Six-month scorecard after stomping State Election
Best performers, the thorns in the Premier’s side and the names Mike Smithson is tipping as future leaders in his six-month scorecard.
Labor and Peter Malinauskas stormed into government with a record victory just over six months ago, leaving the Liberal Party in tatters and One Nation nipping at everyone’s heels.
So now is a good time to assess where all parties, leaders, some cabinet ministers and their shadows have performed in the aftermath.
If we wanted to split hairs, this government has completed a shade over 12.5 per cent of its current term and there are only 1250 days until the 2030 election, give or take a few.
Labor’s 34 seat haul out of a possible 47 in the House of Assembly gave the Premier unlimited powers and a mandate to do as he wished.
He still lacks an absolute majority in the Legislative Council and that’s a good configuration to maintain the checks and balances required to keep any government honest and accountable.
It also means he needs to keep One Nation and the Greens onside and treat them with respect to pass legislation which the Liberals might oppose.
But since March this year the Premier has sailed into relatively uncharted waters and has copped a force-10 bucketing with him finding that landing in any safe haven is a difficult manoeuvre.
He misjudged the financial viability of LIV golf after promising the world class event would transform a tired North Adelaide golf course, with a $45 million helping hand from taxpayers.
Had he known LIV was likely to fail after a short but highly contagious wave of enthusiasm, I doubt he would have pushed ahead while still trying to trumpet the odd Australian Open as justification for big spending in tough times.
He also miscued on the level and duration of community anger over the flora and fauna destruction in the park lands despite a pledge that many more trees will be eventually planted.
Seemingly a beggar for political punishment, he is still trying to sell the virtues of a MotoGP race through Victoria Park.
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Let’s hope he’ll not be held captive to that uncompromising world sporting body as appears to be the way with LIV golf.
Many witnessed him cosying up to Greg Norman during the early tournaments at Grange before the former LIV supremo was handed a lucrative redesign contract at North Adelaide.
The Auditor-General has now piled on against the Premier’s own department for the way it’s spent our money away from the gaze of total transparency, by awarding contracts which pay the least amount upfront, to avoid prescribed scrutiny.
Peter Malinauskas still runs the state efficiently and scores a healthy pass mark for the first six months of his second term, but plenty of ordinary voters and now less in love with Midas Mali.
Ashton Hurn continues to march to the beat of her own drum despite leading a political party which barely needs a minibus for a good night out.
Presumably having to cope with the personal impacts of her second pregnancy, her new arrival around the end of the year will add another layer of complexity to the state Liberal leadership.
I hope she doesn’t rush back from maternity leave, because what’s the point?
She leads a party which tries its best but still finds it hard to cope against the size, might and experience of Labor’s cabinet.
It provides an opportunity for someone else, not necessarily Deputy Leader Josh Teague, to step up to the plate and demonstrate the same drive which Hurn has always displayed.
New party State President Senator Alex Antic might be taking a hands-off Christmas break, or he may look at ways to exert his new influence without Hurn having to officially respond.
The Libs are now a small target who can work efficiently with only a few people in the loop.
Their party room doesn’t seem to get bogged down with potential troublemakers who don’t have enough to do.
They have a rare opportunity to take political risks and land blows on the government over a range of portfolios, especially Health.
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The likes of Jack Batty, Nicola Centofanti, Heidi Girolamo and Ben Hood are always up for the fight and as time goes by, they even seem to relish the challenge.
A year ago, they were almost unknown and invisible to the public they serve.
It’s a three-cornered contest with One Nation also finding its feet and likely to fan the political flames with leader Cory Bernardi no stranger to seizing an opportunity and consuming all available oxygen to get his point across.
So how have other Labor heavy hitters performed over the time frame?
Blair Boyer was formerly Education Minister before being handed the troubled Health portfolio, which wasn’t at the top of his wish list, by his own admission.
He’s also been ordained as the official attack dog on any anti-Liberal issue, often across seven days a week.
Throw in his new MotoGP responsibilities for good measure and Boyer must be looking to the heavens and asking, “what did I do to deserve this?”
It could be that he’s being initiated for the next leadership role, in the event the Premier moves into another career trajectory.
Boyer heads my list of future Labor leaders despite his minority Left faction affiliation in caucus.
Perhaps he’s deliberately doing it tough during this pre-season training ahead of the main game.
Attorney-General and Deputy Premier Kyam Maher is a steady, albeit unspectacular, pair of hands and the Premier relies on him in the absence of former Deputy Susan Close and former Treasurer Stephen Mullighan who have now exited the building.
Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis continues with the same determination he’s always shown, with the occasional fire and brimstone performance, especially when the television cameras are rolling.
Lucy Hood is being given every opportunity to impress in her education role and is also a chance to take the leadership.
Of the newcomers, Lawrence Ben hasn’t done too much outwardly but you always see the Labor Godfather’s glint when his father-in-law federal Senator and Trade Minister Don Farrell sings his praises, which is often.
Other new ministers are also finding their feet and are often left to deal with awkward media questions of the day.
I’m certain that Emily Bourke, Rhiannon Pearce and Nadia Clancy are finding that good for their political souls, although it might not seem that way as they fiercely defend their leader’s policies.
The brutal first six months of this new term could be just what Peter Malinauskas wanted.
There’s now no room for mistakes or complacency.
Mike Smithson is also a weekend newsreader and political analyst for 7News.
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