AD-Lib Summer 2016

AD-Lib T h e S o u t h A u s t r a l i a n Yo u n g L i b e r a l M o v e m e n t M a g a z i n e Summer 2016

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Disclaimer The opinions expressed herein belong solely to the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or the South Australian Young Liberal Movement.

Contributions to this edition of AD-Lib are from members and friends of the SAYLM. To contribute to the next issue of AD-Lib or to contact the Editor, email adlib@sayoungliberals.com.

Authorised by Mr. Robert Katsambis, President, SAYLM. 104 Greenhill Road, Unley, 5061.

Contents From the Editor 3 From the President 4

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Is nuclear the light in the darkness? - Josh Sweaney

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Green fascists still flogging a dead polar bear - Tut Tut

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Thinking outside the box on unemployment - Henry Davis

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ACT election Report - Jocelyn Sutcliffe

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NT election Report - Brad Vermeer

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Young Liberal Council at the Robin Hood

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From the Editor

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elcome to the Summer Edition of AD-Lib magazine, the quarterly publication of the South Australian Young Liberal Movement.

It’s been a quick turnaround from the last edition of AD-Lib. In that time, I’ve been encouraged by the number of people wanting to contribute articles to this and future editions. This edition features a number of articles about contentious issues.

With the Nuclear Waste Dump proposal still fresh in the headlines, Josh Sweaney argues why he believes a nuclear industry is a viable option for our state and must be considered in light of our precarious economic and unemployment situation. Find that on page five.

Continuing in the unemployment vein – and continuing on from his article in the previous edition of AD-Lib – Henry Davis has examined how we go about fixing the unemployment rate, particularly youth unemployment, which is leaving a generation in limbo. You can read that on page 11.

Tut Tut takes aim at the Green activists desperately attempting to impose their climate change ideology on developing countries, and the consequences it’s having on their growth, on page nine. Cheap, accessible energy is one of the best ways of lifting developing nations out of poverty.

We also have two campaign reports from elections interstate. Jocelyn Sutcliffe, our Campaigns Director, was able to spend a weekend in Canberra assisting the State Liberals campaigning in a number of seats.

David Morton and Zane and Dorian Basic also helped out on the campaign, and their efforts are greatly appreciated. You can read her report on page 14.

Brad Vermeer and Dylan Turner also represented the SAYLM abroad – this time in the Northern Territory with the Country

Liberals. Brad has his report on page 16, outlining the incredible efforts on the ground by many, but which witnessed one of the most comprehensive wipe-outs in political history. How the Country Liberals recover and rebuild will be fascinating to see.

The next few months will be a very busy time for the South Australian Young Liberal Movement. We have the Tonkin Dinner, Christmas break-up, new members drinks and, in January, Federal Convention. There will also be more council meetings, where we’ll discuss the policies put forward by members. Our last meeting - at the Robin Hood - was a great success. You can see a brief report and images of the event on page 19.

Thanks again for picking up AD-Lib. As mentioned before, if you’d like to get involved by writing an article, let me know and we can sit down over a coffee. There’s never been a more exciting time to write about politics; the rise of anti-establishment parties gives us all food for thought and should ensure we’re kept on our toes. Donald Trump’s election illustrates a changing perception of politicians and political parties which we must all heed and adapt to.

Cheers, Rowan Thomas SAYLM Communications Director

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From the President

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ince my last report, the Executive has continued to work effectively in running the Movement and engaging with young people in the Liberal Party. Things are travelling very smoothly due to a number of new measures to improve efficiency and transparency. This means we pretty well have the next three to four months planned out and ready to go.

At the time of writing, we have a packed events calendar, with a Christmas breakup planned for December, as well as hosting the Federal Young Liberal Convention in January.

Following FedCon, we will also be having a Council meeting which will include a policy debate.

On the day this edition of AD-Lib is released we will be holding the annual Tonkin Dinner at the Arkaba Hotel. We are very proud to be continuing this tradition, which gives us an opportunity to reflect on our Party’s achievements. It allows us to move forward with a historical perspective, an understanding of how we got to where we are today, and to help guide our future endeavours as a political movement.

