Federal IR prospects may well depend on SA election

At the lay party level the Democrats responded with constitutional and organisational reform. The parliamentary party worked hard, knowing that without continuing unity and stability these internal reform gains were easily undone.

The question at the South Australian election will be whether the public has noticed or cared, and whether there has been a renewed interest in the importance of a specialist upper house balance-of-power party.

The media will no doubt show interest in the fundraising and campaigning efforts of the SA Democrats and their MLCs, South Australian Senator Stott Despoja, and leader Senator Allison, but real interest will be in the Democrats SA election results as a pointer to the future.

For the Democrats to be taken as serious Senate contestants for the next federal election by the media and the public means they have to do well in their strongest state by winning upper house seats in the SA election. And of course for the party not to repeat the political folly of the past.

Nothing less than Senate control and the future of IR are at stake.