The spectacle of Australia’s longest-serving Premier announcing his retirement after a tap on the shoulder from a little-known union official has excited much comparison with Labor’s recent leadership shenanigans federally and in New South Wales
Politics / Australia / SA
Carr: Rann didn’t deserve to be booted
It should have been Mike Rann’s decision on when he would leave his spot as SA Premier, not a backroom party deal, says former NSW Premier Bob Carr.
Not a knife in the back but a club to the back of the head
They will be able to say in South Australia that the assassination of a Premier was done without spilling blood. The man is still politically dead but Rann’s statement that he is stepping down makes it look cleaner, writes Richard Farmer.
How Rann compares to other Labor premiers
SA Premier Mike Rann has announced he will stand down and hand the reins to Education Minister Jay Weatherill after months of poor polling. William Bowe compares Rann’s polling to other premiers.
Suppression-happy SA leaves naming of charged MP to social media
Can you guess the name of the South Australian MP who can’t be named on alleged child pornography charges?
Sunday Mail: 58-42 to Liberal in SA
The Sunday Mail/Adelaide Advertiser’s latest in-house poll has the South Australian Labor government’s primary vote at a mere 25 percent, leveling out at 58-42 two party-preferred, writes William Bowe.
Newspoll: 54-46 to Liberals in SA
The latest quarterly state Newspoll for South Australia offers Labor something they have become unaccustomed to: a result less bad than the last. The Liberal two-party lead is now at 54-46, down from 56-44, writes William Bowe.
What a plank: SA AG’s office mulls planking ban
South Australia is considering outlawing “precipitous” planking attempts as the increasingly-popular social media-fueled craze puts the fragile lives of the state’s vulnerable youth at serious risk.
SA Premier, minister, in the gun for attacking lawyers
The president of the South Australian Bar Association has ripped into the Premier Mike Rann and his Police Minister Kevin Foley for attacking defence lawyers arising from an alleged assault on Foley, writes Des Ryan, editor of online Adelaide newspaper InDaily.
The Point Lowly desal plant that’s got SA squabbling
BHP Billiton refuses to back down from its controversial plans to build a desalination plant at Point Lowly, South Australia, despite fears of significant environmental damage, explains Esther Ooi.
Australia’s trillion-dollar land swindle
Missing from the government’s 96-page report into mining in the WPA is discussion of a potential windfall or special dividend for the original pre-1947 residents of the area, writes Luke Miller.
Embattled Rann government loses key minister
Embattled South Australian Premier Mike Rann has lost a key frontbencher, with Bernard Finnigan resigning from Cabinet.
Adelaide’s gossip mill in overdrive over MP porn charges
A blanket suppression order covers the identity of a South Australian state Labor MP who has been charged with possessing child p-rnography. But Adelaide is gossiping, and it’s all bad news for Labor, says InDaily editor Des Ryan.
Advertiser: 60-40 to Liberals in SA
While The Advertiser’s latest poll sample is small, it adds to an impression of a government in South Australia in terminal decline and a Premier long past his use-by date, writes William Bowe.
Newspoll: 56-44 to Liberal in SA
Newspoll has published its first poll of state voting intention in South Australia since Labor’s lucky escape at last year’s election. After limping to a majority at the election, the poll now finds Labor trailing 56-44, reports William Bowe.
Australia has a dancing Senator, the House of Commons an air guitarist
Our Senate might have SA Liberal Senator Mary Jo Fisher dancing the Hokey Pokey in her speech against a carbon price but Britain’s House of Commons has an air guitarist. Rock on! writes Richard Farmer.
Sunday Mail poll: 54-46 to Liberal in SA
The Sunday Mail’s small sample South Australian poll suggests the government is suffering a garden-variety bout of third term malaise, with the Liberals leading 54-46 on two-party preferred, writes William Bowe.
SA govt breakdown: Foley dogged by questions after quitting Treasury
The one clear outcome, now that Labor’s political jostles are temporarily coming to an end, is the Good Ship South Australia remains under the firm grip of the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association at the helm, writes Des Ryan, editor of Indaily.
Political donations: SA and Tassie rolling in election dough
Political donations data released by the Australian Electoral Commission yesterday shows a multi-million jump in donations for South Australia and Tasmania — the two states that held elections over the audit period.
Memo to Pyne: you’re reading the wrong history curriculum
When it comes to Christopher Pyne, lawyer, republican and politician, a couple of things. First, as a lawyer, it is always important to read documents carefully, writes Tony Taylor co-editor of the upcoming History Wars and the Classroom: Global Perspectives.
Wong: in the name of equality, Labor must adopt gay marriage
Labor Finance Minister Senator Penny Wong took to the floor of the South Australian Labor Party convention over the weekend to advocate for gay marriage (a motion passed to push the issue at next year’s national conference). This is her speech to the convention.
As decision testing ABCC laws looms, Tribe stands tall for mates
A decision in the Ark Tribe case is expected to be handed down in Adelaide tomorrow, as a new poll shows the public supports the union’s role in protecting safety on building and construction sites. Ava Hubble reports for Crikey.
Crikey Says: Abbott’s judiciary thought bubble
A big day in the High Court today, with two decisions set to cause waves. Both are potentially politically unpalatable decisions for Prime Minister Julia Gillard and South Australian Premier Mike Rann.
Lance Armstrong: ‘dancing on the pedals*’ all the way to the bank — again
Over the years the speculation over how much Lance Armstrong has been paid for each visit to ride here varies between $1.5 million and $3 million … but the SA government is being shy about saying.
