Mass unemployment looms over Adelaide

Democracy at cross roads

Think now of the young man or woman who has just turned 18 and can vote in a South Australian election for the first time. With fire in their eyes and ideals in their hearts, they have the opportunity to vote for Dumb or Dumber. They also have the dubious privilege of voting for candidates in SA's upper house – the Legislative Assembly, those wallet fatteners who say little and do even less.

This is not democracy. This is a photocopy of a photocopy of the Westminster system. The state's political leadership over the last 30 years has been the worst in the Federation's history. It makes the Bjelke-Peterson years in Queensland look enlightened. Young people in their teens and 20s – if they haven't fled to NSW or Victoria - will curse this and previous government's cowardice for failing to make the hard decisions after the State Bank fiasco.

Neither can the government keep relying on one-off cash injections from privatisations such as selling the Motor Accident Commission. You're selling the future from under the feet of the next generation.

Conclusion

The state's rising unemployment calls for radical measures. We must put the state on a war footing by getting the two major parties, the Greens, business leaders and union heads, to sit together and co-jointly pursue a major international and national jobs initiative. Throw the whole weight of the state against the problem. Forget about the Upper House. Turn the public service in to the active implementers of policy with assistance from business. Meanwhile, those storm clouds are gathering.