SA battle lines drawn even before federal election called
The spotlight will be on the federal seats of Sturt and Boothby from now until election day, whenever that may be, writes Mike Smithson.
The subtle political knives are already sharpened and thrusting in the state’s most marginal federal seat.
Sturt is an active battleground for both major parties even before Anthony Albanese has made his visit to the Governor-General for the writs to be issued and an election date announced.
It, along with Labor held Boothby, are about the only points of interest in SA ahead of polling day, with the other eight electorates unlikely to change colour.
Expect to see plenty of Peter Malinauskas and other Labor luminaries on the Sturt campaign trail over the coming weeks.
The flak is already flying in what newly anointed Labor candidate Claire Clutterham hopes will be a clean and fair contest.
The Premier was front and centre at her campaign launch last weekend and immediately took aim at Liberal incumbent James Stevens.
Malinauskas referred to him as a deadweight representing his community, which are strong words indeed considering Stevens is the Shadow Assistant Minister for Government Waste Reduction.
Mali certainly wasn’t “wasting” his words in damning the area’s well-known political predecessor with faint praise.
“Whatever your views were about Christopher Pyne at least you knew he was out there every day fighting for his community,” the Premier said.
“Since Christopher Pyne left, the seat of Sturt really hasn’t had strong representation in Canberra whatsoever,” he said.
Whack, and there was more.
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The Premier then summed up Stevens as someone who has gone completely missing.
For good measure he then claimed Stevens was in “a vacuum of good ideas and thoughtful advocacy.”
Letterbox overload
Yes, it’s all potentially hurtful and perhaps unnecessary politics, but has anyone fact-checked the Premier’s assessment?
I live in the electorate and openly declare I’m a swinging voter.
But my letterbox is often overloaded with James Stevens electorate material, and I can’t recall anyone else being so openly hostile towards the sitting member.
Don’t forget Stevens was the backroom muscle behind Steven Marshall winning government in 2018 and was always considered a wily and smart tactician
“Peter Malinauskas is a very close friend of Anthony Albanese and I’m sure he will do and say anything to try and help his mate Albo get re-elected,” Stevens told me this week.
“Despite the Premier’s desire for three more years of Albanese Labor, I’m confident the people of Sturt have a different view.”
Stevens says Sturt has been neglected over the past three years under federal Labor.
He’s campaigning to change the government to deliver projects starting with a freight bypass to get heavy trucks off Portrush Road.
At her campaign launch, Clutterham clearly and humbly stated that she thought all four candidates nominated should be treated on a professional and courteous basis and says she doesn’t take any of them lightly.
“I’ve heard a lot more positivity for Labor than I was expecting, given the seat hasn’t been Labor for 50 years,” she said.
Clutterham later responded to the Premier’s sharp tongue towards Stevens.
“It reflects the feedback I’m getting from members of the community towards the current local member,” she said.
Given the comments of last weekend, are we to assume Labor’s campaign in Sturt, where the margin is on a knife edge 0.45 per cent, is looming as a “good cop, bad cop” scenario?
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Malinaukas, Penny Wong, Amanda Rishworth and others are likely to pound the pavement in their unfamiliar eastern suburbs surrounds.
National interests
Albanese may also make a beeline for Sturt considering he’s a massive fan of the corporate lawyer candidate.
He personally endorsed Clutterham’s nomination several months ago, making her a walk-up start for successful pre-selection.
With 150 seats up for grabs across Australia, 76 are needed for a majority government.
Labor can only lose two seats to continue in power.
But a Liberal-National Coalition needs to win an additional 19 seats, without losing any.
If the Libs lose Sturt to Labor, it’s as good as all over red rover.
Sturt’s fascination also revolves around the fortunes of the Greens and an Independent.
Katie McCusker drew an impressive Greens vote in last year’s Dunstan by-election and knows the ropes in Sturt having also contested it in 2022.
Dr Verity Cooper equally has an impressive pedigree as a local GP and will strongly represent a cashed-up Teal Independent campaign.
Realistically, neither is likely to win but their campaigning and preferences could leave a big impression on the battle and the result.
Boothby battle
But Canberra’s greater focus is further south in Boothby where the Libs want to retake what they ideologically think is rightfully theirs.
Louise Miller-Frost went with the flow three years ago and was part of the Albo phenomenon as Labor swept into power.
It had been in Liberals hands since 1949 boasting famous names such as Steele Hall, Dr Andrew Southcott and two famous McLeay family members.
Labor’s margin there is 3.3 per cent with Liberal Nicolle Flint ready to shake the tree again to regain her formerly held stronghold.
With her powerful conservative backing and political smarts, Flint has a breakeven chance of toppling the incumbent.
The Greens’ Joanna Wells is also having another crack, saying she wants to push the major parties to do better.
Boothby is yet another example of a must win seat for the Libs, even to have a sniff of election victory and sending Peter Dutton to the Lodge.
The spotlight will be on both SA seats from now until election day, whenever that may be.
Mike Smithson is weekend presenter and political analyst for 7NEWS.
