Steven Marshall: I’m sick of hearing the Weatherill Government make excuses rather than fixing what’s happening in South Australia
SOUTH Australians need a government which will fix things rather than make excuses and commentate, writes Steven Marshall.
I’M sick of hearing the Weatherill Labor Government commentate and make excuses instead of trying to fix what’s happening in South Australia.
We are battling the second highest unemployment rate in Australia and rapidly increasing electricity and water prices at the same time our electricity supply is failing.
Unfortunately for South Australians the people who should be taking responsibility for these matters, the State Government, are not.
One of the major problems with the Weatherill Labor Government is that its Ministers have become publicly funded political commentators who blame others and make excuses.
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Premier Weatherill became a commentator on the weather instead of admitting there was a major problem with our electricity network when 1.7 million of us were plunged into darkness last week.
When the child protection system failed and children were abused Mr Weatherill said his policies were sound but the implementation was poor.
When patients are stuck in ambulances on ramps outside hospitals the Health Minister blames the flu.
When public transport services grind to a halt the Transport Minister says it’s an operational matter and a highly paid media spokesperson is rolled out to deal with the problem.
When police stations close and their hours are cut it’s apparently an ‘operational matter’ that is outside the control of Government Ministers. Despite the same Government Ministers telling voters before the last election that they would build new police stations.
I’m a firm believer in the saying ‘if you don’t like it, change it’.
Jay Weatherill has tried to convince people that his Government has been powerless to withstand forces working against our State. He has tried to convince people that his Government is not to blame and nothing is his fault. That is simply wrong.
We need a Government to take control to lead our State to a better future — a bright future that empowers our people, gives hope and opportunity and rewards hard work and effort.
I am passionate about South Australia and our people. We are a State of opportunity, of hard workers, of clever thinkers and talented people.
The bottom line is we need new leadership and new direction. Jay Weatherill has had a fair go, and he has left us with no vision and no hope for the future.
A Liberal Government will provide responsible leadership and deliver a clear pathway to recovery – and success.
We have announced a $360 million cost of living package to put money back in South Australian’s pockets and kick-start job creation. On top of this we will cap council rate rises so that households and businesses are not subject to gouging by their local council.
My team has a plan to let shops open when they want to create more jobs and provide consumers with more flexibility.
We want to modernise our education system by moving Year Seven into high school and providing children with earlier access to specialist teachers.
We have plans to tackle the cycle of drug addiction by treating teenage drug addicts before it’s too late.
South Australia needs political leaders not publicly funded political commentators and excuses.
Let’s be honest about our situation and commit to doing something about it.
Let’s develop real solutions and smart thinking to put us on a path to recovery.
Steven Marshall is Opposition Leader of South Australia
*Note: An earlier version of this piece said SA had the highest unemployment in Australia. In fact, it has the second highest unemployment rate in Australia, behind Tasmania.