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February 5, 2013: Party politics

IT was a tumultuous couple of days for state and federal politics last week.

First, Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced the 2013 federal election would be held on September 14, signalling the beginning of a record seven-and-a-half-month campaign.

This is a long time, particularly to be bombarded with political propaganda.

Already, the federal election is filling space in newspapers and television bulletins with coverage of which leader is doing what and early predictions of who will win, based on polls taken from a small sample of the population.

The Advertiser mentioned it is unlikely Julia Gillard and opposition leader Tony Abbott will make many visits to Adelaide as there are few marginal seats.

Well, it is even less likely; in fact, probably zero per cent chance, of either visiting Yorke Peninsula to plead their case.

Candidates haven’t even been announced to run against the incumbent Rowan Ramsey for the seat of Grey which encompasses Yorke Peninsula, as well as much of the rest of rural South Australia.

This goes to show we won’t be much of a pawn in the federal election campaign, rather will just have to once again sit back and watch from the sidelines.

As such, more relevant political news was Isobel Redmond making the jaw-dropping announcement last Thursday she was stepping down as opposition leader of the state Liberal Party.

Ms Redmond looked genuinely sad when she made her short announcement she would be stepping down — it was like the schoolyard bullies finally got the better of her.

The Liberal Party shambles has overshadowed the government’s cabinet reshuffle in which Jay Weatherill made a silly move making himself premier and treasurer.

With the state election pencilled in for March 2014 and the federal election filling the news until September there won’t be much time for either party to win voters over.

Amie Brokenshire, Editor