A number of notable things have been happening since the time of my last report. A couple of our members assisted the ACT Division in their recent election – an outstanding effort which was well received by our friends in the nation’s capital.

Overseen by our Campaigns Director, Jocelyn Sutcliffe, I am advised that the South Australian effort comprised over half of the interstate volunteers from the EDO program in that campaign.

This interstate contribution is in conjunction with that of Dylan Turner and Brad Vermeer who travelled to campaign for the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory election. You will see in this edition the stories of our members from both elections, their experiences and what they learned.

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The SA Young Liberals have continued to have an active presence on social media, and thanks to our Communications Director, Rowan Thomas, our email system has been significantly revamped, enhancing and streamlining our engagement with members.

And, of course, this edition of AD-Lib is the second of this Executive’s term, which Rowan as editor has been instrumental in putting together. We look forward to future editions.

We also look forward to future State Council meetings to propose a number of policies for the Party’s consideration. As a branch of the Party, we are fortunate to have this opportunity. Our Policy Committee has been very active in formulating proposals for our membership to debate, which we are very interested to see come to fruition in the near future.

In the meantime, I have continued in my capacity as President to represent the SA Young Liberals on the State Executive and on the Young Liberal Federal Executive. As always, I am more than willing to hear your thoughts on these and other matters so feel free to contact me.

Robert Katsambis SAYLM President

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Light in the darkness?

With the debate about nuclear energy raging and the Citizen’s Jury handing down its verdict, Josh Sweaney examines how nuclear energy could benefit South Australia.

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nergy prices across the country have continued to increase. Despite the short-term fall due to the removal of the disastrous carbon tax, the overall trend has remained the same.

Concerns over energy security have been raised due to an increased reliance on renewable energy. Clearly, a better solution is needed.

Nuclear power is one of the cleanest, cheapest, and most reliable forms of energy generation currently known to man. In May 2016, 30 countries worldwide were operating 444 nuclear reactors for power generation, with 63 new nuclear plants under construction in 15 countries. In 2015, 13 countries relied on nuclear power to produce at least one quarter of their total electricity.

Nuclear power is one of the lowest greenhouse gas emitting forms of energy production. While it is true that the

construction and operation of a nuclear power station can produce greenhouse gases and criteria pollutants, independent studies have shown that the life-cycle emissions of a nuclear power plant are comparable to wind, solar, geothermal, and hydroelectric generation.

For those sceptical of human induced climate change, nuclear power is still a great option for a cleaner and healthier environment for humans to live in. The air pollution caused by fossil fuel plants can be extremely hazardous, and damaging to the air and water quality in surrounding areas. While the waste generated by nuclear power generation must be safely stored in special underground facilities, this has no effect on the surrounding environment. The disposal of waste generated by fossil fuel generation is simply dispersed into the air, where it can spread to neighbouring areas and reduce air quality. This is easily demonstrated by the

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unhealthy air quality in cities such as Beijing, which have a very heavy reliance on fossil fuel.

This is not to say that the best alternative is wind and solar power generation. The recent state-wide power outage in South Australia in September, 2016, showed that an over-reliance on renewables (such as wind power, which currently provides 40% of South Australia’s electricity), can have disastrous consequences in severe weather conditions.

Nuclear power generation is undeterred by such weather, and can operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of whether the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. While it is true that catastrophic natural disasters can impede the safety of nuclear reactors, South Australia is very fortunate to be free from weather conditions that would make nuclear power plants unsafe, such as tsunamis or severe earthquakes.

Safety is, of course, an important factor. But for more than 50 years of nuclear energy production in the United States – equivalent to 3,500 reactor years of operation – there have been no radiation-related health effects linked to their operation. When carefully monitored and operated, nuclear

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power plants are very safe working environments. People are more likely to be injured working in a fast food restaurant than they are in a nuclear power station. Australia has 31% of the world’s uranium reserves – the highest of any single country by a very large margin. South Australia contains 80% of this, or just under 25% of the global uranium supply. As of 2009, there were more than 1.6 million tons of recoverable uranium in Australia. Only 28 grams of uranium releases the same amount of energy as 100 metric tons of coal. This makes transportation of fuel much lower (as less is required) and therefore the overall cost of energy production is lower. South Australia, or indeed Australia as a whole, has the potential to become entirely self-sufficient for power generation – it need only tap into the reserves that are available.

