Premier Peter Malinauskas says SA has a ‘duty’ to vote in federal election

Premier Peter Malinauskas tells South Australians have ‘a duty’ and should fight harder to protect their ‘privilege’.

Premier Peter Malinauskas campaigning with Boothby sitting member Louise Miller-Frost. Picture: NewsWire/Jason Edwards

Billions of people would die for an Australian democracy in their country and South Australians should fight harder to protect their privilege, Premier Peter Malinauskas says.

“I’m worried about where democracy is at globally and it might sound silly but it does keep me awake at night,” Mr Malinauskas said.

He said SA voters have a “duty” to take their vote seriously this federal election weekend and he would take his own 10-year-old daughter to the polling booth to ensure she understood the political process.

“Young people have a responsibility to understand the democratic process … people have died in the name of young people having the right to vote and that means they at least have an obligation to vote,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“We shouldn’t take this for granted, there are billions of people around the world who would kill for it or have died for this opportunity.”

Premier Peter Malinauskas campaigning with Labor candidate for Sturt Claire Clutterham. Picture: Facebook

He attended a recent event where Vietnamese South Australians told of risking their lives in leaking boats to escape war in their country “because they wanted to live in a democracy”.

And hoped growing cynicism in the community would be arrested before “people ran a risk of just not believing anything”.

Mr Malinauskas has been handing out how-to-vote cards and working with Labor candidates in the key federal electorates of Boothby and Sturt prior to the election and intended to be campaigning at voting booths throughout Saturday.

State Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia would also be at voting booths after spending many hours supporting Liberal federal candidate for Sturt James Stevens as he battled to hold his marginal city seat.

Cost of living concerns and housing were front and centre at pre-polling booths, according to Mr Tarzia.

“I’ve stood on pre-poll in various locations around the city. One voter came up to me and said he’s really worried about his grocery bills after coming out with a trolley of food for his family which he said would cost him around $300,” he said.

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas says SA has a ‘duty’ to vote in federal election