swings to the Greens are stronger in safe seats.

  263. 263
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 10:05 pm | Permalink

    It is true that marginals do often swing more than safe seats but it is quite possible that swings to the Greens are stronger in safe seats.

    I wonder if Possum has done a graph comparing individual seat swings at the 2007 federal election…

  264. 264
    bob1234
    Posted Thursday, July 9, 2009 at 10:55 pm | Permalink

    Ms Redmond yesterday found herself defending her position, less than 24 hours after being elected leader.

    The Government was gloating after she said on radio that whether convicted murderer Bevan Spencer Von Einem was released or not would depend on circumstances.

    She would be hesitant, however, to move against a recommendation of the Parole Board, she said.

    Soon after the radio interview, Ms Redmond called her first press conference as leader and said she needed to clarify the situation.

    "I want to make it absolutely clear there is no possibility of Von Einem ever being released from prison," she said. "It is clear to me he is an unrepentant person who has committed the most heinous crimes."

    She described the Government's attack on her over the issue as "an appalling political tactic".

    They were prepared to "dredge up the most preposterous scenarios", Ms Redmond said.

    "I know the Government is out to target me," she said. "Anyone can call this a hiccup if they want. I don't consider it a hiccup."

    While she said Von Einem would not be released, Ms Redmond said that, as a rule, government should not interfere with the recommendations of the Parole Board "otherwise you end up with a government that decides who is going to be in jail and who is not".

    Attorney-General Michael Atkinson said Ms Redmond was "throwing political baggage overboard on day one".

    He said all the convicted murderers whose release was vetoed by the Rann Government now would be free on the streets if she were Premier.

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25758518-5006301,00.html

  265. 265
    bob1234
    Posted Friday, July 10, 2009 at 12:45 pm | Permalink

    I wonder if someone can tell me how they think the boundary redistribution will affect the Green vote in Heysen based on 2006 booths?

  266. 266
    Antony GREEN
    Posted Friday, July 10, 2009 at 1:54 pm | Permalink

    It falls from 17.7% to 16.6%

  267. 267
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 4:09 am | Permalink

    Thanks Antony :)

  268. 268
    bob1234
    Posted Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 4:18 am | Permalink

    Liberal sources say the growing number of "yuppies" in the Stirling-Bridgewater-Mt Barker area will ensure the party keeps its stranglehold on those seats.

    They believe the only credible challenges to a Liberal MP could come from an independent or from the Greens.

    The former foreign minister and member for the Hills seat of Mayo from 1984 to 2008, Alexander Downer, has a simple explanation for why the area keeps putting Liberals into Parliament. "It is because Hills people are more intelligent," he says. "The ALP has never won a seat in the Hills."

    http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25763346-2682,00.html

    What a pompous wanker!

  269. 269
    Tom the first and best
    Posted Saturday, July 11, 2009 at 6:37 pm | Permalink

    268

    Downer included a high proportion of academics and university graduates as one of the reasons that the Liberal do so well. Are they all high end academics and university graduates mainly from non Art/social faculties and professions? Or has Downer forgotten the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s not to mention the Howard Governments higher education policies and the reasons behind them?

  270. 270
    The Heysen Molotov
    Posted Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 4:11 pm | Permalink

    Julia Bishop also grew up in the Adelaide hills.

    What a pompous wanker!

    Everything he ever says burns me up. He was the worst.

  271. 271
    bob1234
    Posted Monday, July 13, 2009 at 8:44 am | Permalink

    One senior Liberal MP said glumly after the leadership ballot in which Ms Redmond beat Vickie Chapman and Mitch Williams she would be "all right ... she was the best choice in a shit sandwich".

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25770690-5006787,00.html