Nuclear power generation is also great for the economy. Aside from the obvious benefits of significantly lower electricity costs, nuclear power generation creates jobs.

Typically, 3,500 people are employed during the construction phase of a nuclear power plant, and 400-700 people are employed during operation. In the U.S., salaries are usually 36% higher than those in the local

AD-Lib area. Nuclear power plants often operate in rural communities that benefit considerably from the presence of a large industrial complex.

Liberal Senator Eric Abetz commented after the SA state-wide blackout that “Australia should revisit the possibility of more nuclear power” (ABC). Liberal Senator Sean Edwards was a strong advocate of nuclear energy in South Australia and wanted to see South Australia become a nuclear-powered state.

He made great efforts to this end before the announcement of a royal commission into the nuclear fuel cycle for South Australia.

The Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission in South Australia delivered a final report on the 9th May, 2016 which was quite favourable towards the use of nuclear energy, and South Australia’s participation in other aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle. It was found that a waste disposal facility could generate $257 billion in total revenue. Additional exploration and mining of uranium in South Australia would also contribute to the economy, and could function effectively and safely under current regulatory frameworks. Electricity generation, admittedly, was found to not be economically viable under current market rules but should be considered as a viable option if current restrictions are removed, and the market is made freer – something which the Liberal Party excels in. At the very least, the royal commission strongly supported the building of a waste disposal facility and increased mining operations in the state.

Nuclear energy is the way forward. It provides a safe, clean, and efficient method of energy production, and ensures greater energy security than other options. It will mean lower electricity costs for households, lower energy costs for businesses, create hundreds of jobs and protect the environment. And with recent state-wide blackouts, nuclear energy could very well be a light in the darkness.

Josh Sweaney is a member of the SAYLM and is on the YL Policy Committee.

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Green fascists still flogging a dead polar bear Tut Tut takes aim at the militant Left thrashing their climate change ideology while turning a blind eye to the detrimental effects it’s having on the fight against poverty.

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he global warming/climate change/ “clean energy” agenda has been thoroughly scrutinised and discredited by eminent scientists such as Richard Lindzen, Bob Carter and Ian Plimer among others. In the face of vilification from the extreme Left, sceptics have used logic and reason to prosecute powerful scientific and economic arguments against alleged catastrophic global warming.

Protecting our environment is obviously an admirable goal. The approach we take to achieve that end is, therefore, critical. Any proposal to tackle this issue should not lead to the erosion of the powers and rights of decision which belong to national governments and individuals too. Individual countries can ensure, through implementing reasonable policies, their environments are pleasant places in which to live. Governments can and do implement regulations which prevent excessive, poisonous air pollution and undue destruction of our landscape.

Those are regulations which are well-intended for genuine environmental stewardship. On the other hand, unelected international authorities such as the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) recommend drastic, futile and ultimately detrimental policies which are contrary to the principle of subsidiarity.

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To garner support for their cause, proponents of the anthropogenic global warming agenda, whimsically referred to by some as ‘Catastropharians’, have engaged in outright mendacity and false prophecies in order to arouse the human instinct for survival. The warmists’ remedy to ‘save the planet’ is to, among other things, levy global carbon taxes with the stated aim of halving the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The negative consequences of such an extreme policy, upon the environment, its inhabitants and the world economy, are well documented.

