The 15 South Australian issues that will come into play on election day

From the future of the economy, to ship building jobs, to negative gearing, National Affairs editor Matt Smith looks at the issues set to define the SA campaign for the federal election.

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From the future of the economy, to ship building jobs, to negative gearing, National Affairs editor Matt Smith looks at the issues set to define the SA campaign for the federal election.

Jobs and the economy

Jobs and the economy are front and centre of every election campaign.

But the contest in South Australia will be centred around what party can convince voters they have the best plan for the jobs of the future — a move away from traditional manufacturing into careers in STEM and other emerging industries.

A focus on filling shortages in regional South Australia is essential. Expect the Coalition to run hard on its economic credentials and play hard the “global economy is facing significant headwinds” card.

The Murray-Darling Basin

The past 12 months have been huge for the politics surrounding the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. South Australians once celebrated the establishment of the plan that was created to keep the river healthy, and communities around it happy and productive.

But it is at risk of imploding and SA’s politicians and candidates will have to prove they are up to the fight to keep the state’s interests front and centre of any future plans for the river system. Getting some water flowing would be a promising start.

The dry river bed of the Darling River on sheep farmer Wayne Smith's property near Pooncarie, NSW. Picture: AAP Image/Dean Lewins

Welfare support payments

In South Australia, there are about 68,000 recipients of Newstart. Of those, about 67 per cent have received the payment for 12 months or more. But the rate of Newstart has not gone up in real terms for decades. Raising the rate is an issue that will feature heavily in the campaign (as will the future of the Ceduna welfare card).

Let’s talk about tax, baby

Both major parties have put tax cuts on the table.

In short, Labor’s has a greater focus on lower income earners while the Coalition wants to spread the love thinner but further and over a number of years.

Franking credits and a so-called “retiree tax” will also be a key focus of attacks on Labor. This will clearly be an election fought on intergenerational issues.

City deal

The Coalition have already struck a deal with the State Government for a $500 million city deal including a pledge to build Australia’s best Aboriginal Art Gallery at Lot Fourteen.

Labor say they will honour any deal struck before the election, seemingly making the City Deal safe.

But a special migration program aimed at ensuring SA gets the most of the City Deal will be essential and will need Labor’s backing if it wins government.

Infrastructure

The major parties will argue over who is going to get it built first but the North-South Corridor will be funded regardless — it is too important not to. Trams, however, are a different story. State and federal Labor want the tram network to be expanded.

But a tram expansion looks as good as dead unless the man who wants to be the nation’s next infrastructure minister, Anthony Albanese, manages to convince the SA Government otherwise.

Students Nat Shearer and Polina Brooks and Matt Tetlow from Inovor at UniSA's MOD. Picture: Matt Turner

Space Agency

SA celebrated as it was announced Adelaide’s Lot Fourteen would house the nation’s first space agency.

Labor were first cold on the idea before Bill Shorten insisted they would support the establishment of the agency in Adelaide. South Australians will be insisting the Labor Leader sticks to his pledge amid pressure from other states to shift at least some of the agency’s work elsewhere.

Aged care

South Australia has an ageing population and Adelaide has been dubbed ground zero for the Royal Commission into aged care. If the next Federal Government cannot get aged care policies right in SA, the cause is lost.

Education

Both parties want future teachers to have higher ATAR scores and be better equipped to educate SA’s children.

But will the Coalition adopt Labor’s plans to give three-year-olds 15 hours a week of kindergarten? Former premier Jay Weatherill wanted to do it, and the issue will be pushed by Labor’s early childhood spokeswoman Amanda Rishworth.

Defence

Would a new government pause SA’s shipbuilding program to suss it out?

Unlikely but possible, particularly if there are fears the state will not be able to produce the workforce needed for the project.

Look out for the politicians who are actively promising ways to develop such a workforce, pictured above, — or, more importantly, those that are not.

Drilling in The Bight

Expect Labor and the Liberals to avoid talking about drilling in The Bight as much as they possibly can, arguing they will rely on the independent umpire NOPSEMA to make the decision.

Nationals MP and Resources Minister Matt Canavan is the only Federal MP who has been seriously spruiking drilling in The Bight.

The Greens and Centre Alliance and community groups, left, on the other hand, will talk about it whenever anyone will listen. It does raise the question as to whether the major parties are squibbing it by not articulating their position in more detail.

The Senate

Whoever wins government needs a friendly senate to turn political and policy vision into reality. A senate with a raft of crossbenchers can cause governments considerable angst. Polling has shown of all the states and territories South Australia is the least settled in terms of what parties could secure the six senate spots up for grabs.

The right mix could give SA Australia an upper hand.

Nick Xenophon.

Xenogone

For the first time in a decade South Australia will go to a Federal Election without Nick Xenophon’s presence.

A vote for Xenophon or his candidates was once seen as the ultimate protest vote. But where do those votes go now?

Population growth

SA Premier Steven Marshall has made it no secret that he wants to grow the state’s population.

His wishlist for how to make it happen was granted by the Prime Minister Scott Morrison. But although the plan to grow the population is generally well received by the public there are pockets of discomfort about it.

Climate Change and Power

There is a reason groups like GetUp! are talking about climate change when targeting the Liberals’ Nicolle Flint in Boothby — they know people are concerned about it.

Renewable energy divides South Australians, arguably more than it divides people in other states, because of the role the state has played in promoting and developing new technologies.