A few months before the March 20 state election, the South Australian Labor Party was riding high in the opinion polls and the Liberal opposition was in disarray. But by election day, the result was too close to call. It wasn't until four days after the election that Premier Mike Rann could claim a narrow victory for Labor.
Although he claimed the result was "the sweetest victory of all" it suggests that the SA electorate is not so sweet on Rann or the Labor party.
Labor will govern despite winning less than 50% of the two party-preferred vote. The ABC's Anthony Green observed that Labor's two most marginal seats, Light and Mawson, recorded the only swings to Labor statewide.
The overall two-party preferred swing to Liberal was 8.8%, but the smallest swings were in the key seats Labor was defending.
The Greens had their strongest result in a SA election with 8% of the vote. They received double figure votes in a number of electorates, including an impressive 12.2% in the seat of Giles — a country electorate that includes the industrial towns of Whyalla and Roxby Downs.
The Greens candidate for Giles, Andrew Melville-Smith, opposed the planned industrial development of Point Lowly Peninsula, which endangers the unique ecosystem of the upper Spencer Gulf. However, he also stated on his website that he "supports the concept of the Olympic Dam expansion". A range of minerals including uranium are mined at Olympic Dam.
Newly elected Greens member, Tammy Jennings, will join existing Greens MLC Mark Parnell in the Legislative Council.
In a statement on the SA Greens website, Jennings said: "I am thrilled to be set to enter the Legislative Council, and pledge to represent all South Australians. This is an excellent result for the Greens, and our growing numbers prove that more voters are looking for alternative voices in government."
Only in the western Adelaide seat of Lee did voters have an opportunity to cast a vote for a socialist candidate. Standing as an independent, long-time Communist Party member Bob Britton received an impressive 3.1% of the vote.
On his campaign blog Britton said he was very pleased with the result. "We raised the profile of the Party in the area and our policies were very well received. If nothing else, I think we managed to challenge the stereotypes that exist about Communists and what we represent."
It may take weeks until the upper house results become clear, but it seems likely that Kelly Vincent, of Dignity for Disability, will secure a seat. At 21, Vincent will become the youngest woman elected to any Australian parliament and the first person who uses a wheelchair elected to the South Australian parliament.
Proving the need for strong advocacy for people with disabilities, modifications will have to be made to the state parliament building to allow Vincent to access the chamber.
Dignity for Disability ran a number of candidates who highlighted the state government's lack of provision of services to people with disabilities and their families. Dignity for Disability campaigned to increase funding to help the 240 people with disabilities on the Category One Crisis Accommodation waiting list.
Other policies include: establishing three schools of excellence for children with autism, additional funding for mental health services and transport subsidies for people with disabilities.
SA Socialist Alliance convenor Ruth Ratcliffe told Green Left Weekly: "We congratulate the Communist Party, The Greens and Dignity for Disability on their election results.
"It's very clear that the Labor party are on the nose and there is an urgent need to build an alternative political force for working people and the environment.
"We chose not to stand candidates in these state elections, but focused on our work in campaigns and getting our forces organised for the federal election later this year.
"We plan to run a strong campaign highlighting the urgent need to switch to 100% renewable energy and total opposition to uranium mining."