SA Election 2022 - Port Pirie and beers with the Premier

Bright and early on Monday morning, our EDO team arrived in Adelaide, ready for the challenging and exciting week ahead. We started our program at the SA Liberal Party HQ, where we were briefed on local issues and our tasks for the week.

Tuesday was a bit more challenging, as we were warned! After driving almost 2 hours from Adelaide, we arrived at the quaint port city of Port Pirie. In the dry 35 degree heat, we letterboxed the quiet suburban streets all day (with some of us donning far less sunscreen than others), and also got to chat to some of the locals about their voting habits and what their Liberal candidate could offer to support them. As someone who has always lived amongst the political complexity of large urban cities, what I found most eye-opening was hearing from Port Pirie locals about simple priorities like ensuring access to drinking water and specialist medical services. You always hear about the vast discrepancies in political issues across different states and territories/ regional areas and cities, however it isn’t until you actually visit different localities that you truly grasp the extreme polarity of political issues in our great country. Despite the gruelling weather conditions, this was definitely a learning experience I will always treasure!

On behalf of our EDO team, I would also like to extend a massive thank you to the Honourable Terry Stephens MLC, for being our EDO dad for the day, and for showing us the best of South Australia.

It was also an absolute pleasure to meet Premier Steven Marshall for the first time on Monday, and to learn more about his plans for the State after re-election. From opening up South Australia’s reservoirs to the public, to reducing the cost of living for all South Australians, the Marshall Government has already achieved so much!

Steven and his team are ready to continue this success with policies including: stronger healthcare for cities and regional areas, building long-term renewable energy infrastructure such as a world-class Hydrogen Hub at Port Bonython, and to reintroduce a Bill to deregulate SA shop trading hours. As part of the EDO program, we are all determined to do all we can this week to ensure our SA Liberal candidates are elected and South Australia continues to prosper under the guidance of the Marshall Government!

Julia Bejleri is a member of the Young LNP (Queensland)