Nominations for the South Australian election have closed and the ballot paper rankings have been set in place. The Poll Bludger’s election guide tables have been amended accordingly – tip of the hat to Antony Green, who has made the information available more promptly than the South Australian Electoral Office. Some of the information in the electorate summaries is now out of date, but this will be set to rights in reasonably short order.
In the marginal seats, the donkey vote will favour Labor in Norwood, Hartley, Morialta and Bright (UPDATE: Gus notes in comments that every one of these is a double whammy for the Liberals, who drew a higher position than Labor in each case in 2002), while the Liberals have drawn the higher position in Adelaide, Stuart, Light, Mawson and Newland. In the seats that this site has identified as roughies, the draw has favoured Tom Playford of Family First in Kavel and Nationals candidate Kym McHugh in Finniss, while Liberal candidate David Pisoni will head the ballot in Unley.
With all cards now on the table, the following can be revealed:
Hammond (Independent 2.3% versus Liberal): Independent MP Peter Lewis, who appeared headed for certain defeat, will not even attempt to hold the seat and will instead run for the upper house. Lewis ran under the banner of the Community Leadership Independence Coalition in 2002, and this time he has adopted the even more cumbersome handle of Principles People Reform Before Parties. Nothing has come of reported moves to disendorse Liberal candidate Adrian Pederick following last week’s revelation that his mother took out a restraining order against him 15 years ago.
Mitchell (Labor 4.8%): Voters of an environmentalist persuasion have a smorgasbord of options available to them – sitting member Kris Hanna, who became South Australia’s first Greens MP after defecting from Labor in 2003, only to quit his new party in January; Travis Gilbert, a party member who is running as a "True Green for Mitchell"; and Jeffrey Williams, the official Greens candidate. Not bad for a seat the Greens didn’t even bother to contest in 2002.
Unley (Liberal 9.1%): Outgoing Liberal MP Mark Brindal, who was effectively defeated for preselection by David Pisoni, has decided against running as an independent, which he was threatening to do as recently as yesterday.
Little Para (Labor 7.1%) and Taylor (Labor 17.9%): Nothing has come of talk that respective members Lea Stevens and Trish White might step aside for Salisbury mayor Tony Zappia.
Noteworthy entrants for the Legislative Council include Ralph Clarke, the former Labor member for Enfield, who is running under the "Buy Back ETSA" banner. The Poll Bludger understands he will be feeding preferences to popular No Pokies MP Nick Xenophon, who is likely to be frozen out of preferences by both major parties. Former Labor MP Terry Cameron, who quit the party and formed the now-defunct SA First which fielded candidates in 2002, will attempt to hold his seat as an independent.
Todays draw that favours Labor in the marginals of Norwood, Hartley, Morialta and Bright contains a double sting for the Liberal candidates. All of them had the donkey vote when they won in 2002. Vini Ciccarello improves her lot in 2006 having won without the donkey vote last time.
The Liberals in Light, Stuart, and Newland missed the donkey vote last time but get it this time round. Lib candidates won with the donkey vote in Mawson and Unley in 2002 and have it again in 2006.
Jane Lomax –Smith who benefited from a higher position in 2002 loses it at this election.