2018 South Australian State Election

[Norman]

Liberals push underground CBD train link, non-stop South Rd and O-Bahn extension for new infrastructure panel
Daniel Wills, State Political Editor, The Advertiser
an hour ago

A TOP 10 list of infrastructure projects including an underground CBD train link, non-stop South Rd and O-Bahn extension would be examined by experts under Liberal plans.

The Advertiser can reveal Opposition Leader Steven Marshall’s hit list of projects to be considered by a new infrastructure body if the Liberals win this weekend’s election.

As at the last state election, the Liberals are promising to establish an agency to develop a 20-year state infrastructure plan and prioritise projects based on economic merit.

Called Infrastructure SA, it is modelled on a similar federal department and Mr Marshall says a state agency would end infrastructure pork-barrelling based on political agendas.

In contrast, Labor has announced a $2 billion package it says will be delivered if it wins on Saturday including elimination of seven level crossings, a new Spencer Gulf port and tram lines to Norwood and through North Adelaide.

The Liberal policy does not commit them to delivering particular projects, but identifies 10 for close scrutiny.

They include completion of a traffic-light free South Rd from Gawler to Port Noarlunga, sealing the Strzelecki Track in SA’s north and eliminating level crossings in Adelaide.

Also on the list is an Eyre Peninsula port, city trams, taking the O-Bahn to Golden Grove and an underground rail link to connect north and south passenger trains.

The Liberals would also consider finishing the Gawler train electrification.

The Liberals’ GlobeLink plan for a new freight airport, freeway and relocation of heavy train lines was announced with fanfare last year and has been put on Infrastructure SA’s to-do list.

Mr Marshall also wants to examine possible light rail, commercial, retail, residential and recreational developments near Port Adelaide to support the $90 billion shipbuilding program at Osborne.

“Infrastructure is central to everything a good government does,” Mr Marshall said.

“We must make the most of the expertise we have, not only in government but in the wider community, to guide and implement our infrastructure planning.

“We have seen what happens when plans are short-sighted, ill-conceived, badly implemented and driven by short-term political motives rather than what is best for all of us now and into the future.”

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan has dismissed Infrastructure SA as just “another Liberal Party committee” which would bring progress to a “screeching halt”.

POLICY POLICE
What? Liberals reveal top 10 infrastructure projects they would consider building in government.

How? A new body, Infrastructure SA, would be made up of experts to deliver a long-term plan and rank projects based on economic bang for buck.

Pub test? The Liberals get to put a lot of flashy things on the agenda without promising to follow through on any. Makes sense to get them properly checked, but many people want certainty.

Sure, an infrastructure assessment panel does sound good, but given that nothing will be committed to for years while the panel is created and assessments are being done, they should at least release a few projects they can get started almost immediately.

[Nathan]

This, alongside their tram network announcement, both look like a way of touting some fancy things without having to commit to anything or be hold accountable.

[Waewick]

Liberals push underground CBD train link, non-stop South Rd and O-Bahn extension for new infrastructure panel
Daniel Wills, State Political Editor, The Advertiser
an hour ago

A TOP 10 list of infrastructure projects including an underground CBD train link, non-stop South Rd and O-Bahn extension would be examined by experts under Liberal plans.

The Advertiser can reveal Opposition Leader Steven Marshall’s hit list of projects to be considered by a new infrastructure body if the Liberals win this weekend’s election.

As at the last state election, the Liberals are promising to establish an agency to develop a 20-year state infrastructure plan and prioritise projects based on economic merit.

Called Infrastructure SA, it is modelled on a similar federal department and Mr Marshall says a state agency would end infrastructure pork-barrelling based on political agendas.

In contrast, Labor has announced a $2 billion package it says will be delivered if it wins on Saturday including elimination of seven level crossings, a new Spencer Gulf port and tram lines to Norwood and through North Adelaide.

The Liberal policy does not commit them to delivering particular projects, but identifies 10 for close scrutiny.

They include completion of a traffic-light free South Rd from Gawler to Port Noarlunga, sealing the Strzelecki Track in SA’s north and eliminating level crossings in Adelaide.

Also on the list is an Eyre Peninsula port, city trams, taking the O-Bahn to Golden Grove and an underground rail link to connect north and south passenger trains.

The Liberals would also consider finishing the Gawler train electrification.

The Liberals’ GlobeLink plan for a new freight airport, freeway and relocation of heavy train lines was announced with fanfare last year and has been put on Infrastructure SA’s to-do list.

Mr Marshall also wants to examine possible light rail, commercial, retail, residential and recreational developments near Port Adelaide to support the $90 billion shipbuilding program at Osborne.

“Infrastructure is central to everything a good government does,” Mr Marshall said.

“We must make the most of the expertise we have, not only in government but in the wider community, to guide and implement our infrastructure planning.

“We have seen what happens when plans are short-sighted, ill-conceived, badly implemented and driven by short-term political motives rather than what is best for all of us now and into the future.”

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Stephen Mullighan has dismissed Infrastructure SA as just “another Liberal Party committee” which would bring progress to a “screeching halt”.