However, another major concern which always goes unmentioned by the Left is the direct consequence of the global warming agenda upon those whom they allegedly care about in developing countries. Yet again, the naiveté or dishonesty, or both, of the Left is exposed. Developing countries will bear the brunt of suffering when global carbon taxes become reality. The Left espouses platitudes about eradicating poverty but continuously advocates policies which exacerbate the problem. For example, one cause championed by the militantly environmental Left is the innovation of biofuels. Great swathes of arable land (millions of acres) which produce staple crops for the world’s peoples were withdrawn from food production and instead used to produce

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crops for biofuels. That action, at a minimum, contributed to the consequent drastic increase in world food prices. Such ramifications may not have been fully exposed to populations in developed countries, but for the world’s poor in developing countries, a hefty increase in food prices could be the difference between subsistence and starvation.

which plainly robs people whose livelihoods are based upon subsistence farming and animal husbandry. One would think that such outrageous policies would be opposed and publicised by the self-appointed paragons of compassion and virtue. Unfortunately, their silence reveals the total disconnect between their rhetoric and the lived reality of their policies.

Global warming proponents aggressively pursue the reduction in the use of fossil fuels with a specific publicly declared intention to phase out the use of coal. Fossil fuels produce the cheapest most reliable base load power which is the bedrock of a thriving economy.

Denying this fundamental ingredient to developing countries - in the prime of their mission to lift their populations’ standards of living - is plainly regressive. It appears the Left would rather keep developing countries in an unending cycle of stunted economic growth supplemented by foreign aid and World Bank loans.

It is not a surprise that the abandonment of the proper scientific method, which is required to answer scientific questions, has led us to this juncture. Scientific enquiry which is not affected by political prejudice has time and again been subverted at the initiative of the Left. Instead of using observation, measurement and experiment then applying the results to established theories, the Left has used questionable, and fallacious techniques to manipulate public opinion.

Furthermore, there are reports of communities, especially in Africa, being displaced from their ancestral lands for the purpose of planting trees which will turn those lush lands into ‘forest carbon sinks’.

A forest carbon sink is essentially a forest that will take in more carbon dioxide than is produced in the given location. It is a policy

For instance, the use of DDT (an insecticide in the fight against malaria) was severely limited in the 1960s after Leftists like Marine Biologist Rachel Carson vigorously advocated an emotional stance about ‘saving the environment’. The scientific evidence showed that eradicating malaria using DDT would have saved millions of lives. Inevitably, when world authorities buckled and curtailed the use of DDT, deaths from malaria skyrocketed.

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History is repeating itself under the guise of ‘saving the planet’. The developing world will become poorer as its advancement is hampered by Green moralising. Developed countries are conspicuous examples proving that burning fossil fuels to produce energy, which powers production and drives growth, is the cheapest way to brings millions out of poverty. Any policy to unreasonably reduce the worldwide use of fossil fuels will lead to more disastrous consequences for all populations due to the Left’s invincible ignorance.

It is, therefore, imperative that our voices and our votes are exercised in support of elected representatives who will advocate for positive policies which advance humankind rather than thwart the leaps already made in reducing poverty. The global warming agenda seems superficially commendable but wild exaggeration by climate alarmists in academia and the media, in conjunction with the concerted stifling of all evidence-based opposition, raises deep suspicions about the

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intentions of this new pseudo-religion’s most ardent supporters. It should not cause revulsion when one asserts that it is not within the gift of human-kind to influence, by decree, the temperature of the globe in the ways fatuously projected by the Left. Human beings cannot reduce the temperature of the globe, and we would be arrogant to think we could.

Tut Tut is a member of the SAYLM and is on the YL Policy Committee.

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Thinking outside the box on unemployment

Henry Davis looks at how South Australia can tackle the serious issue of unemployment and which industries may provide hope for the future.

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e (mostly students) are well aware of the current unemployment outlook for South Australia.

Currently, unemployment is sitting around 7%, with youth unemployment at 14%, as we compete for that ever-illustrious wooden spoon award (hey, at least you get a prize for last!) But what does 7% mean for Australia? It’s hard to picture. Statistically, it means Australia-wide there are 705,100 people who want a job but don’t have one.

That’s a lot.

