Hung Parliament Likely In South Australia; Labor Government Still A Possibility; Libs May Survive With Support Of Independents
February 10, 2002
There is no clear victor in yesterday's South Australian election. The Liberal Party, led by Rob Kerin, has lost two seats and looks set to hold 18 of the 47 seats in the House of Assembly. The National Party has one seat. The ALP has won two extra seats, plus regaining two seats from ex-Labor members, putting Opposition Leader Mike Rann on 22 seats. Three seats have been won by independents.
There are a further 3 seats in doubt, two held by the Liberals (Hartley and Stuart) and one by Labor (Norwood). The ALP needs to win at least two of them to be able to govern in its own right. Latest counting showed the ALP with a narrow lead in all 3 seats, but postal and absentee votes, which usually favour the Liberals, could easily change this.
It is possible that either the Liberals or Labor could strike a deal with one or more of the three independent members. Two of these independents are ex-Liberals, and all three represent conservative electorates. It is thus clear that the ALP's best chance of forming government is to win two of the doubtful seats.
Neither party leader would claim victory or concede defeat last night. The result could become clearer later today, but the final result may have to wait for up to ten days.
The Liberal Party has polled 39.7% of the primary vote, a decrease of 0.7% compared to the last election in 1997. The ALP has polled 36.7%, an increase of 1.5%.
The Australian Democrats are the big losers in the election, polling 7.3% of the primary vote, a drop of 9.2%.
The Liberal government is seeking to win a third term in office with its third leader since its landslide victory in 1993. The Opposition Leader, Mike Rann, is fighting his second election as ALP leader. Victory for the ALP would mean that for the first time in the nation's history, all State and Territory governments would be held by Labor.
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