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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-13 Daily Xml
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State Election

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:49): There is an election next year. I am sure that has not escaped anyone's attention here, and it certainly has not escaped anyone's attention out there beyond these walls.

It is becoming increasingly clear that Grant Stevens and Nicola Spurrier have done a good job leading us through the crisis, but we are now coming to the stage where real leadership is required, and we have a Premier who just has the wrong priorities. In truth, we have seen these wrong priorities on display even during the lead-up to the crisis. We had a failure to address ramping, we had the cutting of hundreds of health staff and nurses, and we also had the proposed privatisation of SA Pathology.

Indeed, as recently as this budget we saw the Premier, Steven Marshall, prioritising a $662 million basketball stadium that nobody asked for and that nobody particularly wants. It is not because South Australia hates stadiums, it is just because everyone, apart from the Premier it seems, realises that right now there are more pressing concerns: ramping, doctors on strike, a housing and homelessness crisis, GP clinics closing in regional areas, not to mention the loss of $90 billion and thousands of defence jobs that were scrapped.

The question is here. It has arrived in the minds of many, both in this place and outside of here: what has Steven Marshall been doing? Let us have a look at that. He has been taking the regional out of regional health, he has been taking the human out of human services, he has been taking the public out of public transport, he has even now managed to take the Liberal out of the Liberal Party.

South Australians know we do not need a leader who says, 'I'm not aware of that. I don't have those details,' when confronted with real, honest to God problems like ramping, palliative care, or the fact that you have just lost your job. Does anyone think taking a hands-off approach to hands-on problems is actually working? I do not believe, the Labor Party does not believe, and increasingly members of the Liberal Party do not believe, that Steven Marshall is strong enough to fight an internal factional war against members of his own party and battle the health crisis.

The Labor Party stands ready. We stand united. However, in truth, you need more than just being united as a team. You need values and you need policies. We in Labor understand that. Instead of just passing SA off as a great place to live, we need a government that prioritises keeping it that way.

In less than six months, South Australians can choose a fresh and united team that is willing and able to deliver stable government, that is united on bringing our trains and trams back into public hands, that is united on promoting jobs that make it here and make it well—not cutting, privatising or attacking industries like we have seen in health, local government and defence.

We are united on promoting solutions like hydrogen for the betterment not only of the environment but also to make us a powerhouse for future jobs. We are united on solving the ramping crisis, with a commitment of $600 million already promised to assist that, including $100 million for regional health. We are united behind a leader we actually like, whose company we enjoy, who we feel understands the problems facing South Australia.

In the lead-up to the March election I am genuinely excited about the vision that Labor has already commenced laying out for the future of our state. I look forward to the election and I know that those of us on this side in the Labor Party do as well. I think South Australians are gagging for it. We are ready for the next election. We are ready to deliver a fair go for South Australians. Bring it on.

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