This is less than ideal, particularly if you are among the youth of South Australia. But I think a more alarming trend is the shift from full-time positions to part-time positions. In September there was a decrease in full-time employment of 53,000 jobs and an increase in 43,200 jobs for part time work. This is a trend we are seeing more of. This development doesn’t get discussed often but it’s called the underutilisation rate – the sum

of underemployment and unemployment. It’s quite difficult to find this data, and it doesn’t make the headlines, but in April this year the figure sat at a whopping 16.1%.

We have a problem, so let’s work on a solution. There are some pretty basic things the government can do. They can remove payroll tax, they can invest in education, they can implement tougher anti-dumping regimes, etc.

Sure, these things do help, but what they do is create an environment where industries can survive; they don’t create jobs. Just because you have a highly skilled workforce with efficient government controls in place doesn’t mean employment will follow. By no means will reducing the level of payroll tax in South Australia reduce the youth employment to 3%. Even if we have the perfect conditions for growth we will still need a seed.

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AD-Lib We need a labour-intensive industry (or industries) that will give South Australia an edge on the world stage. That industry will likely be services based. As a percentage of GDP, undeveloped countries start with agriculture being their major employment sector. Once they begin to develop, they buy tractors and equipment, and agriculture becomes far less labour intensive. The next progression is manufacturing, where cheap labour costs give developing countries a competitive edge on the rest of the world.

China is the prime example.

For developed countries, their economies become primarily services based. This is nothing to be afraid of. The collapse of Holden has had a huge impact on South Australia but that is something we would expect to happen for a highly developed country such as Australia. Our high cost of labour makes it difficult to compete with the likes of China, or against Japan, Germany or the USA, who have reached a point where economies of scale have kicked in. It is like comparing a local mechanic trying to take market share from B.M.W. It’s simply not going to happen organically.

We have a highly qualified population that can undertake high-level tasks. We have incredibly high levels of quality education, which gives Australia a competitive edge on the rest of the world in the provision of services. A service-based industry is where our focus should lie.

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Custom ship-building is one option but would need the ability to sell our vessels to other nations. If you remember the reluctance of the Australian people to buying off-the-shelf submarines you can imagine that other countries will face a similar reluctance to buying from Australia. I suspect that our current ship-building industry will only cater to our own needs and will not result in any type of export or commercialisation. While the $50 billion dollar investment will have hugely positive impacts for South Australia in the medium-term, I don’t think it represents the structural transition that we need in order to secure South Australia over the next 20 to 100 years.

Nuclear waste storage seems like a sensible option for a long-term structural shift in our economy. We have a stable government, we don’t have earthquakes or typhoons and we have huge amounts of open space. Nuclear waste needs to be stored somewhere and, honestly, I am surprised that environmentalists are so opposed to it.

Admittedly, nuclear waste is dangerous. It can really damage the environment. But what did we learn from the Simpson’s episode “Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish”? Wouldn’t one rather it stored safely, with protections in place, rather than leave it to Montgomery Burns to find cheaper forms of storage and dump it into river systems?

Well, the Citizen’s Jury found it guilty and it seems the idea of nuclear waste storage will be locked away with all the other ideas our state has rejected.

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We need to think about what other resources South Australia has that we could utilise.

Well, we have a huge oversupply of students with law degrees who have almost zero chance of getting a job. Why don’t we create an industry around them?

Here’s my two cents of an idea: we set up an international court of arbitration on an opt-in basis. Parties in any country may include in their contracts clauses specifying that any dispute, say, under $50,000, would be referred to the South Australian International Court of Arbitration and that it will be binding on each party. If they lose they consent to have a judgment in their own countries recorded against them.

We would have a specific set of rules designed to fast-track court proceedings: no extensive witness statements, no boxes of documents, no 200-page expert reports. The plaintiff would get to submit 100 pages or less. The defendant gets two weeks to respond and it is set down for trial the next week for a maximum one-day trial.

Each party has half a day to put their case.

The next day you get a judgment and that’s

it! Everything else gets cut out. You run with your best argument and your best evidence.

It’s fair because both parties are constrained by the same rules and both consent when they sign the contract.

