By Melanie Sjoberg
ADELAIDE — Most South Australians are aware that the Crows have made it to the AFL preliminary finals. A lot fewer would know that Premier John Olsen has called a state election on October 11.
The Advertiser suggested that both Olsen and Labor opposition leader Mike Rann are happy for the Crows to divert attention from their campaigns, which consist primarily of platitudes.
The government has announced a range of youth traineeships which it claims will solve the 40% youth unemployment rate. It has failed to report that these traineeships are available only in country areas and within the private sector.
Public sector agencies have avoided the traineeships because they have to finance them from their already stretched budgets.
Olsen has also promised stamp duty exemptions for farmers and country residents, and increased services to six regional centres. This is little more than pork-barrelling, considering the funding cuts to rural health, education and community services over the past three years.
The ALP suffered a massive swing against it in the last election. Since then, its visibility has been low. One local ALP campaign launch managed to attract only 25 people.
Labor's initial policy announcements included agreeing to "retain the current Liberal budget settings", cutting waste and consultants' fees and introducing "responsible financial legislation". Labor shadow treasurer Kevin Foley says that Labor has no argument with the Liberal government's "fiscal parameters".
This means that cutbacks in social services, health and education will continue; that privatisation and outsourcing will be pursued by both parties; and that young people, in particular, will continue to suffer from the failure to create real jobs.
On September 13, Olsen was to officially open a new hostel for Aboriginal students, but he was upstaged by protesters wearing T-shirts emblazoned "Save Croydon Primary School". The school is the latest victim on the economic rationalists' hit list.
Industrial relations legislation has been passed to allow the continuation of enterprise bargaining. Most state public sector workers have received only a $36 a week pay rise through this process over the past four years.
Workers in the environment and natural resources department are currently campaigning for higher wages on the basis of a demonstrated increase in productivity, an increase being denied by the government.
Having lost an amendment to its industrial relations act which would have denied legal channels of appeal to workers dismissed by small businesses which had employed them for less than 12 months, the government has declared a regulation that achieves the same end.
It is no wonder voters prefer to concentrate on the chances of the Crows rather than worry about the parliamentary game.