State Liberal leader David Speirs releases values statement about what party stands for

State Liberal leader David Speirs has released a 20-page statement outlining his party’s values in a bid to rebuild from a disastrous election loss. Vote in our poll.

Opposition Leader David Speirs says his values statement will serve as the foundation for the party’s election platform. Picture: Matt Turner

The state Liberals are declaring what they stand for in a “values statement” designed as a crucial foundation for rebuilding the party after last year’s disastrous election loss.

Revealed ahead of Wednesday’s first anniversary of David Speirs becoming Opposition Leader, the 20-page statement lists and explains seven values.

These are: opportunity; individual, family and community; freedom; home; responsibility; service; and compassion and respect.

In an interview with The Advertiser, Mr Speirs labelled the document a “good foundational piece of work” that would guide development of policies to be released from next year.

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The SA Liberal parliamentary team’s values statement follows successive election defeats leaving the party in opposition across mainland Australia and a national Newspoll showing dismal support levels among young people and in mortgage-belt suburbs.

“I think that people are continually asking what the Liberal Party stands for, perhaps more at national level than at state level. But we have been criticised in the last election campaign under the previous government of maybe drifting a little bit from traditional values. I’ve been very clear. I want to lead a sensible middle-of-the-road but centre-right party,” Mr Speirs said.

Opposition Leader David Speirs and Liberal health spokeswoman Ashton Hurn. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Emma Brasier

Explanations of the values in the document include defining opportunity as government being “responsible for creating opportunities through education, skills training and support for businesses to create jobs”.

Freedom is explained as people being able to “live their lives and run their businesses with as little government interference as possible”.

Individuals, families and communities “are the bedrock of our society”, while people and government have “mutual obligations to each other” because “freedom goes hand-in-hand with responsibility”.

Mr Speirs said the values would underpin policies to be released “in the second half of the term” – in the two years before the next state election in March, 2026.

“There’ll be key headline areas – probably around health care, regional development, small business – areas that we really want to focus on. But we need to get this right and I don’t think many people out in the community are ready to absorb lots of policy from a party that they rejected from office 12 months ago,” he said.

“They want us to get our values right. They want us to rebuild. They want us to get good, talented personnel on the front bench, into parliament, and then build policy from there.”

The values statement borrows a principles’ release ploy from former Liberal opposition leaders Steven Marshall (a 2036 manifesto), Tony Abbott (plan for real solutions) and John Howard (headland speeches), along with the-then Premier Jay Weatherill ahead of the 2014 state election (keep building SA).