POLICY POLICE
What? Liberals reveal top 10 infrastructure projects they would consider building in government.

How? A new body, Infrastructure SA, would be made up of experts to deliver a long-term plan and rank projects based on economic bang for buck.

Pub test? The Liberals get to put a lot of flashy things on the agenda without promising to follow through on any. Makes sense to get them properly checked, but many people want certainty.

Sure, an infrastructure assessment panel does sound good, but given that nothing will be committed to for years while the panel is created and assessments are being done, they should at least release a few projects they can get started almost immediately.

The problem there is if they release them they are at risk of then undermining the panel they are proposing.

This should be a bipartisan panel, aimed at removing short term visions in favour of long term goals.

Do it post election so you can pork barrell the hell out of your marginal seats during the election like Labor do so well.

[Waewick]

Here comes the dodgy tactics. A Labor MP putting out Blue plaques with no ALP badge on it.

Seriously this government has no shame.

You're capable of reading? The average literacy rate in Australia is apparently 99%...
Regardless of colours, people should be able to read Leon Bignell on that poster, and determine that it is a Labor election poster.
If they cant, then perhaps they shouldn't vote.

Yep, nothing to see here

[rev]

Yep, they really are making policy on the go, this state Liberal party

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sa-e ... f363ccbda3

They think they can reduce the build/pull down of the Adelaide 500 infrastructure in Victoria Park by a month.
The build this year started 2 weeks later compared to last year btw.

It's interesting that when it suits the Liberal party, they whinge about the cost to the tax payer for this event(which has pumped over half a billion dollars into the state economy over the last 20 years), but here they are pledging to spend a million dollars extra a year to build the track infrastructure and remove it faster then currently occurs.

What this is, is populist policy on the go. Trying to win a few extra votes by the disgruntled, perennial whingers in the area. Good luck with that Marshall.

But this beauty from the Premier....sums it up perfectly..

“They want to take it down to 21 weeks, and it is already 20 weeks,” he said.

[rubberman]

I was opposed to the car industry shutting, if you recall.
I’m also against increasing the overseas migration rate to Australia in general let alone South Australia. For a variety of reasons..but...

People need jobs to migrate to.
After WW2, south east European migration that occurred to Australia, did so because there was industry that needed workers, and Australia didn’t have the population.

What exactly are we bringing people over to today? Toilet cleaners and taxi drivers?


And as Waewick says I apparently deny that there’s jobs Aussies won’t do. What I deny is the generalisation about locals on that.
There’s people who are lazy and won’t work even if you arranged for them to be showered dressed and fed and then taken to and from work every day.
Then there’s the hundreds of thousands who are underemployed or unemployed, who if they were able to get a foot in the door, would jump at the opportunity.

There’s plenty of employers who keep advertising the same job over and over for months on end. Considering how many people we have unemployed or underemployed do you think they haven’t found someone suitable? Or is it a case of they are being picky?

Then there is the factor that foreigners will get an employer a wage subsidy. An employer won’t get a subsidy for a locals wages. Our own government is making us unemployable.

Why are they filling the nursing ranks with foreigners?


They aren’t doing ANYTHING to create jobs for the masses that need jobs, it’s all smoke and mirrors and bullshit. Instead they are bringing in foriengers who are alien to our western way of life. They are then subsidising their wages, which we pay for.


As for Holden, getting back to the local stuff, GM was closing it regardless of who was in power. Part of their global strategy. Same with Toyota. Apparently it’s cheaper to make cars overseas but we are still being slugged the same if not more for the imports. Toyota’s Camry for example is around 5k more for the base model and the top end model around 10k more then the locally produced car.

Given the significance to the states economy and the socioeconomic fabric of the northern suburbs and knock on effect to the rest of the city, the state government should have compulsorily acquired the site. There was an Australian hybrid vehicle developer that wanted to move in. Those thousands of jobs could have been transferred over. At least some of them anyway.

The whole space industry thing. That’s great, if it happens.
But that doesn’t address the issue of the majority who are unemployed or underemployed, because they don’t have the qualifications for those types of jobs. All this high tech advanced manufacturing stuff is good, but whose qualified?

They spent all that money on the mining training Center at Regency TAFE, but does anyone know how hard it is to actually get a job in mining? It’s not what you know but also who you know. So tax payers money spent to benefit who? Those with connections in the industry? Again a big nothing for the majority of those who need jobs in this state.

Nothing real for the majority of people who need jobs or full time employment is being done. Smoke mirrors bullshit and staged press conferences.

The alternative choices for government aren’t offering anything either. So who ever wins this months election, at the next election we will be talking about the same things.

That's my point in a nutshell. That the supposed growth interstate that apparently makes SA into a backwater is based on high immigration, with all the problems you have outlined. So, if you take out the immigration at these high levels, you eliminate those problems you describe, but also, suddenly the GDP figures for those other states fall right back down, and SA looks much better.

For that article to have been honest, it should have addressed the issues you raised and adjusted the GDP figures to show the real picture.

But the immigration happened, taking it out trys to remove the reality.