I think one would be surprised at how many companies would take this up. Litigation for a $50,000 sum can easily accrue over $100,000 in legal fees, not to mention the cost in time and effort to the company. If you win, you lose. If you lose, you lose even more. Getting the whole dispute over and done within three weeks with a maximum cost of, say, $3000 would be very attractive to businesses.

I’m not saying this is the answer to all our problems. It’s probably a dud idea! But these are the types of solutions we should be looking at to reduce the ever-increasing underutilisation of our population. I challenge you to find those solutions and propose them.

It’s our future, we need to work it out.

Henry Davis is a member of the SAYLM and is on the YL Policy Committee.

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On the trail: ACT Election

Jocelyn Sutcliffe reports from the ACT Election, where a hard-fought campaign fell just short of wrestling power from the long-standing Labor government.

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outh Australian Young Liberals were well represented on the recent ACT election campaign trail. Zane and Dorian Basic, David Morton and myself all travelled to our nation’s capital through the EDO Program - an initiative of the Federal Young Liberals. The Program was open to all Young Liberals and successful applicants were provided with return flights from their capital city and were billeted with Canberra YLs. The process involved completing an application regarding your campaign experience and availability which was submitted to the Federal YL Executive for approval.

Zane and Dorian were the first SA YLs to lend a hand in Canberra, arriving on 30 September; they helped out over the Labour Day long weekend. They were billeted with ACT YL President Ben Damiano and spent their Saturday and Sunday afternoon letterboxing with Alastair Coe in the electorate of Ginninderra. On Monday they joined ACT YLs and in a stellar effort, helped put together and distribute 1500 corflutes!

I travelled to Canberra the weekend of October 8, after spending some time trying to get my head around the Hare-Clark system - the ACT’s electoral system, where

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the members of the ACT’s Legislative Assembly are elected using proportional representation. This system is also used in Tasmania and has its origins with Thomas Hare and former Tasmanian Attorney General, Andrew Inglis Clark. Electors in the ACT vote by recording preferences for individual candidates. In order to be elected, a candidate must achieve a quota of votes.

Voters are able to transfer their single vote from candidate to candidate until a vacancy for their electorate is filled. There are five electorates - Kurrajong, Murrumbidgee, Brindabella, Ginninderra, and Yerrabi. Five members per electorate are elected to the Legislative Assembly. The concept of campaigning against other Liberals in an electorate seemed somewhat counterintuitive to me but the attitude of all Liberal candidates was one of teamwork, eager to defeat an Andrew Barr-led Labor government.

On Saturday 8 October my day started early as former ACT Young Liberal President and Federal Young Liberal Executive member, Josh Manuatu and I headed to the Watson shopping centre to chat to locals in Kurrajong.

I was campaigning for Candice Burch, a fellow Young Liberal who I met earlier this year at Fed Con in Canberra. The campaign plat-

AD-Lib form of the Canberra Liberals was based on funding for hospitals and schools, not trams.

We spent three hours greeting electors on their morning coffee and shopping run. The mood was positive and the locals were engaging. Those particularly politically engaged passed on their feedback to “The Better Burch” and her clever campaign strategy as it appeared the locals were keen to move onwards and upwards from a Labor Government.

In the afternoon, after restocking our campaign materials, Josh and I headed to the suburb of Downer and hit the streets letter boxing. On Saturday evening I joined other YLs from Canberra and interstate for dinner and a campaign pub-crawl, which was organised by Team Candice. Armed with “The Better Burch” and “Yes She Candice” stamps (far better choices than “I’m With Her”) and sporting our campaign t-shirts, we headed into Civic to paint the city Liberal blue. This was a wonderful opportunity to catch up with familiar faces and make some new friends. It also allowed me an excuse to spruik Adelaide Fed Con 2017 with interstate Young Libs!

Sunday morning was an unwelcome early start but one that was necessary six days out from the election. We headed to Dickson shopping centre which was on the outskirts of the Kurrajong electorate. Unlike South Australia, shops in the capital are open for business early, so once again there were plenty of locals out and about and ready for a chat. Though Candice didn’t receive the result she deserved, Steve Doszpot was successfully returned to the Legislative

Assembly, and first-term MLA Elizabeth Lee was also elected for Kurrajong, a campaign David Morton helped out on.

