We have had the campaigning. We have had a debate. The names Marshall and Malinauskas are as often-mentioned at the moment as the sliced bread that they discussed at the Press Club last week. It is a tight race and one that I would not want to make a bet on. Not that I would, as the South Australian Business Chamber’s Chief Executive for a few months to come, I continue to play a straight bat when it comes to politics. As South Australia’s peak employer body, election campaigning for us means pushing all parties and candidates to understand and prioritise what the South Australian business community needs.
The Marshall Liberal Government is to be commended for their performance across this entire two years. No doubt it has been incredibly challenging to protect the health of all South Australians and keep the economy moving. Health is the most important thing to all of us, it is equally true that we must protect and support the business owners and employers who risk it all to employ the rest of us. As the Opposition Leader said at the debate last week, South Australian business owners sacrificed everything they knew to protect our health. They closed their doors, and they did this for everyone’s safety.
We have this moment to really consider what we want the legacy of covid to be? How do we make sure that the sacrifices made by our business community were not for naught? As we hit the polling booths on Saturday 19 March, each of us has the opportunity to cast our vote for what we need. This also includes what the business community needs to reignite in this post-pandemic phase.
Part of our job here as the chamber of commerce and industry in South Australia is to prepare our members as best we can for big decisions like this. So what have we heard from the major parties in the lead up to the 2022 South Australian State Election?
The incumbent Marshall Liberal Government has announced additional apprenticeships and traineeships and removing payroll tax on these for two years. They have pledged to open three new international trade offices and increase visitors into Adelaide and exports out via a direct flights fund. A small business support package includes a digital portal to help businesses engage with the government more efficiently. Importantly, they have included cyber awareness training, a silent enemy for small business owners.
The much talked of Riverbank Arena is forecast to attract annual visitors, create more than 4500 jobs during construction and add $1b to the state economy.
Labor has announced their intent to increase public procurement from South Australian businesses, which goes to the very heart of the public sector culture towards procurement. They will develop apprenticeships and courses, and deliver two new funds for events and tourism (vital for these two hard-hit industries). They have released their Hydrogen Jobs Plan, an excellent opportunity to build on South Australia’s globally recognised sustainability credentials.
It will be a close call, and we are not likely to have a result that night. So sit tight, and look forward to getting behind the next South Australian Premier to reignite the South Australian economy.
