Hurn ‘all for skilled migration’, as senior Lib caught drinking with One Nation pal
The leader of the state’s Liberal Party has made clear her party’s position on migration after one of her Liberal federal counterparts was snapped enjoying a beer with a One Nation figurehead.
As the federal Liberals under new leader Angus Taylor swerve further into anti-immigration territory, the leader of the party’s South Australian arm has planted her flag in backing bringing skilled migrants into the state.
Speaking at a Property Council of Australia breakfast this morning at SkyCity, SA Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn said she was “all for skilled migration”.
“We do need skilled migrants coming to South Australia,” she said.
“I come from a farming family and I represent a regional community, and I see firsthand there are so many industries and so many jobs that need to be done, and they’re often not Australians, and that’s just the honest observation.
“But it’s not a radical idea to say that we need to have an honest look at how migration stacks up against our ability to make sure we’ve got the homes and the infrastructure to cater for them and to make sure we’ve got those strong and safe communities.”
Premier Peter Malinauskas last week made his own call on skilled migration, saying “You can either hold back the wave of jobs coming our way or we can prepare for them now. Why on earth would we have a policy debate in this country about holding back high-paid jobs?”.
His message to One Nation voters was: “Who’s going to feed you and bathe you and wipe your bum when you’re 90?”
“Because it ain’t going to be your kids, because if I get my way, they’re going to be working on submarines with high-paying jobs so they can afford to own their home that has been built by someone, so who’s going to do that work?”
Hurn’s comments come amid speculation that senior South Australian Senator Alex Antic could be weighing up his options with the increasingly popular One Nation.
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Antic was spotted last night drinking a beer with former Liberal, now One Nation lead candidate for the SA Legislative Council, Cory Bernardi, at The Exeter on Rundle Street.
InDaily approached Antic — a regular guest on Bernadi’s now-cancelled SkyNews programme — to ask questions about the meeting.
He said: “No offence but I genuinely can’t be bothered talking to you”.
At a press conference this morning, Labor campaign spokesperson Blair Boyer said, “We are 25 days from the state election and we have members of the South Australian Liberal Party like Alex Antic in open defiance of their leader”.
Speaking to reporters this morning, Hurn said Antic and Bernadi were “friends” and “I don’t think there’s much to it”.
“I’m not interested in speculating on different media plans of others. I’m just focused on what I can control and that’s making sure the South Australians know what our plans are for them,” she said.
“Cory and Alex are friends. Cory was a former Liberal, so I’m not surprised that they still keep in touch.”
Overnight, the state Liberal Party director, Alexander Hyde, issued a statement on social media clarifying the party’s position on preferences.
He said the party’s approach was clear: “to elect as many Liberals, and as many centre right parliamentarians, as possible”.
“There is no agreement or deal to preference One Nation last, there has been no discussion of a deal and there will not be,” the statement read.
“Sadly, while One Nation leadership is aware of our approach, a recent press release contains the fabrication that we would place left wing parties ahead of other centre right parties and candidates.
“It is disappointing to see dishonest tactics that are usually peddled by the Labor Party and the Greens appear in One Nation’s playbook.”
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On Friday, One Nation issued a press release claiming Labor and Liberals would “work together” to put One Nation last on how-to-vote cards.
Bernadi said the two parties were “a uniparty”.
“There’s no effective difference between them anymore,” he said.
Hurn this morning said that no decisions on preferences have been made and that “negotiations are ongoing”.
New Liberal policy targets consultant savings
This morning, the state Liberal party announced it would almost halve the state’s spend on government consultants if elected in March.
The party claimed the state government spent $45 million on external consultants, and that it would return $20 million of that to SA coffers with its policy position.
“We see consultancies undertaking work which should be core business for government departments,” Shadow Treasurer Ben Hood said.
“At a time when the state government is growing the public sector by thousands of people each year, it doesn’t make sense to be also spending many millions on consultants.”
Labor to build new Barossa hospital
And the state Labor party this morning announced that if re-elected, it would build a nine-hectare site at Concordia into a new Greater Northern Adelaide Hospital to service outer northern suburbs and the Barossa Valley.
The policy directly targets Liberal Leader Ashton Hurn’s lower house seat of Schubert, with the Labor party saying it would commence planning the hospital following the election.
Its media release said the hospital would be designed to take pressure of the Lyell McEwin Hospital.
The Liberals have already announced they would build a $350 million Barossa Hospital if elected.
This morning, Hurn said the difference between Labor’s and Liberal’s hospital was that “mine’s not in Gawler”.
“Theirs is in Gawler, and mine’s in the Barossa,” she said.
“I’m focused on what our community needs right now, and that’s a new Barossa Hospital.”
