Liberals refuse to concede defeat in the South Australian election
Seon Ferguson
LABOR appears to have been narrowly returned to power in South Australia but
Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond has refused to concede defeat.
There was a seven per cent swing to the Liberal Party in the election.
Latest predictions gave Labor a three-seat majority, with 75 per cent
counted.
South Australian Premier Mike Rann said the election was still far too close
to call.
Mr Rann vowed to reconnect with the public and although he stopped short of
claiming victory tonight, he said it would be the sweetest of all if
re-elected.
"I recognise we suffered big swings, but I promise to listen and reconnect
in a positive way," Mr Rann said.
"I want us to committ, win or lose, to go out into the community to
reconnect and reinvigorate what they're doing."
In a speech to the Liberal faithful in Adelaide, Ms Redmond refused to
concede defeat.
She said it was still possible for the party to win line-ball seats and
force a hung parliament.
Education Minister Jane Lomax-Smith lost her seat of Adelaide, but two key
marginal seats to the north and south of the city seem on track to be
retained by Labor.
The Liberals needed to win at least five seats to force a hung parliament
scenario and so far seem assured of just three.
The erosion of Mr Rann's record 10-seat majority will radically change the
electoral landscape.
The Riverland seat of Chaffey, held by Nationals MP Karlene Maywald, who sat
in Mr Rann's cabinet, looks to have fallen to the Liberals.
Labor backbencher Chloe Fox, the daughter of children's author Mem Fox,
looks in real danger of losing her southern Adelaide seat of Bright,
although it could yet be decided by postal votes.
Counting had been underway last night in South Australia in what had been
predicted as a tight election contest.
All signs had pointed to a hung parliament and tonight's count will be
closely watched by Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.
The result will have implications for the federal election expected later
this year and could indicate the state of Labor's political fortunes
federally.
A Sky News exit poll of nine key marginal seats tonight found the Liberals
ahead 53 per cent to 47 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
A Newspoll published exclusively in The Weekend Australian showed the
Liberals ahead of Labor on 52 per cent to 48 per cent after the distribution
of preferences.
Mr Rann, whose rating as preferred premier has fallen below that of Liberal
leader Isobel Redmond, put on a brave face earlier today as he voted in
Norwood.
Asked about the polls, Mr Rann predicted a very long night and a close
finish.
"We've still got energy," he said.
Ms Redmond was upbeat, if a little overwhelmed by the position the polls put
her in.
"Certainly it's encouraging and it seems to indicate a mood for change in
the electorate," she said.
But election day was marred by claims of dirty tricks after Labor supporters
at marginal seat polling booths dressed up as Family First volunteers and
handed out potentially misleading how-to-vote cards.
The cards, which did not look like Labor material, urged Family First voters
to preference Labor ahead of Liberal, which was not what Family First
wanted.
ALP volunteers denied doing the wrong thing, saying it was just democracy in
action.
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Kevin Rudd, Full of Himself
> LABOR appears to have been narrowly returned to power in South Australia
> but Opposition Leader Isobel Redmond has refused to concede defeat.
As a matter of interest, if a leader concedes defeat, is that it?
Does counting stop?
dechucka
"Kevin Rudd, Full of Himself"
<let's.have.anot...@blame.everybody.except.myself.com.au> wrote in
message news:80l31h...@mid.individual.net...
No
>
> Does counting stop?
No
Seon Ferguson
"dechucka" <vo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:goadnRr0RetNyjjW...@westnet.com.au...
It ain't over until enough votes are counted to determine a winner. But it
is clear that there is a huge swing against labour since krudd became PM.
dechucka
"Seon Ferguson" <seo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:lM-dnY2h15jZ6TjW...@westnet.com.au...
wtf r u talking about?
Seon Ferguson
"dechucka" <vo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:C4KdnXkBT5fV6jjW...@westnet.com.au...
I would have thought it would be obvious I was talking about the vote
counting not being over until a winner is determined but I guess I have to
explain things more to people...
dechucka
labour and isn't krudd a poster on this ng?
>
B J Foster
> http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/labor-and-premier-mike-rann-returned-in-the-south-australian-election/story-e6frgczf-1225843235329
>
...
>
> But election day was marred by claims of dirty tricks after Labor
> supporters at marginal seat polling booths dressed up as Family First
> volunteers and handed out potentially misleading how-to-vote cards.
>
> The cards, which did not look like Labor material, urged Family First
> voters to preference Labor ahead of Liberal, which was not what Family
> First wanted.
>
> ALP volunteers denied doing the wrong thing, saying it was just
> democracy in action.
We'll see what the court has to say about it.
> Print
> Email
> Shar
Seon Ferguson
"dechucka" <vo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:loydnZS7-KXGEjjW...@westnet.com.au...
I thought Krudd was too busy going to other countries and letting Jula
Gillard run the place to be posting in usenet.
Seon Ferguson
"B J Foster" <bjfo...@yahoo.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:ho46m7$lci$3...@bjf.motzarella.org...
I think that could have to do why the liberals didn't win as many seats as
the polls thought. But is there a law against that? If so I hope those
frauds are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
>
>> Print
>> Email
>> Shar
dechucka
you obviously like normal don't think. Krudd posts here all the time
dechucka
Yes there is a law, well at least Federally. It was the one the husband of
the Liberal candidate and his Liberal cronies got prosecuted under after the
last Federal election.
Seon Ferguson
"dechucka" <vo...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:VOydnctMFIoMODjW...@westnet.com.au...
Oh yeah I remember that. Well I hope those liars get prosecuted. Fraud is
fraud no matter what party you support.
dechucka
Kevin Rudd, Full of Himself
> It ain't over until enough votes are counted to determine a winner. But
> it is clear that there is a huge swing against labour since krudd became
> PM.
>
And you can bet your life it will continue to grow.
Maybe time to replace Rudd?
If the voters don't do it, that is.
bringyagrogalong
> Seon Ferguson wrote:
> >
> > http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/labor-and-premier-mike-rann-...
> >
> > But election day was marred by claims of dirty tricks after Labor
> > supporters at marginal seat polling booths dressed up as Family First
> > volunteers and handed out potentially misleading how-to-vote cards.
>
> > The cards, which did not look like Labor material, urged Family First
> > voters to preference Labor ahead of Liberal, which was not what Family
> > First wanted.
I always knew that Family First supporters were at the bottom of the
IQ ladder, but stupid as they are, would those conservatives halfwits
actually believe that they should preference Labor?
> We'll see what the court has to say about it.
Nothing!
Unlike the filthy Libs in Lindsay they have not acted in contravention
of the law.
Benway (original non-Zionist)
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The Liberals should have posted leaflets claiming that
Osama Bin Laden and the Labor Party were great mates.
That sort of thing really worked for them last time that
non-core John tried that dirty trick on the voters.
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