How many South Australians have left the state in the last 20 years? Why is that?

Unfortunately we are an economic backwater.

On what basis do you assert we are a backwater? Because we don't have unaffordable housing? Or because we don't have the crushing overcrowding on public transport or roads? Or because we don’t have completely unsustainable population growth? What's your measure of backwateredness?

According to the ABS Our population in SA has grown faster than that of China, New Zealand and Great Britain between 2005-2010. Wow. Backward!


http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected] ... 10Jun+2010

South Australia is not a backwater. Comparisons with other states having totally unsustainable growth rates, and with huge problems arising from that growth are unrealistic.

[bits]

Driving down fosters road in oakden/hillcrest etc is fun. Liberal and labor both have signs to vote for them to "fix fosters road".
I am not even sure what is broken with the road, but everyone claims they will fix it.

[rev]

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sa-e ... 8b3eb6097c
Issues that mattered
[quote[
ENERGY

Jay Weatherill: Privatisation of ETSA was a complete catastrophe. We want to take back the control of basic utilities into the control of government.

Steven Marshall: Labor said three years ago that energy prices were going to come down by 9 per cent. The prices have gone through the roof.

Nick Xenophon: We can actually lower prices by having a renewable power plant where the people have a say. By our calculations it will mean at least a 20 per cent price reduction.[/quote]

I don't see them taking back control of anything, rather building new infrastructure.
So Labor and SA Best are virtually on the same page with a renewable power plant?

FOSTER CARE

Jay Weatherill: You (carers) are doing a wonderful thing for those children and you’re saving the rest of us a whole lot of money.

Steven Marshall: We will be different and we will be better. We will extend carer payments from age 18 to 21.

Nick Xenophon: The fact that so many children are in accom-modation in motels ... indicates the system needs reform.

Oh the Liberals have me so convinced, I mean how can you not be convinced when they say "we will be different and we will do better".
Xenophon is right, the system is broken. Motels? There's kids being put up in caravan parks as emergency accommodation. That's how bad things have got.

UTILITIES

Steven Marshall: We’re going to restore the Emergency Services Levy remission. We want to cap council rates. If we form government we’ll have an immediate water price inquiry.

Nick Xenophon: (SA Water) has become a cash cow – we need to wind that back. Emergency Services, there needs to be some remission.

Jay Weatherill: There will be big reductions (in power prices) when we bring our solar thermal plant on in Port Augusta ... $150 each year over the next two years. And there’s the 30 per cent that’s going to come off (prices) with our virtual (solar) power station.

Wasn't it Marshall's Liberal predecessors who privatized our water and power utilities, leading us to this situation of consumers being ripped off by private corporations whose main focus is turning a bigger and bigger profit? Now he thinks he can fool us with a pointless inquiry that will waste millions to achieve nothing that we don't already know? LOL

MISTAKES

Jay Weatherill: We’ve seen some ordinary things happen in child protection and aged care ... We have to have a super level of vigilance, we have to have ministers that are interrogating every level of their agency.

Steven Marshall: We haven’t been in government for 16 years.

Nick Xenophon: I make mistakes every day. I put up a Bill on penalty rates for small businesses – that was a complete stuff-up ... I’ve voted differently since.

Buffoon Marshall can't even admit any mistakes in opposition, where his mistakes don't make all that much difference compared to the governments.
And he wants us to vote his party into government? Yeh nah mate.

[rubberman]

Here's an article about changes to the way your votes are treated.

I don't think many people know about this, and it's important.

https://newmatilda.com/2018/03/13/major ... _-06-54-37

[timtam20292]

We are not a backwater.

[Goodsy]

We are not a backwater.

noun
noun: backwater; plural noun: backwaters

a part of a river not reached by the current, where the water is stagnant.
"the eels inhabit backwaters"

an isolated or peaceful place.
"nothing spoils the tranquillity of this quiet backwater"

a place or situation in which no development or progress is taking place.
"the country remained an economic backwater"

metaphorically, we hit all 3

[timtam20292]

Rubbish.

[rev]

Rubbish.

Well in your opinion, what makes SA not an economic backwater?

Is our population growing an acceptable rate?
Hows our economy travelling? Whats our GDP growth rate? Acceptable or below par?
Whats business investment situation looking like? Foreign investment?

SA is described as stagnating.

[Will]

We are not a backwater.

noun
noun: backwater; plural noun: backwaters

a part of a river not reached by the current, where the water is stagnant.
"the eels inhabit backwaters"

an isolated or peaceful place.
"nothing spoils the tranquillity of this quiet backwater"

a place or situation in which no development or progress is taking place.
"the country remained an economic backwater"

metaphorically, we hit all 3

I'm curious to know how you reached such a conclusion.

Are you saying there is nothing happening, nothing to do?
Are you saying there is no development or progress happening?

A quick look at this website, would indicate the opposite is happening.

I suspect you are just parroting the usual "nothng ever happens in Adelaide/SA" rubish

[timtam20292]

EXACTLY what I was thinking Will.

There are better ways to describe the situation and referring to Adelaide And SA as a backwater, IMO is certainly not one of them.