Daniel Wills: Premier Steven Marshall finds himself the man for the times, as voters back success in crushing the COVID curve
Premier Steven Marshall has found himself a man for the times, as SA voters reward a leader who has so far steered them through the greatest crisis of their lives.
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Premier Steven Marshall hasn’t wasted a good crisis, as recent tumult within his own party fails to sway the public from the real issues facing the state that are of historic scale.
These are a beautiful set of numbers for the SA Liberals, that will only be slightly less satisfying than when they saw the number of COVID cases in SA crash to zero.
They are ahead against Labor and their standard bearer in Mr Marshall has, for the first time in his career established himself as a household name with broad public respect.
Like most premiers around the country, he is riding high on the search for security in difficult times, and being rewarded for results that are as good as anywhere in the world.
It would be unrealistic to argue that the perks expenses scandals, Cabinet reshuffle and barney over lucrative jobs in parliament last week have had no effect.
They cut directly against the sense of certainty and control that Mr Marshall was seeking to project.
But this poll suggests that people are largely looking past it to the things that matter most to them, which are keeping their children and the vulnerable safe and finding a job.
For now, Mr Marshall has delivered on that test and is being rewarded.
But such a huge swing in such a short time is a clear statement of how volatile our politics remains, and that it could move again.
Only a short time ago, the idea of Premier Nick Xenophon wasn’t a totally laughable proposition.
Earlier this year, Mr Marshall was in a world of poll hurt and at grave risk of being a oncer as Labor surged to pole position.
But the bubble of palace intrigue and parlour games that dominates Parliament House is not the state most people experience.
Who sits in the comfy chairs evidently doesn’t matter much.
They’ll take anyone, with their flaws, if that gets the most important jobs done.