On Sunday afternoon, I met with Peter Hosking, one of the Liberal Party’s candidates for Murrumbidgee. Peter’s strongest asset was his pounding of the pavement. When we met, he proudly told me he’d doorknocked over 10,000 homes in his electorate. I knew that Peter was a go-getter and proud of his upbringing in Canberra’s Southside. He told me how he had successfully overturned his local government’s decision to discontinue the use of a bus service - his bus service that he used to commute to University every day!

He had strong community ties which became obvious to me as we doorknocked over 100 houses in Weston Creek, encountering a few supportive members of his local church along the way. Zane and Dorian also joined Peter on the hustings during their stay in the capital. In a devastating loss, Peter was defeated by only 800 votes by the Greens’ Caroline Le Couteur, who took out the fifth spot.

Following my weekend in Canberra, David Morton arrived mid-week to provide assistance in the final few days. He hit the ground running assisting Andrew Wall MLA letterboxing upon arrival, and then distributing corflutes across three electorates.

The final days on the hustings proved busy for David, with early starts ensuring he was able to campaign across multiple electorates for multiple candidates and the Canberra Liberals more generally. He represented SA YLs on Election Day, engaging voters one last time at shopping centres before scrutineering for Amanda Lynch and Alistair Coe. Though the result was not the one we were hoping for, with Labor’s Andrew Barr returned as the ACT Chief Minister, SA YLs can be proud of their dedicated and enthusiastic efforts in contributing to the EDO Program. Our campaign skills have been streamlined, and our hunger for achievement intensified as we look forward to lending a hand in Perth in March next year and at home in 2018!

Jocelyn Sutcliffe is a lawyer and the Campaigns Director of the SAYLM.

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The 2016 Territory Election To paraphrase former California Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, ‘we’ll be back’.

Brad Vermeer reflects on a bruising election campaign but can’t wait to do it all again in 2020.

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n Saturday, 27th August 2016, the Northern Territory headed to the polls. Just four years earlier, the Country Liberals had won a thumping victory against Territory Labor, taking 16 of the 25 seats up for grabs in 2012. Now with just 11 seats left, they faced a resurgent Labor Party after years of scandal and political intrigue. To say the odds were stacked against us is a significant understatement. This was the realisation that hit us hard, long before Dylan Turner and I stepped foot on the plane to Darwin.

I admit that I’ve lost my fair share of elections. Politics can be a brutal business and the potential of getting thumped is all part of the democratic process. We all knew we were in for a hiding. Whilst the size of the shellacking did not quite dawn on us until the close of the polls, there was still a strange attraction to be part of this political fight, a fight for conservative principles, even to the last man, almost like you were the Texans at the Battle of the Alamo.

Why did I bother?

I’ve often been asked this question, both before and after my time in the Territory.

Well, I have a fairly simple answer: because it

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mattered. All elections do and this one was no different. It mattered because it was important to offer Territorians a choice.

Regardless of the political shenanigans of the last four years, the Country Liberals are a great political party, a true conservative voice, that has made the Territory what it is today. The CLP truly is the Territory Party and has a legacy I was proud to defend.

Why did it matter?

The former Chief Minister and CLP Leader Adam Giles had been much maligned for his part in the Party’s resounding defeat. A lot of what has been said I would find hard to argue with. But seldom in politics is the anointed scapegoat, the chosen sacrificial lamb, the only one to blame. Many of the punters wrote this election off as ‘over before it began’, a ‘certain Labor landslide’ and that ‘it didn’t matter’. Whilst in the end that may all have turned out to be true, it was still important to put up a fight for what we, as conservatives, believe in. It was important because in this election there was a stark difference between the parties and most of all, a difference between the leaders. The difference was simply this: Adam Giles and the Country Liberals had a vision for the Territory. A vision for jobs, small government,

AD-Lib self-reliance, expanded trading partnerships, a strong economy and opportunities for children and families. This compared to a Territory Labor Opposition who offered almost no tangible benefits other than “we’re not those guys”. Yes, in their four years in Government it wasn’t always pretty and Giles and the CLP didn’t always get it right. But in that time they left an indelible mark on the Territory, an economic legacy that even the new Gunner Labor Government now owe much to.

This election mattered because Adam Giles and the Country Liberals needed to tell the story of what they’d achieved, away from the scandals, and to ask Territorians for another chance. Sadly, that was not to be. But like all elections, there were many lessons to be learnt that will make the party stronger in the future.

Rohan Kelly and Port Darwin.

Dylan and I were assigned to help our mate, Rohan Kelly, a 28-year-old born and bred Territorian whose passion for helping and serving his local community is unsurpassed.

He’d been preselected to take over from retiring Attorney-General John Elferink, a long-time and well-liked local member.

However, this was a difficult task given the release of the questionable Four Corners ‘Don Dale’ story, which turned into a media circus and ultimately led to a Royal Commission.

I was lucky enough to be appointed as Campaign Manager and worked with one of the most committed team of volunteers I have ever had the privilege of knowing. We worked from dawn till dusk, running a local grass-roots campaign in an electorate mainly based in the Darwin CBD, adjacent defence base and the marina-based suburb of Cullen Bay. We ran campaigns on local issues, producing our own material and even developing a policy on inner-city vibrancy, which was released in the last week of the campaign.

The electoral system in the Northern Territory had recently been changed to Optional Preferential Voting with no campaigning within one hundred metres of a polling booth, either prior to, or on election day. This created unique campaign challenges, particularly with a number of independents running. Rohan faced five other candidates on election day: Labor, 1Territory and three independents. When all the votes were tallied, we were behind by only eighty-four votes on primaries, mostly due to a conservative independent eating into the Country Liberal vote. Unfortunately, after all the preferences were distributed we came up short by only 199 votes.

This was a devastating loss to the small team of committed volunteers who had worked day-in and day-out on Rohan’s campaign, and obviously for Rohan himself. But given the massive swing against the Country Liberals Territory-wide, it was always going to be a battle to buck the trend.

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Regardless, I am proud of the strong campaign we ran in a mere three weeks and of Rohan and all the volunteers whose work ethic, in my years in politics, has never been matched. The Party owes them all a great debt.

So what now for conservatives in the Territory?

The Country Liberal Party has governed the Territory for 31 years since it gained self-government in 1974. It is a strong and resilient political party with many committed and longstanding members. It will survive this setback, just like it did when it was reduced to just four MLAs in 2005. Whilst there are only two Country Liberals left in the twenty-five seat Legislative Assembly, I know they will work each and every day to hold the new Gunner Labor Government to account. I know the broader Party will be there to support them and I have no doubt the Country Liberals will be a force to be reckoned with come the next election in a little under four years’ time.

If someone was to ask me if I would do it all again my answer is - I’ve already put the 22nd August 2020 in my diary.

Brad Vermeer is a City of Salisbury Councillor and Adviser to South Australian MLC, John Dawkins. He was previously the Liberal Candidate for Port Adelaide at the 2014 State Election and Policy Vice President of the SAYLM.

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YL COUNCIL

at the Robin Hood

O

n September 7, the South Australian Young Liberal Movement hosted its first Council Meeting at the Robin Hood.

There, we heard from a guest panel of Senator Anne Ruston, Nicolle Flint and Steve Murray (SA Liberal Party President) regarding women’s representation in parliament.

The discussion was incredibly informative and engaging. It was a pleasure to hear from such an experienced and professional panel.

Council also hosted policy discussions on three proposed policies – enabling work experience for tertiary students, abolishing taxpayer funding for political parties and allowing smoking in outdoor dining areas.

The debates were lively and thorough, with allowing smoking in outdoor dining areas passing while the other two were defeated.

Turnout was exceptional – well over 60 people attended and it was standing room only for latecomers. We can’t wait to host the next Council Meeting and get stuck into some more policy debates.

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